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HERE ARE SOME OF THE BANDS THAT WILL BE ROCKING PHANPHEST 4.0!
Averaging over 200 gigs per year for the past few years, Ryan Montbleau Band has generated the kind of buzz that only surrounds a talented artist on the verge. Emerging onto the national music scene from his home base of Boston, Ryan Montbleau has been described as something of a Martin Sexton by way of Van Morrison and Stevie Wonder. Yet Ryan Montbleau Band’s music is diffi cult to pigeon-hole or neatly categorize. It is original yet familiar—a fresh sound full of fi rmly-rooted ingredients, including Americana, folk, blues, ragtime and ’70’s R&B and soul. Whereas the band’s intriguing instrumentation and arrangements (not to mention top notch chops) help to create this unique sound, all is fi rmly anchored by Montbleau’s water-tight lyrics and unmistakable voice. Having begun his career playing Boston’s coffee shops and folk venues as a solo artist with an infectious, percussive, fi ngerpicking guitar style, the charismatic Ryan Montbleau has evolved into the front man for the eclectic ensemble that bears his name. Make no mistake—this is a band in every sense of the word and is powered by the dynamics of Matt Giannaros (acoustic upright bass, electric bass, vocals), Laurence Scudder (viola), Jason Cohen (piano, organ, clavinet, Rhodes, Moog) and James Cohen (drums). This combination of art and personality creates that magical bond between performer and audience that Ryan Montbleau Band is fortunate to have in these cynical times. Sustaining the band through the years as they toured incessantly, virtually living on the road, they have already established a large, passionate following throughout the country. - Website | Myspace 
A wise fan knows to expect the unexpected at a U-Melt show. From the moment the New York City based quartet hits the stage, they grab the crowd with undeniably funky and infectious grooves that hit new levels when Rob Salzer’s mind-bending guitar work and Zac Lasher’s hypnotic, entrancing keyboards are given room to roam. Their improvisational work is made possible by Adam Bendy’s innovative bass work and George Miller’s brilliant drumming, which opens doors for Lasher and Salzer to treat the audience to heavy doses of their creative, free-flowing interplay. Although U-Melt can fall into the jamband genre, to sum them up so succinctly oversimplifies their complexity. By design, U-Melt transcends the jamband label. “What it does is unify all these bands with different styles into a scene based around one thing: improvisation,” says Salzer. As Lasher explains, “to say a band is a jamband doesn’t really describe the sound. I think it describes a philosophy about performance rather than a sound, and it’s definitely a philosophy to which we subscribe.” After parsing through the many various ways to describe U-Melt’s sound and vision, Lasher sums it up best, “There’s jambands that are rock bands, jambands that are jazz bands, jambands that are funk bands, jambands that are trance bands, . . . and we’re none of those, but then again, at times we’re all of those.” - Website | Myspace 
Recently referred to as one of the Jam Scene's "Best Kept Secrets" by Relix magazine, Juggling Suns have been abducting fans from New Jersey to Japan since 1997. Their roots lie in the diverse musical styles of old school psychedelia, jazz, bluegrass, funk, trance, dance and pure rock n roll, and those roots have fueled their legendary on-stage improvisation. The Suns have played to packed audiences in Japan and all over the United States, appeared in the Julia Roberts movie Runaway Bride, performed personally for the NBAs Bill Walton, and won consecutive awards for Best Jam Band at NJs Asbury Music Awards (2002- 2003).The Suns blend their well-crafted original music, with their own take on covers from Sesame Street songs to Bill Withers to create a one of a kind setlist experience at every show. With their last national tour, the Suns played to exuberant fans from Las Vegas, to Utah, Arizona, all the way to Colorado in support of their most recent 4th live album.The Suns have held their own as one of the east coasts favorite live acts- going on 10 years strong since its conception in 1995. Juggling Suns consists of Solar Circus alumni Mark Diomede alongside Gus Vigo who was one one of the founding members of Juggling Suns along with Diomede, was formerly from New Jersey band World Within. Tim Morris, originally Diomede's acoustic side project partner, came on board to take over rhythm guitar skills in 2003. Andrew Lenaghan and Paul Gaita make up the driving bass and drums, blistering in their ability to make people move both in body and spirit. Their original songs have been covered by the Disco Biscuits and Keller Williams, and the Suns have hosted numerous guest musicians up on stage beside them, including Buddy Cage, Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead), Martin Fierro (Legion of Mary) and Jon Gutwillig (The Disco Biscuits). Guitarist Mark Diomede, who has been on the road as a musician since 1989, received the Asbury Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. Diomede has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Herring, Santana, moe., Mickey Hart and Bob Weir. 2006 Has brought a new life into Juggling Suns. Rediscovered and newly signed by Aeria Records, Juggling Suns has released their 7th (and live) CD Tranzmutation with rave reviews- which was received with stellar reviews and regular Sirius radio airplay. 2007 has proved to be a rebirth of Juggling Suns with the addition of Gaita on bass guitar. A new album is in the works and expanded horizons of musical adventure are just around the corner. get abducted. - Website | Myspace 
"Turtle Soup is goood... Turtle Soup is delicious" - John Popper of Blues Traveler Turtle Soup's original blend of jam rock, funk, and dance music is no longer New Jersey's best kept secret, thanks to winning Top Jam Band and Top Groove Band at the 2007 Asbury Music Awards. Not only are they excellent songwriters, but dazzling musicians as well. Fun, catchy hooks, complex arrangements and sweet grooves fuel their improvisations. The frenzy of their enthusiastic and rapidly growing fan base adds to the excitement of a Soup show. Turtle Soup has been tearing up the Northeast, having played with Blues Traveler, Jimmy Vivino, Paul Rodgers, Marshall Tucker Band, Foghat, Little Feat, Dark Star Orchestra, Juggling Suns, RAQ, and The Breakfast. - Myspace 
Codename formed in 2002. 4 years later they are about to release their second album and continue their northeast play from DC to upstate NY. Compositionally, Codename's songs are a fusion of tightly composed, high-energy progressive-rock arrangements, complimented by jazzy harmonies and funked out dance grooves. Their show is a true experience. The soulful connection is apparent between Adam Nash (keys/piano), Jon Joffe (guitar), Greg Halbkram (bass), and Sal Galati (drums/percussion), as their chemistry both on and off the stage combines unique energy, vision, and sense of adventure that all goes into the jazz-infused blast of funk rock that is Codename. Among their influences are The Grateful Dead and Phish, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield and Medeski Martin & Wood, Pink Floyd, Yes, Soulive and The Allman Brothers. - Website | Myspace |
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