Hookah's not Dead yet

Courtesy of Madison House Ekoostik Hookah, a collection of Jerry Garcia look-alikes, is known for its Dead-like sound.

By Rob Mitchum
Daily Arts Writer

It's not easy being a jam band. To be successful, such groups must delicately straddle the line between improvisational genius and pure self-indulgence. At the same time, one must endure endless touring schedules and constant comparisons to Grateful Dead (as the only rock-based jam band that most critics have heard of). Can a tiny band from Ohio like Ekoostik Hookah stand up to this pressure? The answer given Thursday night was an enthusiastic "yes."

Greeting a tightl packed but enthusiastic crowd at the Blind Pig, Hookah stretched out for a long, upbeat three-hour performance. The five-piece outfit showcased a sound that owed more to the Allman Brothers than those Dead fellows - a Southern-fried mix of blues and country-inflected rock.

Like most successful jam bands, Ekoostik Hookah builds its music on a strong foundation of musical talent. As accomplished as each member is, however, the spotlight was almost always on lead guitarist Steve Sweney. The tall, lanky Sweney appeared to be physically wrestling with his instrument as he supplied lightning-fast bluegrass fills on "Lady Vanilla" and emotional blues leads on "Ridgway Sky." Most exciting was his playing on the multi-part instrumental "Slipjig Through the Poppy Fields," as he traversed the different movements with frightening ease and glorious soloing.

The other standout Hookah member was keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Dave Katz. While behind the keys, Katz added depth to the band's sound by adding subtle piano and organ counterpoint to Sweney's fiery solos.

When Katz came out to the front of the stage wielding his acoustic guitar, the band's sound suffered from the lack of instrumental diversity, but his catchy songwriting and soulful voice compensated for the loss.

These qualities were most prevalent in the beginning of the second set, where two of Katz's songs provided the highlight of the show. The band's official theme song "Hookahville" quickly caused the crowd to resume dancing and singing along after the half hour set break. This set the crowd up to be absolutely floored by the next tune, "Ecstacy," where the epic vocals of the song melted away into the fiercest jamming of the night.

Ekoostik Hookah remains a lesser-known band, however, and thus the performance was not without its weak points.

With a few exceptions (most notably the long, adventurous "Float") guitarist/vocalist Ed McGee's songs lacked the spark of Katz's compositions. The poor placement of his ballad "Pass the Cider" immediately following "Ecstacy" all but sucked the energy right out of the room. The impromptu cover of the Doors "Roadhouse Blues" also provided a lowlight, which reduced Hookah to the musical level of a credible bar band.

Much more effective was the playful cover of Three Dog Night's "Mama Told Me," sung by drummer Eric Lanese.

The bluesy, but playful interpretation and tight Sweney solo emphasized what works best for the Ohio quintet, and confirmed that Ekoostik Hookah has the right ingredients for success as a jam band.

09-28-98