Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Music lovers who attended last year’s Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival will see at least five familiar faces at this year’s event. The band Assembly of Dust will play two of the four days, just as they did last year.
Reid Genauer, band leader, calls his band’s music “hick funk,” and formed the group five years ago by picking up members as he played solo gigs. The band first played together in 2002 and released their first album, The Honest Hour, in 2005.
“We draw from elements of Motown and roots music like bluegrass and blues, and rock,” he said.
Genauer said he enjoys playing at festivals, or as he calls them, “huge congregations of fanatical music fans.”
“You wind up playing in front of crowds considerably larger than you might have had had you played on your own,” Genauer said.
Wakarusa, however, isn’t just any festival, Genauer said.
“It’s been a great way to get in front of a lot of people who have a predisposed liking to our style of music,” he said, adding that the beautiful setting of Clinton Lake State Park enhances the experience.
Another member of the band, Nate Wilson, keyboard player, views Wakarusa as a unique event.
Assembly of Dust has played at several festivals, some of featuring only jam bands, Wilson said.
“Honestly, I get bored seeing one thing over and over again when I go,” he said.
Wakarusa offers a nice change of pace, according to Wilson.
“They do a good job of getting a good variety of artists,” Wilson said.
And just as the specific genre of the group’s music is uncertain, the origin of the band’s name is also a bit unclear.
“I would categorize it as uplifting and fairly happy music. It’s not all that dark. I felt like the band needed a little darkness,” Genauer said of the choice of name.
The band released their newest album, Recollection, in March.
But to truly experience the music, Genauer said there’s no substitute for watching them live.
“I think you get a more true read on the band by seeing us live,” he said.
Assembly of Dust play will play Saturday from 3:15-4:15 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. Tickets are still available at Wakarusa.com.
— Edited by Ben Smith
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