Something about a young band on the cusp heading out on tour seems to bring about all sorts of antics and funny stories. Having first come to know of the Minneapolis-based Roster McCabe after finding their spirited take on Warren G’s rap classic Regulator for an old edition of Bust Outs, we have since seen the name bantered about plentifully in the jamband circles, most recently as the Jambands.com New Groove of the Month.
In poking around a bit on their website, it quickly became evident that these guys have a close knit friendship where the music comes first, but the tomfoolery a close second. So, naturally they seemed like a fun band to check out a bit further.
What is Roster McCabe all about musically? The original songs tend to see-saw up and down through big frenetic jams and mellow reggae breakdowns throughout the course of their extended, but not belabored song structures. The most distinguishing trait would be the lead vocals of keyboard player Alex Steele who brings a hip-hop, roosty reggae energy which easily staves away the dreaded “standard jam fare” label. It’s a fresh approach, particularly for anyone who likes reggae music with a more energetic and improvisational bent.
In chatting with the band between shows in the early stages of a hefty Colorado run, we learned more about the group’s camaraderie and their music, while scoring ourselves one hell of an entry for America’s Funniest Home Videos along the way.
Hidden Track: First off, congrats on being selected to the New Groove of the Month by Relix and Jambands. That’s a big step in the right direction. Do you get the feeling that things are really kicking into gear these days for the band to make the jump to the next level?
Roster McCabe: Thank you, we were honored to be selected as the New Groove of the Month. Things have been growing steadily for us. The touring, practicing and writing has been slowly paying off, so we are just going to continue those things and see what happens. We were recently in Billboard as one of five up and coming national jam acts, so that was nice to get a little recognition for everything we have been doing.
READ ON for more of Ryan’s chat with Roster McCabe…
