String Cheese Incident says goodbye

[mountain bed]

Tonight, at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheatre in their home state of Colorado the eclectic bluegrass/jamband String Cheese Incident are playing what is evidently their last show together. Guitarist/vocalist Billy Nershi is moving on to other musical expressions, and all of the rest of the band have side projects as well.

 

From '99 through '02 or so I followed these guys quite a bit & had some amazing times with them. Imo their best days are behind them but they still can bring the heat when the spirit moves them . By all indications this tour has been very very good. Such as shame to see it end...hopefully tonight won't be a musical fiasco like Coventry VT was for Big Red & the boys.

 

Feel free to post thoughts on your 'incidents' here.

 

"All we need's a little love to get through this time"

---"Shine"

[jc4prez]

Never really liked the cheese wizz accident. Though I have seen them four or five times at differnt festivals and such.

 

The only reason I'm posting though is to let folks know there is a cheese Wilco connection

 

 

At wakarusa in 2004 both band headlined and Cheese played a late night set following Wilco's. During Wilco's st somebody came up to the front (The vip section was seperate from the rest of the crowd) they person shouted up to Jeff "WHO ARE YOU?" and if i rember correctly jeff said wilco and the person replied they were looking for cheese and then jeff made some remark about wilco not being cheese. Someone with the bootleg will have to quote it. Also if anyone has a copy of that wilco show i'd apperiate it. I lost it when my hard drive crashed.

[quarter23cd]

At wakarusa in 2004 both band headlined and Cheese played a late night set following Wilco's. During Wilco's st somebody came up to the front (The vip section was seperate from the rest of the crowd) they person shouted up to Jeff "WHO ARE YOU?" and if i rember correctly jeff said wilco and the person replied they were looking for cheese and then jeff made some remark about wilco not being cheese. Someone with the bootleg will have to quote it. Also if anyone has a copy of that wilco show i'd apperiate it. I lost it when my hard drive crashed.

That sounds funny.

 

I've not really followed SCI. They came to prominence during that period of time in which I'd disavowed most of the jamband scene. I've heard them play enough to appreciate their chops, but don't really have a strong connection to the music. I'm just here for the contact high.

[Lammycat]

I started catching them in '95 when I first moved to Boulder. They used to play at a very small brew pub, the Mountain Sun Brewery, for free on Sunday nights. It was obvious back then they were something special. They were much more in the traditional Bluegrass vein back then but with their unique twist.

 

I caught them quite a bunch when it was still affordable and easy to catch them at local venues, even Telluride Bluegrass Fest, but hadn't caught them for about three years. Their side bands (Zilla, Hollingsworth's band, Billy Nershi and his wife, etc.) have been doing small bars/clubs for a bunch of years now and those I've still caught a bunch of. I saw Billy and his wife's band up at a small mountain joint in June and they sounded excellent. More Folk-y/Americana. Apparently this is the way he's leaning and one reason for the split.

 

Like most bands worth their salt the scene got pretty huge around them fairly quickly and I kind of bowed out at that point. I still appreciate the availability of the shows on disc and always felt fortunate to have them be based locally.

 

I tried to get them for my wedding in 1999 and had a shot but they were unavailable/out on the road at the time.

[jonbama]

In '95 i saw sci play a free show in a park in birmingham. it was one of the more fun shows i have ever been to. at that time they were much more bluegrass, much less jam band. kang came into the crowd and hulla hooped while he played the fiddle, pretty damn neat. the subsequent times i saw them were fun but never lived up to the first show i saw. at any rate, i certainly appreciate them and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

[El Picador]

I caught them a bunch of times around '98 and '99. By 2000 I stopped taking drugs and they didn't sound as good to me. I still have a great appreciation for them as a very fun band. But without drugs, they completely bore me. I do think they are great musicians with a creative vision and I wish them the best in their future ventures.

[cwnorman]

I started catching them in '95 when I first moved to Boulder. They used to play at a very small brew pub, the Mountain Sun Brewery, for free on Sunday nights. It was obvious back then they were something special. They were much more in the traditional Bluegrass vein back then but with their unique twist.

 

I caught them quite a bunch when it was still affordable and easy to catch them at local venues, even Telluride Bluegrass Fest, but hadn't caught them for about three years. Their side bands (Zilla, Hollingsworth's band, Billy Nershi and his wife, etc.) have been doing small bars/clubs for a bunch of years now and those I've still caught a bunch of. I saw Billy and his wife's band up at a small mountain joint in June and they sounded excellent. More Folk-y/Americana. Apparently this is the way he's leaning and one reason for the split.

 

Like most bands worth their salt the scene got pretty huge around them fairly quickly and I kind of bowed out at that point. I still appreciate the availability of the shows on disc and always felt fortunate to have them be based locally.

 

I tried to get them for my wedding in 1999 and had a shot but they were unavailable/out on the road at the time.

 

Lammy...whats the Mountain joint you saw Billys band at. I really want to start catching some local acts at some of the mountain bars.

[Lammycat]

Lammy...whats the Mountain joint you saw Billys band at. I really want to start catching some local acts at some of the mountain bars.

The Stage Stop Inn up in Rollinsville (right outside of Nederland). It's been taken over by new management in the last year or so and renovated. Very earthy vibe and the upstairs hosts the shows with a deck/balcony and second bar. Lots of room yet intimate.

 

Another good place to catch music that way is the Chalet Suisse in Nederland. The Wolf Tongue Brewery used to get good bands, too.

 

And there's the Ned Fest coming next weekend with, among others, Sam Bush, Steve Kimock, DJ Logic, Great American Taxi (Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon's excellent band)etc.:

http://www.nedfest.com/

[oceanman]

I once got a phone call saying that Kyle was wearing the Emma's Dream shirt I made.That made me a little proud!

[Darkhorse]

I got to see sci a couple of times over the years and a bunch this last fall, they just seemed to be where I was going. Anyways, they were a great fun time everytime I saw them, not everything needs to be serious and thought out. These shows were my dance parties, and the boys had a good time too, flying off the cuff. It was always fun thats all that matters.

[mountain bed]

The year 2000 was when these guys just were on another planet. By all means check out the Saenger Theatre in NOLA 5/5/00...Bela Fleck sits in on the first set, and Karl Denson (w/ the Tiny Universe) sits in on the second. Just amazing!

 

When Fall Tour '00 rolled around, Phish had just went on the 'hiatus' & it appeared that SCI was ready to take off in a big way. The "Outside Inside" album came out with a number of classic tunes from their repetoire (Rollover, Latinissimo, the title track)...easily their best studio effort. They continued to blow up buildings all through '00 & '01 and then a strange thing happened: it seemed that they just hit a creative block...the new tunes were recycled ideas from better, more exciting older songs & there was a huge number of covers creeping into the setlists- always a bad sign. The same thing happened to Phish in the Summer of '98, and they never regained their former glory imo.

 

I saw SCI at the Creek in the Summer of '02 & it seemed to me that they were already past it. Wierd, because I also saw both the Trey band & a double bill of Phil (w/ his classic quintet) & the ABB at the same venue & the Cheese drew more than both of those shows! 12,000 people came out to see them that year. I could not believe it.

 

I know there's a thing about the spun-out wook types that have always been a percentage of their audience, but compared to the Dead & especially Phish this was a more family-oriented vibe. I took my youngest to see them a few times & never felt worried like I would have if I'd have taken her to see Phish. I'll be completely honest & just say some of those folks were just total hedonists that didn't give two shits about anyone but themselves.

 

I'm gonna miss this band, but forever is a long time. They'll be back.

[oceanman]

I gave my buddy Mike a SCI tape in 96 and now he's been to over 200 shows.Last Sci show I saw they played White Frieghtliner Blues,which was awesome,but when I brought up Townes,evryone was like what is this dude talking about.So once again jam fans let me down.