The Grassroot Deviation
Encyclopedia
The Grassroot Deviation is an Edmonton
-based four-piece musical group that plays a mixture of roots
, rock
and funk. The band formed in 2002 and consists of guitarists
/vocalists Brian Parker and Dan Smith, bassist
/fiddler
Mike Barer and drummer
Vinay Jhass. The band has played more than 100 shows across Canada and released two studio albums, The Grassroot Deviation and The Circuit. All the band members have either graduated or currently attend the University of Alberta
.
, Bruce Cockburn
and Neil Young
. Their work includes instrumental jam sessions, such as the Celtic infused "Mr. Somebody", mid tempo folk ballads like "Steady Ground" and the funk infused "Regular People", which features 12-bar blues, call and response and funky bass and drums. Front man Brian Parker states, "I think when you combine the writing of folk songs with that dancey, groove-inspired kinda thing, you end up with what we do." The band have played on the same bill as acts such as Keller Williams
, That One Guy, Wide Mouth Mason
, Wasabi Collective, Slowcoaster
, Captain Tractor
, Hey Ocean, and Five Alarm Funk.
Defending their liking for instrumentals, Brian Parker said "[Lyrics are] definitely important...Sometimes lyrics are necessary, sometimes they’re not...If you're writing a song and you want to convey a certain emotion or idea...lyrics are one route and music provides another.".
The second album, The Circuit, is more rooted in their jam session style, which maintains the energy and enthusiasm of their live performances. Parker explains, "We went into the studio and banged it out. It was very speedy, but I'm happy with that sound. That was sort of the concept of the album - 'Let's just do what we do.' We get the most response from our shows. The shows are what we do, so why would we try to change that?" During 2007, the band toured Canada, beginning with Victoria, British Columbia
and ending in Antigonish, Nova Scotia
.
In November 2008, The Grassroot Deviation performed in front of 250 fans at The Digital Universe, a laser light show complemented by Canada's only full dome digital projection system in the Margaret Zeidler Star Theatre at TELUS World of Science, Edmonton. The visuals were coordinated to the bands set which was composed largely of jams.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
-based four-piece musical group that plays a mixture of roots
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and funk. The band formed in 2002 and consists of guitarists
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
/vocalists Brian Parker and Dan Smith, bassist
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
/fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
Mike Barer and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Vinay Jhass. The band has played more than 100 shows across Canada and released two studio albums, The Grassroot Deviation and The Circuit. All the band members have either graduated or currently attend the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
.
History
The Grassroot Deviation are influenced by Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
. Their work includes instrumental jam sessions, such as the Celtic infused "Mr. Somebody", mid tempo folk ballads like "Steady Ground" and the funk infused "Regular People", which features 12-bar blues, call and response and funky bass and drums. Front man Brian Parker states, "I think when you combine the writing of folk songs with that dancey, groove-inspired kinda thing, you end up with what we do." The band have played on the same bill as acts such as Keller Williams
Keller Williams
Keller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who began performing in the early 1990s. He is also known by the names K-Dub or just Keller, when performing. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and...
, That One Guy, Wide Mouth Mason
Wide Mouth Mason
Wide Mouth Mason is a Canadian blues-based rock band, consisting of Shaun Verreault , Safwan Javed , and Gordie Johnson . Former bassist Earl Pereira was also co-founder of Wide Mouth Mason...
, Wasabi Collective, Slowcoaster
Slowcoaster
Slowcoaster is a Canadian indie rock band from Sydney, Nova Scotia.The band's sound is essentially rock-based, with strong influences of reggae, ska, folk and jazz, combined with pop hooks and improvisation.-History:...
, Captain Tractor
Captain Tractor
Captain Tractor is a Canadian folk rock band, based in Edmonton, Alberta. They play a punk-influenced variant of Celtic folk music, similar to such bands as Great Big Sea, The Pogues or Spirit of the West...
, Hey Ocean, and Five Alarm Funk.
Defending their liking for instrumentals, Brian Parker said "[Lyrics are] definitely important...Sometimes lyrics are necessary, sometimes they’re not...If you're writing a song and you want to convey a certain emotion or idea...lyrics are one route and music provides another.".
The second album, The Circuit, is more rooted in their jam session style, which maintains the energy and enthusiasm of their live performances. Parker explains, "We went into the studio and banged it out. It was very speedy, but I'm happy with that sound. That was sort of the concept of the album - 'Let's just do what we do.' We get the most response from our shows. The shows are what we do, so why would we try to change that?" During 2007, the band toured Canada, beginning with Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
and ending in Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
.
In November 2008, The Grassroot Deviation performed in front of 250 fans at The Digital Universe, a laser light show complemented by Canada's only full dome digital projection system in the Margaret Zeidler Star Theatre at TELUS World of Science, Edmonton. The visuals were coordinated to the bands set which was composed largely of jams.