Asheville Citizen-Times
October 6, 2006
by Jedd Ferris
The String Cheese Incident has become an elder statesman in the jam band world. The six-piece Colorado crew spent a decade on the road, but took a six-month break at the start of 2006, focusing on side projects like guitarist Bill Nershi’s folk trio Honkytonk Homeslice and drummer Michael Travis’ live techno outfit Zilla.
This weekend, they’re in Asheville for a two-night stand at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth recently shared some thoughts by phone.
On taking a break: “It was a very creative time, and I was able to write a lot of new material. It was good for everyone to be able to clear our heads of String Cheese. Sometimes it can become this big thing with so much involved, so it was nice to be simple for six months.”
Side projects: “They help the band. I do it with the intention of being able to bring more to String Cheese. Travis has helped us work out electronic jams that are more genuine and realistic, because he explores that world. It’s always been our thing to incorporate as many different types of music as possible.”
Playing with Bob Weir: “I saw the Dead around 15 times, so meeting Bobby was an honor. His musicians in Ratdog are top notch and he was on top of his form. A couple times I was teary in the audience, because it took me back a decade or so. I enjoyed their transitions, and how they could be quiet without having to play a bunch of notes. They take their time and let the jam grow, and seeing that helped us.”
[...]
