By Kevin Alan Lamb
Chemistry is a powerful magnetic force that draws us towards those who emit similar heat signatures. Young, foolish men and women believe they can do things best by themselves, but as we discover those of a similar nature as ourselves, we learn the potency and magic of collaboration. What began as a posse of good friends getting together to jam in a basement, has flourished into a musical force making a series of splashes on the Mid-West jam scene. Act Casual blends elements of blues, funk, long instrumental jams and catchy 3-minute songs to create a sound that is thoroughly their own, and a dependable recipe for fun.
Having share the stage with members of Umphrey’s McGee, The Werks, Laith Al-Saadi, The North 41, Broccoli Samurai, and Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Ryan Yoskovich, Ryan Stafford, Nick Small, Will Richardson, and Danny Flynn continue to work their way into special opportunities like their residency at The Parliament Room of Otus Supply. Taking place on the last Wednesday of each Month, Act Casual curates a unique night of themed music where they are joined by another budding talent.
This Wednesday they will be serving up some well-timed Yacht Rock, as Michiganders return to the surface to be reminded what the sun feels like on their skin. They will be joined by special guest Conscious Pilot, the jam infused rock and roll force from Columbus, OH.
What is Yacht Rock you ask? Think of the soothing sounds of Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, and other Catalina Classics!
Doors are at 7:00 PM, 18+, $5 cover.
Can you walk us through your history at Otus Supply, from your first show to your residency in present day?
Our initial show at Otus Supply was 12/30/2016, we were immediately impressed by the staff and venue itself. We have since played Otus Supply 7 times in total, some of the most memorable moments over the years would have to be the Official Keller Williams/OABI After Party in August 2017 as well as having 3/4 of Chirp swap us instruments mid-song for a ~30 minute version of Billy Boogie at last month’s show. One thing that makes this venue so great is their willingness to let us explore and do fun impromptu things like that on stage.
What can we expect from next week’s Yacht Rock night?
You can expect to hear music from artists like Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, and others in a similar vein. Our first set will be Yacht Rock themed while our second set will focus on our own material. We even heard a rumor that the opener Conscious Pilot may be sneaking some Yacht Rock tunes into their set.
Y’all have been on fire over the passed year, what have some of the highlights been from your perspective?
We had a very busy year in 2018, certainly our busiest year in terms of gigs. Some highlights would have to be the sold-out shows at Centennial Nights in Mt. Pleasant, buying our own van, sharing the stage with true musical heroes like The Werks and members of Umphrey’s McGee, and the #1 highlight for me would have to be all the traveling with my friends.
What are you most excited for this summer?
I am probably most excited to get back in the van and travel further distances as we tend to play more music festivals in the summer. We will be returning to some of our favorite festivals this summer like White Birch Music Festival and Feral Fest. We’ll also making a couple debut appearances we can’t mention yet.
Just in case you were listening for one, This Is A Good Sound. RSVP here.
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This Is A Good Sound 