American jam band Perpetual Groove is riding a wave of momentum with its improvisational rock and energetic live shows.

The band will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at The Mobius, 281 Fourth St., Ashland.

The momentum for Perpetual Groove began in 1997 when two of its founders, guitarist Brock Butler and bassist Adam Perry, met after their freshmen orientation at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.

To the dismay of their dorm mates, the two spent many late night sessions jamming with other musicians.

The original band lineup was formed, and Perpetual Groove performed at venues in South Carolina and Georgia. The group's favorite haunt, though, was J.J. Cagney's, a local bar in Savannah.

Advertisement

The new band put together a demo recording that later became known as the "Jungle Funk Demo." Butler and Perry were both taking minors in sound engineering at Savannah College, so they decided to utilize the school's studios and record a studio album. Their self-titled album featured eight tracks, and just five hundred copies of were pressed.

The original band lineup dissoved when two of the members graduated college and left Savannah to pursue employment. Butler and Perry continued to pursue music, and the two spent time writing, playing and working on ideas for new projects. Each worked various jobs and hosted open mic nights at J.J. Cagney's as a way to earn a little money and get to know other musicians.

It was at one of the open mic nights in 2001 that the two boys met their future band mates, drummer Albert Suttle and keyboardist Matt McDonald. The new quartet quickly became a regular act at Cagney's.

The band members began to connect and be comfortable with the music they were creating, and together a new sound emerged.

Things took a professional turn for Perpetual Groove when it took on its manager Ben Ferguson. The band began picking up a fan base in 2001 and 2002 while performing in Atlanta with C. Robie and The Dunhams, landing a gig at the city's Annual Music Midtown Fest.

Things were rolling for the Groove members, and it was time to put a marketing approach together. The group started distributing free live CDs and hired a booking agency. Soon Groove was touring and performing full-time in the Southeast.

In 2003, the group recorded its first release, "Sweet Oblivious Antidote," at a friend's studio in Atlanta and headed into the Midwest to tour. Groove finished the tour with a sold-out performance at The Georgia Theatre in Athens on New Year's Eve.

The band toured harder in support of its new album and got a lucky break when its members were invited to open for rock band The Big Wu on its Northeast tour that spring. Groove began its own national tour later in 2003, performing at venues across the country, such as the High Sierra Music Festival in California and the Berkshire Mountains Music Festival in Massachusetts.

The band is still ridin' the wave with its second CD release, "All This Everything," in 2004 and a third studio recording — yet to be titled — to be released this year.

IF YOU GO
Who: Perpetual Groove When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 Where: The Mobius, 281 Fourth St., Ashland Tickets: $10 Call: 488-8894