Raise a ruckus with Bumpus

Aug. 15, 2007

With eight songwriters in the band, you can expect twice the sound of the usual group from Bumpus, which hits Northern Michigan this Friday at the Loading Dock in Traverse City.
Based out of Chicago, Bumpus is a jam band with a soul/funk twist. Its collective of eight songwriters hail from a variety of traditions, including jazz, R&B, gospel and alternative rock.
The band got its start 10 years ago and has reportedly gone through “countless” lineup changes ever since, along with nearly 1,000 performances and a reputation as one of Chicago’s hottest bands.
Bumpus has performed with some of the best jam bands around including Tiny Universe, 20th Congress, as well as hip-hop artists such as the Roots and Jurassic 5. They’ve also shared stages with Hootie and the Blowfish, They Might Be Giants, Maceo Parker and Dr. John.
The current band was reformed in 2002 after original singer Rachael Yamagata left to launch a solo recording career. Today, with two female gospel singers in the band and a universe of musical influences, Bumpus sees itself cast in the role of a Sly and the Family Stone for the ‘00s. That means lots of keys, horns, harmonies, funky bass and beats.
Other influences (and covers) include Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Radiohead and Prince, so do be sure to bring your dancing shoes if you check out the show.
The band had a regional hit CD in Chicago with 2001’s “Stereoscope,” following up with a live disc recorded at the city’s Metro club in 2003. Currently, they’re heralding their latest CD, “All
the People.”
Lead singer James Johnston says the band took a more soulful direction with their new album. “In the past, we’ve always viewed successful songwriting from the standpoint of how well the song would go over live,” he notes. “We have so many up-tempo songs in our show that anything down-tempo or a little moody couldn’t compete for the audience’s attention. So with this album, we chose songs that would be enjoyable to listen to without worrying about how they will be received in a live context.”
If you’re a bit burnt out on folky jam bands after a summer-long onslaught at Northern Michigan music festivals, fear not. “With two fine backup singers, and a sax section, they value the Sly Stone/James Brown tradition way more than the Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers tradition,” states Chicago’s Time Out magazine.

Bumpus performs Friday, Aug. 17 at 10 p.m. at the Loading Dock in Traverse City. For more on the band, check out www.bumpusweb.com.