sustainable_rocking@thirsty-ear.mit.edu

ELP sends a million thanks to everybody who came to rock with us at the sweet new Thirsty Ear Pub last Friday night! There was a lot of love in that room.

In humble consideration of Thirsty house rules and in deference to our lovely planet Earth, the band went out on a limb and staged a very different version of the ELP concert experience. We set out to be soft and sustainable yet raucous and rocking. Given the enthusiastic crowd response, we think it was a good first effort at this new aesthetic.

All rockers arrived at the venue sans-cars, transporting their equipment with their very own electric laser legs. Cullen carried his drums (and his brushes) with him on the "T." Jess carried her keyboard and stand. Dan carried his bass. Conspicuously missing? Amplifiers. Big, bulky, heavy amplifiers. Everybody just plugged right into the house mixer which ran right into the house PA.

Everybody, that is, except Grant, who walked in with his trusty 1953 Magnatone Varsity amp in a backpack. Weighing in at a paltry 8 lbs, and consuming a mere 8 W of electricity during the performance, the Maggie was a more than suitable complement to broadcast the tones of the Gibson SG.

It was a far cry from the sonically bombastic ELP performances of yore, and those shows will continue, but we all feel that this new "low-impact" approach to musical merrymaking is fun, refreshing, and thoroughly rewarding. We hope you agree. Come see us at the Lilypad in Inman Sq (next to 1369 Coffee House) on December 14th, 2008 to hear us do the low-key thing one more time.

If it's the massive decibels you crave, then be sure to hear us at All Asia Café on December 5. We're bringin' the noise for that one.