Aqueous has established their jam scene bonafides through years of stellar live showcases, and their top-notch throughout last weekend‘s Summer Camp Music Festival only continued to earn new fans for the Buffalo quartet. Part of the next wave of jammers that seem to be forming a flying wedge of guitar-laden rock and roll, the band brings a dense, partying sound that people getting down around the nation. As usual, their two full band sets featured a delightful mixture of exuberance and excellence in musicianship.

Starting on the festival’s opening night, guitarists Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss were front-and-center, sharing lead guitar and vocal duties with elegant dexterity. The dueling axe-masters shared as many wide grins as they did fiery solos, showing no signs division; just love and symbiosis between the players. The spunky rhythm section of Evan McPhaden and Rob Houk provided a punchy tide that seemed to roll in and out as needed for the sonic explorations being taken by the guitar and keys wailing up front in the mix.

Having already shown Summer Camp crowds what they were capable of in years past, the band was clearly looking to expand their game. During their Thursday (5/25/17) set, they brought out a pair of heavy-hitting members of the weekend’s hosting bands: drummer Vinnie Amico from moe. and keyboardist Joel Cummins from Umphreys McGee.

Amico and Cummins helped lend an uptempo and almost startlingly good take on the Steely Dan classic “Kid Charlemagne.” After getting the crowd cranked with their special guests and the beloved tune, the band closed out the set with a spacey, crunchy, twenty-minute take on “Triangle” and a twisty “Strange Times.”

Videographer Rex Thomson was on hand to capture theswirling and soaring jams of Aqueous and their special Summer Camp guests. You can watch videos of Aqueous’ kick-ass “Kid Charlemagne” with Vinnie and Joel, as well as “Triangles” and “Strange Times” below.

“Kid Charlemagne”

“Triangle”

“Strange Times”

SETLIST: Aqueous | Summer Camp Music Festival | 5/25/17

SET 1: Skyway > Origami1 > Second Sight, Kid Charlemagne2 3, Triangle > Strange Times

NOTES:
1 Unfinished
2 First Time Played, Steely Dan Cover
3 Featuring Vinnie Amico (moe.) on drums, Joel Cummins (Umphrey’s McGee) on keyboards

[Cover photo via Phierce Photo by Keith G.]