It was apparent as soon as Philadelphia-based electro-jam collection took the stage in chilly Minneapolis; Lotus meant business. Midway through their 2015 Winter Tour in support of their Gilded Age EP, Lotus set fire to the Land of 10,000 Frozen Lakes with a wide range of eclectic tunes from their extensive catalog, including a twenty-minute “Nematode>Sift>Nematode” segue and an impressive encore off their latest EP.

Recently, the music world has been teeming with musicians who have stepped up to either replace or support bands that they are not necessarily permanent members of, yet. My last three reviews (Yonder Mountain String Band, STS9, Electron) have detailed surprise replacements/additions who have extremely floored die-hard audiences of the original lineups.

Lotus announces 2015’s The Gilded Age Tour kicking off January 22nd in State College, PA and continuing from coast to coast through early March. Highlights include two night runs in Syracuse and Burlington & shows at New York City’s Terminal 5, Los Angeles’ House of Blues, and Atlanta’s The Tabernacle. While 2014 included select appearances, this new run is Lotus’ most extensive tour in over a year.

Lotus is set to celebrate the end of 2014 with four shows in two different cities. Take down the holiday decorations and get ready to pop the champagne with Lotus starting December 27th and 28th at Philadelphia’s Electric Factory. Then, officially ring in the New Year on December 30th and 31st in Richmond, VA at The National.

The first Lotus pressing I ever got my hands on was their last, Monks, this tight little package that threw-back to the glory days of trip-hop you’d never hear about unless you were in—(see Deltron 3030, Doctor Octagon, et. al.)—and, in the process, brought the mellow-fellow known as Doodlebug and his “Cloud 9” musings into my life. Here was, far as I could say, a honed-vet jam band biting hip-hop, and I dug it.

Lotus return to Colorado for their annual Red Rocks Amphitheatre show on September 19th, and the band will perform the Talking Heads Deconstructed set that premiered this summer at the Gathering of the Vibes Festival.

Lotus announces the new album, Gilded Age, to be self released digitally and on vinyl on July 22nd. It includes six new, rock focused tracks and four down-tempo electronic remixes. Relix premieres the album video preview offering insights into the making of the album (view).

Memorial Day weekend always produces a number of different and distinct music festivals across the country, however one Midwest festival in particular has proved for countless years that they know how to throw a unique concert experience complete with a diverse music selection, an enthusiastic and experienced crowd, and a little help from the weather gods. This year’s annual Summer Camp Music Festival was one for the ages, providing fans with an unforgettable experience that won’t be outdone anytime soon.

Gathering of the Vibes is incredibly excited to announce the latest round of band additions to the East Coast’s premier music and camping festival, celebrating its 19^th year.

Cloud 9 Adventures has announced the details of the legendary Dominican Holidaze fan experience.