Big Something: Headspace Fall Tour wsg Consider the Source – Albany, NY

Hailing from the North Carolina countryside, or “The Middle of Nowhere,” as it’s proudly dubbed on their debut album, the 6 headed musical monster known as ‘Big Something’ has steadily become one of the most unique and exciting rock bands to emerge from the Southeast.Huge rhythms paired with soaring guitars, E.W.I (electronic wind instrument), synths, horns and soulful vocals rise to the top of their signature sound taking listeners on a journey through a myriad of musical styles. With a diverse and growing catalog of timeless songs that tell stories, and a high energy live show fusing improvisational alternative rock with funk, reggae, jazz, electronica, heavy metal and more – there’s not another band quite like Big Something.After over a decade of touring together with 7 full-length studio albums produced by Grammy-nominee John Custer, Big Something have progressively evolved their catalog with each subsequent release. From their debut album Stories from the Middle of Nowhere in 2010, through fan favorites a la the self-titled Big Something [2013], Truth Serum [2014], Tumbleweed [2017], The Otherside [2018], and Escape [2020], they have constantly pushed the boundaries of their sound.Among many highlights, “Song For Us” and “Love Generator” have accumulated millions of Spotify streams, while their performances at Sweetwater 420 Fest, Lock’n, Electric Forest, Peach Music Festival, Summer Camp, High Sierra and 10 years of their own festival, The Big What? have further solidified their place as luminaries of progressive improvisational rock and a grassroots phenomenon in the live music community.

Big Something is:Ben Vinograd – Drums
Casey Cranford – Sax, EWI
Matt Laird – Bass
Jesse Hensley – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Josh Kagel – Keys, Trumpet
Nick MacDaniels – Guitar, Lead Vocals

Sci-fi fusion trio Consider the Source defy easy categorization. If intergalactic energy beings, upon their initiation into an order of whirling dervishes, built a pan-dimensional booty-shaking engine powered by psychedelic math…it would sound like a cut-rate CTS cover band. With their blend of progressive rock and improvisatory jazz, soaked in Indian and Middle Eastern styles, CTS blends disparate elements into an utterly original whole. A relentless touring schedule has earned them a fervent following around the world, with fans ranging from jam-band hippies to corpse-painted headbangers.

Their latest album, You Are Literally a Metaphor, is the culmination of a fifteen-year musical journey. Packed with the same fury and dazzling virtuosity of their previous work, Metaphor is also a portrait of three musicians reaching new levels of maturity.

From the bluesy swing of “When You’ve Loved and Lost Like Frankie Has” to the ethereal electro-synths of “Sketches From a Blind Man”, CTS’s minimalist pop instincts stand shoulder-to-shoulder with progressive metal and freewheeling improvisation in a true expression of their omnivorous musicality. Three of Metaphor’s nine songs are Eastern European traditionals, but could easily be mistaken for the band’s original tunes, so singular has their sound become. CTS retain their signature fiery maximalism while pushing the hooky, anthemic songwriting to the forefront. Bassist John Ferrara’s new Taurus bass pedals and guitarist Gabriel Marin’s new custom Vigier double-neck guitar add new dimensions to the band’s already diverse sound.

This is an album born of comfort and growth. In the five years since World War Trio, the band has toured extensively, Marin and Ferrara have released side projects, and drummer/percussionist Jeff Mann has gone from a relative newcomer to a road-hardened veteran. After all this time, CTS knows how to create space for each other, how to finish each other’s musical thoughts and sentences, how to think as three individuals but speak with one voice. You Are Literally a Metaphor is a statement of confidence, an assertion of identity from a band with no reservations and nothing to prove.

CTS have performed in a half-dozen countries across three continents. They have shared the stage with a wide variety of artists, including: Victor Wooten, King Crimson Projekt, Wyclef Jean, Ozric Tentacles, Soulive, The Disco Biscuits, Papadosio, Turkuaz, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Wayne Krantz and many others. They have performed at festivals and events including: Electric Forest, Peach Fest, Gathering of the Vibes, Resonance, Summercamp, Shakori Hills, ProgDay, and Progtober.