‘Tis the annual Christmas Eve Eve show for the ‘Book. Simply wouldn’t be the holidays without it! Those of you who haven’t seen us in a while will be treated to some of the filthiest stink-funk your ears have ever beheld. 

We will be joined by our homies Swift Technique from Philly. The last time we played with these cats was the Funk Fest on the East River, and those of you that made it know how that turned out… (Spledidly. It turned out splendidly)

You’ll also be treated to Boston’s favorite jammish festival jumpers Grassroot:

You might even say there is a little something for everyone!

From Boston Music Spotlight

Band Name: Project Blue Book

Members:
Nick Benavides: Vocals, Saxaphone (Albuquerque, NM)
Rob O’Block: Guitar (Boston, MA)
Greg Croak: Bass Guitar, Vocals (Boston,MA)
Matt Cambria: Drums (Boston, MA)
Mike Patton: Keytar, Vocals (San Francisco, MA)
Eric Zadoroznyj: Trumpet (Saddlebrook, NJ)

Website:
www.projectbluebook.fm
www.myspace.com/theprojectbluebook

How did you form?

Project Blue Book is the final product of a seven-year playing rampage that began in Boston. We played consistently in high school and got a steady gig at the Barking Crab in South Boston, which we packed to the brim every night. In those early days, we were a strict bar cover band playing classic rock crowd favorites. Our style evolved from our ability to jam over the simple changes from the cheesy bar tunes and they became something of our own flavor. From there, it wasn’t about the name brand of the song we played that got the crowd to react, it was the way we played it.

Who are some of your influences?

Most good music comes from the imitation of the great players that came before it. We admire bands like P Funk, The Meters, Zeppelin, Phish, The Chili Peppers and others. If you want to play the best music you can possibly play, you have to learn and respect the masters that motivate you. We listen to a variety of different music as well, even if we can’t directly identify it in what we play. Within our band, you’ll find a bounty of knowledge in the way of electronic music, bluegrass, metal, punk, motown, blues, funk, rock, or folk music… depending on who you ask. It’s difficult to trace all of those styles in our music, but what makes us feel good will inevitably find its way into our style.

Finish the sentence, someone would like your band if they like…

…Psychedelic funk music with a touch of jam.

What has your most memorable moment as a band been?

Our patented runs in the Bay Area, California…often these include multiple shows a day for various stretches of time.

Walk us through your songwriting process.

This is how our song-writing process has developed as well. Someone will come in with a riff or an idea, and we put it into the jam blender to see what comes out the other side. Like a writer in any medium, the initial intent of its creator is inconsequential. The songs we write belong the the entire group, with everybody making their own contribution.

Who is the best musician in your band?

This works well because it is a difficult question to determine who the best musician in the band is. If “best” musician is defined by the person who has committed the most time towards perfecting their craft, then its Rob O’Block on guitar. He embodies the musician’s standard for practice and due diligence with regard to his instrument. But without Matt Cambria behind the drums, we can’t jam the way we do. Robby’s skill is useless without a drummer that can provide a canvas for him to paint over. If the best musician is defined by purely impressive musical ability, then its Mike Patton on the synth. His perfect pitch gives him an unfair advantage over everybody, as he literally sings everything he is going to play inside of his head before he plays it.

What is your favorite local venue?

The Barking Crab

What separates you from other local bands?

The result of this confluence of musical styles is a style of our own. Because in the end, we can never be P Funk, or the Chili Peppers, or whoever. But in our attempt to emulate them, we end up creating something that is wholly original and fresh. There are no other local bands that can execute the variety of styles we tackle, and I’ve yet to see another non-jazz Boston band that can improvise as a unit as flawlessly as we do.

What do you have coming up that people should know about?

Our sets at Hennessy’s Hooley House on July 2, Felt on July 23, and Copperfield’s on August 14 provide us the opportunity put our music into the set. Our crowds have little choice but to shake their respective backsides and let the groove punish them.

Convince our readers to see your next show.

Come check us out before we hit the road and leave Boston on August 18 for our cross country tour. Be sure to check out MySpace and the website for updates on the shows. Watch out for the new recordings up there coming later this month!