ATTENTION INCUBUS FANS…

For anyone who hasn’t heard, Incubus will be releasing a greatest hits & rarities album entitled “Monuments and Melodies” on May 5.  There will be some new material on the album with the first single, “Black Heart Inertia” to be released on radio airwaves sometime in March.  Along with this release, the band will embark yet another North American tour this summer.  That is great news to my ears because Incubus is one of the most amazing live bands I have ever witnessed.  They get a lot of negative criticism for being a “mainstream” band.  First off, Incubus has constantly evolved and brought something fresh to the table with each new album.  If you listen album by album, you will notice a change musically.  If the evolution has lead to more mainstream music, so be it.  I am a huge fan of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. but would absolutely hate to have 6 other Incubus albums similar to that one.  The band has grown and incorporated various new instruments over time adding a unique element to their music.  The whole mainstream criticism is something that I really hate hearing.  Music snobs would love for their favorite local bands to remain locked down to touring around their little city, rather than hope for success of reaching the biggest audience possible.  If Incubus had remained a local act in Southern California playing funk-driven tracks from Fungus Amongus, I don’t believe the band would have survived.  They never “sold out” as their careers progressed.  Every band wants to make it big, therefore every band wants to sell out.  Incubus makes the music they want, not the music producers tell them to make.  The guys record in studios that cater to the feeling of the album they wish to portray.  Once again, I digress, but music snobs are one of the most annoying things in the world to me.  Every one has their own tastes.  If you don’t like a band’s new stuff, don’t listen to it.  Simple as that.  There is not one band in the world that everyone likes.  And just for the record, I hate hate hate U2.  I hate their music, I hate Bono’s sunglasses, and I love the episode of South Park where Bono was revealed to the be the world’s largest Number 2.  (If you haven’t seen it, check it out!  Hilarious, kinda gross, but hilarious)  Back to my actual article…  I would venture to say that most of these critics have never actually seen Incubus live.  Their live performance musically mimics what they record in the studio which is a testament to their musical abilities.  Every show involves solos from every band member in typically elongated jam sessions which entertain from beginning to end.  They vary their set-lists from show to show and put on amazing performances night in and night out.  I have seen Incubus five times now and will continue to follow them.  It looks like they are going to be performing in Indianapolis and Cincinnati again.  The tour cities seem to be pretty common tour spots for the band.  Out of the five performances I’ve been to, four of them were in outdoor amphitheaters.  The non-outdoor performance was at Rupp Arena in Lexington.  I can’t wait to see these guys again.  It should be a treat following the break the band has had.  Every member has had some pretty significant things happen during this break.  Brandon held his second art gallery out in California.  Jose became a father of the first Incubus baby.  Mike has been studying at Harvard.  Ben has been touring with his solo act.  Kilmore, well I don’t really know what Kilmore has been up to, but I’m sure it was rewarding in some way.  I CANNOT WAIT for this summer!