Rootstand

Greetings from the Rootstand Family. The trials, tribulations, and grassroot determination of our team has exposed us as one of the most upcoming and notorious roots bands on the scene. Few other bands dig as deep in to the God-given mojo and animusical magnetism afforded to Michigan’s favorite acoustic ghetto rebel sons. Rootstand successfully marries the sounds of traditional forms of Roots musics, like Irish reels, and old world polkas, Caribbean ska to American blues and bluegrass to the cutting edge sounds of experimental blues and groove, urban hip-hop, dancehall reggae, and electronica. Our music is very diverse, yet completely logical: Ska and Polka, bluegrass and reggae, hip-hop and country blues, dancehall and Irish reels. What we do is not a token conglomeration of popular forms, it is altogether something new, a new sound, built upon the foundations of traditional music but never intending to replicate it.

Who has Rootstand played with?
Rootstand had the opportunity to jam with a host of great musicians in the past few years, including John Sinclair, Donna the Buffalo, Lotus, The Brothers Past, Sam Bush, George Clinton and the 420 Funk Mob, Victor Wooten, The Zen Tricksters, Melvin Seals and Rob Wasserman, Tony Furtado, Vince Welnick Band, Mr. Blotto, Derek Trucks Band, Benevento and Russo Duo, Railroad Earth, Jorma Kaukonen and Hot Tuna, Ekoostik Hookah, Tim O’Brian, Mamadou Diabate, Jazz is Dead, Melvin Seals and JGB, Tony Rice and Peter Rowan, Cornmeal, Chris Smither, Grada, Tom Constanten,Terrapin Flyer, Henry Butler, Particle, Yonder Mountain String Band, David Grisman, Dark Star Orchestra, David Gans, and seriously many more. We are honored to have shared the stage with these, and all our brother and sister musicians.

Photography by: Bear Yovino