Photos and review by: Jason Robey

CHARLOTTE, NC — Jam band and touring veterans The String Cheese Incident took full advantage of the opportunity on Friday night to remind Charlotte why they have been a staple of the scene for more than 30 years. A few shows into their summer tour, the group stopped in the Queen City for an evening of great music and dancing with their unique combination of bluegrass, reggae, electronic, and seemingly every other genre under the sun.

With no opening act, the band emerged for their 90-minute first set while the sun was still beating down on the crowd. Opening with the soul-tinted “Solution,” the first several songs felt like a tailor-made soundtrack for the hot, sunny evening. Keeping the vibes light and airy, they eased into one of their earliest songs, “‘Round the Wheel,” extending it to a bouncy 15 minute jam, eventually melting into an equally extended “One Step Closer.” Following a beautiful run through of the upbeat love song “Get Tight,” they introduced another of their longest running crowd favorites, “Texas.” Always a vehicle for improvisation, they ran it over 16 minutes before a seamless transition into the energetic and highly danceable “Light Fantastic.”

During the 20 minutes between the first and second sets, the sun gave way to the dark sky, soon to be lit up by the dazzling lights that would accompany the rest of the evening with String Cheese Incident. The set started in a unique way, with drummer Michael Travis and percussionist Jason Hann jamming a five minute tribal-sounding drum intro that would eventually break into “Can’t Wait Another Day.” The improv that emerged turned the mood from the breezy vibes of the daytime set into a darker, moodier feel that dominated the rest of the evening. The band took an extra long journey of sonic exploration, starting with “Best Feeling,” penned with longtime friend of the band, Keller Williams. Twenty minutes into the tension-building interplay between the six musicians, they exploded into the Indian-inspired “BollyMunster.” 

The shortest song of the evening (still clocking in at seven minutes) came in a cover of the Steve Miller Band’s “Swingtown,” acting as a quick breather before three consecutive 10+ minute tracks to cap the set. The brand new composition “Fete Tama,” by keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth made its second appearance in the band’s setlist, having debuted a few weeks earlier. The crowd response tune coupled with the opportunities each member had to explore the song’s theme suggests that it will pop up more and grow into a show staple. They returned to familiar ground with the bluegrass-based “Restless Wind,” with interesting musical conversations between Hollingsworth and Michael Kang on violin. The home stretch of the set perfectly encapsulated the party spirit of a String Cheese Incident show with the explosive energy of “Let’s Go Outside,” with a short breakdown of The Who’s “Eminence Front” inserted in the middle. With the 11pm curfew looming, the group took a short breather before returning for the encore with a rare, reggae infused cover of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” With three decades under their belt, String Cheese Incident continues to deliver a memorable and fun night with every concert, continuously breathing new life into songs they’ve been playing since the beginning. Catch them on tour throughout the summer, and headlining their annual Hulaween festival in October.