A Brief History of Planet O...
Planet O was formed in 1997 from the cooling magma and tectonic remnants of a band called Faliciti and the Bone Rocker, shortly after their first CD release called "O." A love of music and the unified vision of creating a musical experience that would transport listeners to another place, served as ample fire to ignite the fiery core of Planet O, and set it spinning out bad beats and rocking rhythms to the far reaches of the cosmos.
Since the letter "O" is one of the O-ldest symbols in the alphabet, with ancient roots and artistic simplicity, it seemed like the O-bvious place to take listeners back to. Planet O's geological origins can be traced to the rural southern Colorado hills of the Huerfano, an area suffused with art and music communes. Due to the intensity of artistic traffic flowing in from big cities and small towns, these communes served as musical incubators for the melding of alternative and cosmopolitan sounds. As a result, Planet O's musical style is a fusion of the jamming, eccentric, folksy melodies evolved from the hippie movement of the late 60's, and the slide electric, bright lights and big city band sound of the 70's funk revolution. But it's more than just that....
The gravitational pull of Planet O is so strong, audience members have often remarked at how compelled they felt to "get up and dance." This phenomenon can be attributed to the unusual vibrational make up of Planet O, which -through careful analysis- appears to layer the heavy beats of reggae with a trace of blues, a twinkling of jazz, and a heavy dose of funk. Planet O is definitely a jam band, but a jam band unlike others due to early influences of the Oakland Sound and the same forces that formed the Seattle grunge scene. Their reggae junky sound is undoubtedly permeated with the cool edge of rock
and heavy metal. Aside from playing their own original music, Planet O's repertoire occasionally puts a new spin on musical tributes to the songs and artists who inspired them.
But musical inspiration is nothing new for the members of Planet O, who are themselves 3rd and 4th generation musicians. They have not only been studio players, but their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents have played with the likes of Climax, Ben Benae, Steely Dan, Little Feat, and the Doobie Brothers to name a few. Most members of Planet O are multi-talented musicians, effortlessly playing as many as four different instruments in a single show and dazzling audiences with the diversity of sound they produce. With occasional guest appearances from the bands own up and coming musically gifted children, the Planet O act can't be anything less than pure romping stomping lyrical fun for all ages.
In the six years since Planet O was formed, the band has toured extensively throughout the southwest, orbiting points from Albuquerque to Denver, Durango to Steamboat Springs. They have shared the stage with Merle Saunders, Little Feat, and played Colorado's music festivals to the breathless delight of thousands. Don't miss out on this infectious sensation of rhythm and sound. If Planet O doesn't take you away, your own dancing, leaping, skipping feet surely will!
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