The Quasars are a jam/fusion/rock band out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Forming from the disbanding of two local groups, The Quasars hit the music scene in early Summer 2008. This group consists of 5 members - Anthony Kennedy, Alex Drossart, Jack Hale, Jonny Vesely, and Zachary Bader. Shortly after stepping into the infancy of their existence, The Quasars began a light, but enjoyable summer line up of gigs, playing local restaurants and a gig at a city sponsored music performance in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. These shows sparked some public interest, and have pushed The Quasars to continue on performing in the Summer of 2009, with a CD planned for early summer.
BAND / MUSICIAN BASICS
Genre
Funk / Fusion / Freestyle
Band Members
Anthony Kennedy: EWI/Vocals
Jonny Vesely: Guitar
Alex Drossart: Keyboards/Vocals
Jack Hale: Bass Guitar/Vocals
Zach Bader : Drums/Vocals
Home Town
Green Bay
Influences
Phish, Medeski Martin and Wood, John Scofield, John Coltrane, Radiohead, The Band, and The Beatles.
By TJ July 24, 2009 Tonight I was shocked. When I lock into a band's sound my imagination creates this visual image of what the band and music look and sound like. So when I strolled up to Plea Bistro's patio to check out The Quasars and saw these young cats getting down on some pretty heavy fusion jams, I learned my image of The Quasars was way off! Usually funk, fusion and jazz are reserved for a more mature listener. Lets be honest you have to dig quite a few years back to find any remotely popular funk or jazz in the limelight, but fusion is a different story altogether. Fusion is the blend of funk and jazz with more current elements like R&B and hip hop or alternative while holding mainly to the format and structure of jazz or jam, but it is open to improvisation.
Ok, so now that I am on square one with renewing my mind's image of The Quasars, I key in on the saxophone that I had heard but did not seem exist, interesting. Anthony used an EWI wind Synth that emulates the sound of the saxophone remarkably. This is the first time I have ever seen or heard someone play an EWI so I have no idea how talented he is at playing it, but I will say that he can pull off some really amazing riffs with this thing and it sounded just like a great sax player jamming. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Alex's keyboards, switching tone from a Rhoades to organ then to clavi. Alex can really play, I was totally impressed with his skills. Jonny was on the semi hollow body, Paul Reed Smith had a warmed over tone and some nice overdriven tone and blazing hot solos. There was a nice tapping solo for the intro to Stevie Wonder's - "Very Superstitious." Jack on bass, was working that Ibanez semi-hallow bass guitar. Jack was all over that fret board and stepped in to vocalize The Verve's - "Bitter Sweet Symphony." I'm a big fan of drums and when Zach wasn't working overtime on the vocals he was cutting into his Gretsch kit! I love drum solos and Zack can pull it out real clean all over the kit . This band is a lot of fun overall and keeps the originals vs. covers at a 50/50 rate. The Quasars are some young and extremely talented musicians that show very little restraint in showing it off. Maybe that concept of space and less is more, comes with age, or maybe I'm just getting old! There is a ton of talent in The Quasars and they must be on to something new because they are getting booked all over town and have CD which is to be released soon.
By TJ
There was a nice tapping solo for the intro to Stevie Wonder's - "Very Superstitious." Jack on bass, was working that Ibanez semi-hallow bass guitar. Jack was all over that fret board and stepped in to vocalize The Verve's - "Bitter Sweet Symphony." I'm a big fan of drums and when Zach wasn't working overtime on the vocals he was cutting into his Gretsch kit! I love drum solos and Zack can pull it out real clean all over the kit . This band is a lot of fun overall and keeps the originals vs. covers at a 50/50 rate. The Quasars are some young and extremely talented musicians that show very little restraint in showing it off. Maybe that concept of space and less is more, comes with age, or maybe I'm just getting old! There is a ton of talent in The Quasars and they must be on to something new because they are getting booked all over town and have CD which is to be released soon.