Hydra will bring its potent blend of funk, trance, rock and world beats to the 9:30 Club Sunday. The Jam-rock super-group was born when Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and up-and-coming jam band Particle recently joined forces.
Hydra bassist Steve Molitz recently told The Hatchet about how Hart approached the group and described the songwriting process. “We just started playing grooves and recorded everything. We would then listen back to the recordings and develop on those themes and grooves even further.”
To people not familiar with jam band scene, it would seem that a Grateful Dead drummer merging with another improvisational-minded band such as Particle would not produce anything sonically exceptional, unique or intelligent. However, Hydra has even managed to surprise and please even themselves with their musical creations. Molitz said, “We are doing things we have never done before. We’re trying to push forward, trying to think differently about Hydra.”
Hart, a well-known spiritual enthusiast who is vocal about his belief in music’s emotional power, has significantly influenced the members of Hydra. Molitz described powerful moments and connections that the band and audience have made during live performances. “We’re reaching for a moment of bliss and using the music as a vehicle to reach those moments,” Molitz said of the intent of Hydra’s improvisations. It is these compelling and inspiring moments that make Hydra’s live shows such an invigorating event for both the band members and the fans.
Ironically, this is not Molitz’s first time playing with a member of the Grateful Dead. Last December, he was invited by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh to play at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco with his own all-star studded side project, Phil Lesh and Friends. But “that actually had nothing to do with the creation of Hydra,” Molitz said, adding that he appreciated the knowledge and enthusiasm that the former Dead member shared.
Hydra began its first tour earlier this month and plans to hit up nearly 20 U.S. cities over the course of the tour. Hydra recently accepted an offer to play at the renowned New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in early May, and Molitz is ecstatic about the music the band is creating. “The tour and the music are exceeding everyone’s expectations. Things are running so smoothly. We are playing from our hearts and not from our minds. There’s a constant evolution and flow to this band. No one knows what to expect … it’s a certain mystery. We’re having such a blast.”
It remains undetermined when, or if, the band will tour or record again. “We have no timetable; everything is totally unexpected,” Molitz said. “If you are in the need for an intense, dance-heavy workout, then you should check out Hydra while you still can.”
Hydra will play at the 9:30 Club Sunday. Tickets are $25.
