Rusted Root
is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their fusion of Grateful Dead style bluegrass rock with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, Indian influences. Rusted Root is often lumped together[by whom?] with other bands under the jam band label, though they have somewhat rejected this categorization.
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MICHAEL GLABICKI TICKETS
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History
Rusted Root formed in 1988 in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and made its indie record debut in 1992 with
Cruel Sun
, which was rereleased in 2002. The group's major-label debut
album was 1994's
When I Woke
, a hit on college radio and a platinum record. The album hit the top 40 in early 1995, peaking at #33. Along with their inspiring live shows, Rusted Root began working on contributions to the movies
Twister
and
Home for the Holidays
. Their next studio album was
Remember
(1996), followed by
Rusted Root
(1998) and
Welcome to My Party
(2002).
Welcome to My Party
was criticized by fans, who are affectionately known as Rootheads. Many felt the band's departure from tribal grooves to a poppier feel was an attempt to sell out.
Remember
reached the
Top 40 in the US, while
Rusted Root
found its sales buoyed by the use of the band's
cover of
the Rolling Stones' "
You Can't Always Get What You Want" on an episode of
Ally McBeal
. A live double album followed in 2004. Its greatest-hits album was released in April 2005 as part of
Universal Music's 20th Century Masters series. The band has released three
EPs,
Evil Ways
,
Airplane
, and
Live
, which came packaged with a documentary video cassette.
Rusted Root's "
Send Me On My Way," which hit #72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 is its most commercially popular song. It was used on the soundtracks of
Matilda
;
Ice Age
; the 1996 film
Pie in the Sky
; the film
Race the Sun; YTV Canada's
Are We There Yet? World Adventure; and the Boy Scouts of America, Order of the Arrow Philmont Trail Crew promotional video that was released in the late 1990s. Its music has also appeared on the television shows
Party of Five
and
Homicide
.
Although the band continues to tour, its hard-touring days appear to be over as the group is devoting more time apart to pursue solo projects.
Michael Glabicki released a solo album (
Uprooted
) as have
Liz Berlin (
AudioBioGraphical
),
Patrick Norman (
Digital World
), and
Jenn Wertz with her band Isabella (also of
Lovechild
) and current release
Shotgun Sessions
. Former percussionist Jim DiSpirito released
Big Silence
in 2003.
On his own, drummer
Jim Donovan has released five highly acclaimed solo CDs as well as four instructional drumming CDs. His newest releases include
Drum the Ecstatic International
,
The Yoga of Drum and Chant
, and a hand-drumming instructional series called
Rhythmic Foundation Volumes 1 and 2
. Fulfilling his desire to share the power of rhythm, Donovan has built a series of educational drumming workshop programs that he teaches across the US and Europe at universities, festivals, schools, corporations, and specialty venues. Donovan has recently became a full-time instructor of music at Saint Francis University in
Loretto, Pennsylvania, and is the current director of the Saint Francis University World Drumming Ensemble. Donovan is also a featured monthly columnist in
Drum!
Magazine.
Rusted Root performed at the
Bonnaroo Music Festival in
Manchester, Tennessee, on June 16–18, 2006. It also played the Molson Canal Concert Series in
North Tonawanda, New York, on
September 1,
2006, and toured throughout September. For the 2006 tour, Jason Miller, a drummer from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, filled Jim Donovan's position. He is most notably a
drum-set player—a position he fills when performing with this band. He is currently a percussion instructor and the drum-line instructor of the
Mt. Lebanon High School's
Mount Lebanon Percussion and teaches percussion lessons at the school as well.
In June 2009, Rusted Root returned to the Molson Canal Concert Series, which is now hosted by
Lockport, New York, following the decision by North Tonawanda Mayor Larry Soos to terminate the Canal Concert Series in North Tonawanda.
Current members
- Michael Glabicki - lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Liz Berlin - percussion, backing vocals
- Patrick Norman - bass guitar, backing vocals, percussion
- Jason Miller - drums, percussion
- Colter Harper- guitar, backing vocals
- Preach Freedom- percussion, backing vocals
- Dirk Miller- guitar, backing vocals
Discography
Albums
- Cruel Sun
(1992)
- When I Woke
(1994)
- Remember
(1996)
- Rusted Root
(1998)
- Welcome to My Party
(2002)
- Rusted Root Live
(2004)
- Greatest Hits
(2005)
- Stereo Rodeo
(2009)
EPs
- Live
(1995)
- Evil Ways
(1996)
- Airplane
(1998)