On Saturday, May 6, Lotus made their return to The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., to celebrate the life of their late band member Chuck Morris and his son Charley with improvisational grooves, electronic soundscapes and sublime sit-ins.

The band’s first set opened with the title track from their 2008 album Hammerstrike, setting the tone for the night with an explosive, high-energy start. The excitement grew when three special guests, Eli Winderman, Steve Clemens, and Adrian Tramontano, for a collaborative jam of “Sift.” Next, Clemens handled percussion for a run of “Neon Tubes Pt. 1” into a modular jam back into “Neon Tubes Pt. 2.” Next Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Jeremy Schon joined Tramontano–a longtime friend of Tim Palmieri–and Lotus on “Catacombs,” before Jamie Doyle and Dopapod’s Rob Compa joined for “Time Dilates.” They closed the first frame with “128” with the assistance of Compa and Tramontano.

The second set launched with a pairing of “Pluck” into “Spiritualize,” with Winderman and Tramontano adding their lush inclinations. The flow kept going as “Did Fatt” melded into “Mink & Shoes,” which found its way to fan favorite “Livingston Storm.” Next came a penultimate “Drums” with Tramontano, Doyle and Clemens before they closed the frame “Bellwether.”

For their encore, Lotus performed an ethereal rendition of “Sunrain” with Compa, Clemens and Tramontano – a fitting end to the night, showcasing Lotus’ ability to create otherworldly, immersive sonic experiences and love of Morris. The band left the stage to raucous applause with full hearts.

Lotus
The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, N.Y.
May 6, 2023

Set I: Hammerstrike, Sift (Eli Winderman, Steve Clemens, Adrian Tramontano), Neon Tubes Pt. 1 (Steve) > modular jam > Neon Tubes Pt. 2, Catacombs (Adrian, Jeremy Schon), Time Dilates (Rob Compa, Jamie Doyle), 128 (Rob, Adrian)

Set II: Pluck (Eli, Adrian) > Spiritualize (Eli, Adrian), Did Fatt (Steve) > Mink & Shoes > Livingston Storm (Schon), Drums (Adrian, Jamie, Steve), Bellwether (Jeremy, Steve, Adrian)

Enc.: Sunrain (Rob, Steve, Adrian)