Ohio Home Grown at Its Best
Written by Jimmy Cummings
For the past 20 years ekoostik hookah has been at
the forefront of the Jam Band scene. The Ohio grown band from Columbus is still
a favorite of fans from across the country and was never more evident than
Friday October 14 when the band played the renowned Newport Music Hall. Simply
stepping inside The Newport is like going back in music history. The Newport
stage has seen its share of legendary performers like B.B. King, Johnny Winter,
Frank Zappa, Neil Young, the Grateful Dead and more. With all that history,
anytime I go to The Newport is special, but with hookah coming home to play the
famous venue, the night was going to be unforgettable.
ekoostik hookah has been through some changes over the
years, nevertheless their fans have remained loyal. Original members Dave Katz
(Keyboards, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar) and Steve Sweney (Guitar) along with
veteran Drummer Eric Lanese and newcomers Phil Risco (Bass, Vocals) and Eric
Sargent (Guitar, Vocals) continue to rock in that patented hookah tradition. One
of the main reasons for the bands prolonged success is their fans. Loyal,
devoted, dedicated are just a few of the adjectives that have been used to describe
hookah fans and even those words fall short of how fans feel about hookah. Just
ask our buddy Jeffery Morris (Mullet), Jeff has literally has seen the band
hundreds of time, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles. But in the music world
loyalty only goes so far. For a band to experience longevity in this business
they must deliver on a consistent basis and that is exactly what hookah has
done for the past 20 years and the show at The Newport was no different.
After an awesome set by opening act The Spikedrivers
it didn’t take long for fans to begin the chants, HOOOOOOKAH! HOOOOOOKAH! The
band took the historic stage to cheers and Hell Yeah’s from the many hookah
heads in the audience including myself. The band started their first set with a
couple of favorites, “When the Sun Goes Down” and “Hookahville” and the party
was on. The set also included my favorite “Black Mamba” (Chubby said after the
show it was perhaps the best version he has heard) as well as a special
surprise provided by The Spikedriver’s Guitarist John Boerstler and front man Jesse
Henry. The pair came out to join hookah for their version of Bad Company’s “Feel
Like Making Love” with Henry on Vocals; The Newport was on fire.
After a short intermission hookah came back to the
stage refreshed and ready for another set that began with the song “Sister
Sugar.” The bands vocal harmonies are perhaps better than ever; Katz, Lanese, Risco,
and Sargent offer a unique arrangement to hookah favorites and covers like Dr.
John’s “Wrong Place, Wrong Time.” And what can I say about Sweney, in my
opinion Steve is one of the best Guitarist in the country. He blew me away the
first time Chubby turned me on to hookah and his performance at The Newport was
unbelievable. In fact the entire band gave hookah fans a show to remember. If
you are one of the few people in the Buckeye State that haven’t experienced
hookah I encourage you to grab a CD or check out one of Chubby’s videos of the
band and give them a listen and soon you’ll be saying, HOOOOOOKAH! HOOOOOOKAH!
http://www.ekoostik.com/ 
2011 Reviews and Interviews 
