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Out of this World at Mexicali Blues Cafe A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch Mountain of Venus is a five piece band who in a short time has mastered improvisational jamming. In 1999, the members of MOV were each working on various musical projects and came together to record a song in the living room of a friend. The session turned into a whole CD and a magical spell had been cast. Touring the Colorado jam band scene, MOV became more cohesive. They were soon able to follow subtle hints from each other as their music ebbed and flowed to and from songs. Each band member writes and has become a virtuoso of their instrument.
 The band – Mountain of Venus The band then relocated to Boston to explore and grow in another well respected musical climate. In late 2002, they moved to the Ozarks of Fayetteville, Arkansas for additional inspiration. In that time, MOV has released four CDs as well as live recordings. Their music is an amazing blend of rock, psychedelic, jam, jazz and folk. MOV have appeared with members of Phish and Little Feat among others as they continue to build a strong following. Steve Kimock is a self-taught musician who has been playing for over 25 years. Kimock is a well respected guitar genius who leads his own band or occasionally plays with others such as Mountain of Venus. He is also well know for innovations in guitar, amplification and speaker design and brings these skills to live performances. Steve is an ideal guest for the experimental stylings of MOV.
 Steve Kimock's skillful playing added dimensions to the band's repertoire. (PHOTO – Courtesy of Stites McDaniel) Anticipation was high on December 13, 2003 at Mexicali Blues Cafe located in Teaneck, New Jersey. Once again Create A Vibe gave the crowd an incredible show. Nomadic Design started the night off. They are a trio with a big sound. Jamming guitars, complex chord changes and danceable beats got the crowd grooving. About midway through their set the guitarist had some difficulties with his amp after he plugged his mandolin in. The rhythm section took over for a while. Recovering from the setback Nomadic Design finished their set with some fine experimental, innovative jams. Mountain of Venus is a band that completely surrenders themselves to the music and takes the audience to the next dimension. The two guitarists, Jody Cohen and Michael Pascale are a dynamic duo of rhythms and hard hitting leads. Dave Gesualdo the bass player provides the all important beat that blends perfectly with the drumming of Mike Garret aka Stingray who at times creates the effect that a second drummer is with him. Tanya Shylock is the versatile female vocalist who collaborates with Jody who also sings. Their harmonies complement each other and give their potent music even more power. Tanya is spirited and has the ideal look for a jam band. Her long wavy brown hair sways to the extended instrumentation that her band mates create. Steve is a perfect fit to this improvisational outfit. His strong guitar skills only enhanced the work of Jody and Michael. At times Kimock would lead the groove and at others he would glance at the others to decide which accents he would contribute. MOV has a rich chemistry and Steve flawlessly tapped into their positive energy and took the music to the next level. MOV truly gets carried away with the songs and each member appears to be having a great time, which spreads out to the entire room they are playing too. The music become a collective experience and allows for innovative experimentation. One of many extended jams featured Steve on the steel. The song was a musical odyssey with varied paces, elaborate arrangements and plenty of groove. Kimock was haunting on the steel using a variety of techniques. He returned to the electric for the jam to pick up its pace. Steve than alternated between fingerstyle and picking and back to the steel. Meanwhile the rest of the band is proficiently providing their musical accents to complete a cohesive collaboration. Tanya had a shaker that was a noticeable sound in all this stunning instrumentation At the end of the journey all I could think of was WOW! The first set ended around 12:30 p.m. and MOV would return to get the crowd grooving and swaying once again. Mountain of Venus featuring Steve Kimock was amazing and comes highly recommended by the staff at Kweevak.
Mountain of Venus – Setlist:
 Nomadic Design opened the show at Mexicali Blues. Related Links: For more information on Mountain of Venus and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Mountain of Venus | Steve Kimock Official Site | Nomadic Design | mexicalilive.com | Create A Vibe
(Originally Published on December 13, 2003) |
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