The Thinking Plyers, a Nashville-based band will play Friday, March 14, at Ichabod’s on Chimes Street. The band is touring to promote the release of their third album, “14 Real Dreams.” Indagroove, an Austin, Texas 7-piece horn funk group, will join Thinking Plyers in the show.
Their improvisational-style music is based on songs the members wrote. Few, if any, of these songs remain in their original form during performance. Paul Westbrook, bass player, said the band’s onstage rapport leads them to develop the songs while they play them.
Because most of their music centers on written songs, the band is less than enthusiastic to place themselves in the “jam band” genre with groups like Phish. Westbrook said they enjoy listening to and playing with these “jam bands.” But Westbrook said The Thinking Plyers’ emphasis on melody and structure sets them apart from bands that walk onstage without any idea of what they are going to play.
With a heavy East Indian and jazz sound, The Thinking Plyers cite Ravi Shankar as a major musical influence. This East Indian flavor also sets the group apart from traditional improvisational music groups that tend to favor jazz over anything else.
The instrumentation is sparse — just bass, drums and guitar. But this seasoned band with 10 years of traveling and recording behind them has been known to pull in large crowds at its frequent live performances.
“These guys are bigger than we normally do, since we’re mostly a venue for local bands,” said Scott Frye, owner of Ichabod’s.
But Frye said Ichabod’s is always a stop on their tour. The Thinking Plyers have played at this venue four times.
“They just love to come here,” Frye said. He accounts for the community’s interest by saying “it’s just hard not to like ’em.”
The band is on tour about four months a year. Westbrook said they try to tour as often as possible in the southeastern United States, even though they are trying to concentrate mostly on the eastern part of the country. They play around 60 shows a year and travel to as many as 14 cities to play these shows.
Westbrook said the group’s new album reflects its growth.
“We’ve taken a lot of giant steps,” he said. “Musically and otherwise.”
Westbrook said the music has matured significantly during their tenure together, and the new album illustrates this maturity beautifully.
After The Thinking Plyers play in Baton Rouge, they’ll head off to Lake Charles, the band’s hometown. Then the group is on the road to Houston, Texas.
The show starts at 10 p.m., and the cover is $5. You can get more information about the band, their touring schedule and merchandise at www.thinkingplyers.com. CDs will be available at the show for $14.