Common Rotation Preview

Common Rotation
Uncommon Ground, Chicago
Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Don’t want to go to Uncommon Ground to see Common Rotation? Have ’em play your house instead!

Apparently, while on various tours (They Might Be Giants, David Crosby) as openers, the band developed a habit of playing people’s living rooms to kill time between tour stops and on off days. Of course, nothing is ever just for fun with these deep-thinking folk groups, though. Big questions were raised. Can a band playing in Joe Schmuck’s house down the street for free, still exist (and make money) in a Clear Channel world? Or as the band put it, can they exist in a corporate world and maintain artistic integrity at the same time?

If any answers were discovered, they’ll be on How To Lose, the documentary about the band’s adventures filmed by Peter Strass. The doc is scheduled for release this winter. Maybe you’ll get to see clips on The Union Maid, the band’s free song download service. Here Common Rotation (vocalist Adam Busch, guitarist/vocalist Eric Kufs, and banjo/trumpet/guitar player Jordan Katz) post songs, sometimes complete, sometimes bits and pieces, for fans. For example, the band might write a song in the hotel room and post it that same night, so fans in the next town know the tune before CR plays even it live for them. What will they think of next?

Common Rotation, along with Jason Quicksall, open for Amy Speace.

— Trevor Fisher

Click here to download Common Rotation’s “Wasted Words.”

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly