Chris Forsyth The Solar Motel Band: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

July 15, 2016 by LARS GOTRICH There s a point when a jam is just a jam, and when a jam becomes a man. Ever since Chris Forsyth started The Solar Motel Band to fill out his longform rock compositions, the Philly guitarist has proven his versatility not only as an instrumentalist, but also as a storyteller. Onstage, The Solar Motel Band opts for maximumvolume, highenergy rock n roll even lowkey numbers are massive in their movement. In the NPR Music offices, where amp stacks could rattle books off the shelves, Forsyth culls a set from The Rarity Of Experience that plays to the room and speaks to the malleability of his work. The sparkling Harmonious Dance meditates on a gently unfolding melody shared between Forsyth and guitarist Nick Millevoi. Due to touring conflicts, The Solar Motel Band s rhythm section is different here than on record, but bassist Bill Stein provides a grounding force, as drummer Ryan Jewell a heavy in the Columbus, Ohio, avantjazz, improv scene for the past decad