The Naturals shake things up at Java Jive

Orono band hits a chord with originality

By Alex Lehning

Posted on Nov. 07, 2002, at 12:00 a.m.

Holly Barber

The Naturals, formerly Smokin' Can, rock out to faithful on- and off-campus fans at Java Jive Tuesday night. The Naturals are currently working on a full-length CD.

Not many blues bands perform with a DJ, or list Earth, Wind, & Fire as one of their main influences. But The Naturals, an Orono-based band, did just that Tuesday night in a rare break from the acoustic Java Jive format. The audience didn’t seem to mind, as cheers and even a little dancing took place throughout the 14-song set.

The Naturals consist of junior guitarist-vocalist Erick Sweet, senior bassist Nate Timmons, senior drummer Pat Michaud and graduate Jamar Croom, a.k.a. DJ Caliber. The four attended Lawrence High School together and later the University of Maine. The group has been playing and performing together for five years.

The band started with an original, “Burn,” and followed with an awesome cover of Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” that included a guitar and turntable intro. The mellow groove of “Honesty Part 1″ was next, featuring excellent bass work and smooth guitar. Orono resident, Pat West, joined the band onstage to sing “Always on the Run.”

After a bass switch due to a broken string, the band kicked into the rap-jam “Street Value,” with an extended ending, and then slowly built into “Romantic.”

“Hey, we’re The Naturals. Thanks for coming down tonight, hope you like it. We’re gonna get down now,” Sweet said as he introduced a cover of Sublime’s “Summertime.” The song was fast paced, with band members increasing speed and vigor as the song drew to a close. “Hear My Train” closed the first set with a soulful guitar solo.

After a short break the band returned with new direction. They opened the second set with an instrumental version of Marvin Gaye’s “Running from Love.” They proceeded with what Timmins described as a Phish-esque cover of ZZ Top’s “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” The jazzy rock of “Honesty Part 2″ came next, with a soft whisper of a guitar solo.

“Hope you all dig some blues, ‘cuz we are gonna play ‘em,” Sweet said as the band launched into “Texas Flood” by Stevie Ray Vaughn. Sweet amazed the crowd with a guitar solo played behind his back. The night ended with a jam on the John Mayall classic, “All Your Love.”

It is hard to precisely describe the sound of The Naturals. The group mixes blues foundations with a tight R&B rhythm section, and a funky turntable adds to the beat. All four musicians are extremely talented and the resulting sound is tight and flavorful. Each instrument complimented the other in a unique and productive way.

The band is just as hard pressed to define their sound.

“We try to keep it raw . rock is pretty much everything,” Michaud said. He cited the group’s blues and R&B background as their biggest influence, as well as elements of hip hop and rock.

When asked individually about their influences, Michaud, Timmins and Croom all named Jimi Hendrix, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Rustic Overtones and Soulive. They also included The Roots, Paranoid Social Club and Marvin Gaye.

It is their combined and diverse taste that makes The Naturals such a great band – including their exposure to different genres and their implementation of various styles and sounds into their songs. The group is set to release a four-song EP titled Street Value in the beginning of December.

Timmins and Croom both said they enjoyed the energy and just playing together.

“This is the only part of my day I feel good,” Michaud said. “We are doing what’s natural to us.”

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