The String Cheese Incident formed in 1993 and over the past two decades, bandmates Bill Nershi (guitars and vocals), Michael Kang (mandolin, violin, guitar and vocals), Keith Moseley (bass and vocals), Michael Travis (drums and percussion), Kyle Hollingsworth (keyboards and vocals) and Jason Hann (percussion) have performed more than 1,500 shows together.
On the strength of its new album, “Song in My Head,” the band kicks off their headline tour in DC tomorrow, playing the Lincoln Theatre Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.
This morning, Moseley took some time to talk about what fans can expect.
Q: You’re coming to DC on Tuesday and Wednesday, what can people coming to the show expect to hear and see?
Moseley: We just wrapped up our annual shows in Florida in which we played a lot of fun covers for Halloween. While it was probably our favorite Halloween show we’ve done over the years, we are psyched to hit the road for a few weeks and dip into our catalog of originals and get back to basics. We’ve been looking forward to this run for a while now. It will be great to get back to D.C. We are traveling with a new lighting setup, which should be exciting to see in these small venues.
Q: The band has been around more than 20 years now, what’s the secret to success?
Moseley: The key is to be able to listen to everyone’s opinions and be able to compromise. We’ve learned not to always get our way and that for the common good, you sometimes need to delve into the unknown. We are having more fun than ever.
Q: Fans waited five years for the release of this last album, “A Song in My Head,” why the long wait?
Moseley: We took several years off in the middle of the 10 Years to recharge. When we came back, we had to re-learn a lot of the older material so that took up most of our time. Once the dust settled and we had a batch of new songs that had not been recorded, we went back into the studio. Yes, it’s been a long time, but I think we ended up making one of our best records.
Q: What makes a String Cheese Incident concert fun?
Moseley: I think people feel the ability to check their daily worries at the door and let loose and have a good time. We have the best fans in the world and I think the environment is really warm and friendly. Musically, we are a bit all over the place and I think people connect to that loose, take chances vibe.
Q: What message do you want to deliver to those planning to come out to see your show this week?
Moseley: We are psyched to be back on the east coast and get to hang and play for new and old friends.
For more information about the band or to purchase tickets to the concert, visit www.stringcheeseincident.com
