Morgantown > Pittsburgh > Erie trifecta in Write Lotus
The hills are alive with the sound of music. Better yet, the mountains are alive with the sound of Lotus.
I push past my comfort zone in all that I do. With this run, that meant traveling beyond my usual footprint for following the band. I’d never been west of Harrisburg to see them, but a trio of shows within a few hours’ drive of each other would make life easier. Plus, Halloween weekend, so let the good times and my Subaru roll.
From Appalachia to Erie, I was in the building for the first Lotus club gig in West Virginia since 2013. Original drummer Steve Clemens guested on percussion both nights in Pennsylvania. The throwback set on the actual holiday is Lotus defined. But it was the experiences in a faraway land and feeling the evolution of this outfit that I brought home with me to New Jersey from the hills.
Sorry, the mountains.
In a venue with a capacity of 300 and without a rail, we had ultimate intimacy for the kickoff. After my long ride, I sought the restorative power of rhythm to sync me with my personal click track. Cue drummer/percussionist Mike Greenfield, who had the answers during a balanced setlist of quintessential Lotus songs, some key newish cuts, a rarity, and a cover.
There’s something introspective and provoking about connecting three songs where “Travel” hits leadoff and “It’s All Clear To Me Now” bats last. Whatever happens in between is Mad Libs: Any title makes sense, but “Bamboo Forest” felt apropos. Aside from the setlist wordplay, guitarist Tim Palmieri kept the fire burning bright as hell through his typical onslaught, teases and all. It’s nice to have “Old Cassette” in rotation, too. Not sure when I’ll return to Country Roads for live music, but even if this winds up being the only time, I have a great story to tell.
No lotus flowers at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where I spent the afternoon in Pittsburgh, but plenty of Lotus at this legendary church-turned-concert-hall. Second set featured more newer material than any other over the weekend, totally fine by me, but the segue train in Set 1 will remain Memory 1A of my first time in The Steel City.
The 16-minute “Plant Your Root” was my favorite song of the evening, I love the keyboards in the solo sections. “Mikesnack” later in the progression was the poignant moment of the run. Here, you had the current band supported by Clemens, he himself handling the role of the late Chuck Morris, while playing a song titled for former guitarist Mike Rempel. I didn’t imagine all seven of them on stage, nor did I think about it until arriving in Erie at two in the morning. The groove—the build, such patience—in the back half gave whatever was in my mind the room to rearrange itself, and I needed that.
Happy Halloween from not quite the end of the world, but something like it. Lake Erie has serious pull to it, as I’d discovered during an afternoon run, and the King’s Rook Club had some old school pull for the old school second set. Dude I was standing next to thought it was out of an episode of Miami Vice.
The band was dressed as younger versions of themselves, while 90% of the crowd was in costume. More Clemens, but this celebration was all about the Millers. Keyboardist/Guitarist Luke, wearing a dreadlocked wig, and twin Jesse, on bass and modular synth with a ponytail wig, orchestrated from the edges of the stage. First set was stellar, perhaps the most diverse of the run, but the continuous hour of music in Set 2 will go down in Lotus lore. Specifically, the “Umbilical” suite—an adventure within an adventure, especially in “Moonset”—with “Did Fatt” as extra protein. Or maybe candy is better, but this was sweet either way.
Each of the PA shows included an original debut. Outside of those, I didn’t hear a song for the first time, but no matter. “Freaknik” in Erie was an excellent choice for Halloween, but the Palmieri composition “Eden” at the close of Set 1 on Friday offered understated hope, and I warmed to it easily. Three cool venues in three good cities never hurt the cause, either.
Several people I hung with over the weekend have been friends of mine for years. Those people, who were in or near their home geography, introduced me to several new people who became new friends. Likeminded and driven to bask in Lotus vibes as often as possible, as their constant growth is something to strive for individually, or at least to be mindful of.
Change doesn’t stop. Neither does the Lotus locomotive. Next station: Baltimore.
Setlists
123 Pleasant Street | Morgantown, WV | 10/29/2026
1: Inspector Norse*, Tar Pits > Tip Of The Tongue, The Opus, Watching The Distant Storm > Spiritualize
2: Old Cassette, Travel > Bamboo Forest > It’s All Clear To Me Now, Gilded Age, Flower Sermon
E: Bush Pilot
*Todd Terje
Mr. Smalls Theatre | Millvale, PA | 10/30/2026
1: Bellwether, Blue Giant*, Plant Your Root* > Wax* > Mikesnack*> Wax*, Eden^
2: Angler, Oblong Shapes > Greet The Mind, White Light Fadeaway (Static Seeps), Sunrain > Baby Again& > Sunrain
E: Debris*
*Steve Clemens on percussion
^Original debut
&Fred Again, Skrillex & Four Tet
King’s Rook Club | Erie, PA | 10/31/2026
1: Catacombs, Sid* > Golden Ghost* > Heads Will Roll*^ > Juggernaut, Freaknik& > 128
2: Nematode*, Slow Cookin’* > Umbilical Moonrise* > Did Fatt* > Umbilical Moonset* > Umbilical Moonrise*, Intro To A Cell*
E: Eats The Light*
*Steve Clemens on percussion
^Yeah Yeah Yeahs (A-Trak Remix)
&Original debut