Genius Prog Trio Consider the Source Returns to the Rook

Consider the Source

Catch the New York City-based instrumental progressive rock trio Consider the Source at the King's Rook Club this March - the group's mad-scientist-like instrumentation combined with their signature metal bent is sure to pack the house.

SATURDAY, MAR. 15

There's really nothing like Consider the Source. Active for over 20 years, the NYC-based instrumental progressive rock trio have all but confounded definition, perhaps best labeled as "sci-fi fusion." I believe YouTube commenter @joeray1655 said it best when he claimed that their music was "actually three wizards having a magical battle, but the senses of common man interpret it as music." Having seen them live several times, that's not far off. Their music is both transcendental and geometric. Psychedelic and mathematical. Iconoclastic and virtuoso.

Just look at guitarist Gabriel Marin. Studying technique and composition from North and South India, Eurasia, and the Middle East, he's combined that with jazz, fusion, and prog metal. He plays a custom-built, double-neck guitar, the top neck fretless (it should be noted at the rarity of this, as a quick Google search of "fretless guitar players" places Marin directly at the top of that list), with a MIDI setup (notably acting as 12 distinct EBows), its tremolo system bends up and down which can simulate a keyboard's pitch wheel. Then there's one input jack, and four separate output jacks, and those five cables are just the ones going into his three different pedalboards.

Marin is far from alone in his mad-scientist-like instrumentation. Bassist John Ferrera — in addition to being a master of slap and dual-hand contrapuntal playing — can be seen with his own custom-made MIDI hardware that echoes an organ's pedal keyboard. Drummer Jeff Mann opts for a bevy of triggers and sequencers, all while switching between complicated time signatures at the drop of a hat.

Opening up for the band in the downstairs concert complex will be Erie's own blissfully avant garde improvisational madmen, The Paulsibilities. "We feel that both bands fit together on this bill like varnish on a piece of wood sanded by Bob Vila," explained Joe Cieslak, saxophonist for the Paulsibilities. He further joked that fans can expect "instances of unbridled joy, mirth, and tax preparation." The experimental soundscapes of Adam Holquist's onewayness will provide a sonorous soundtrack to the upstairs afterparty.

Riding fresh off the September 2024 release of Consider the Source's album The Stare, expect to feel a heaviness that longtime fans might be surprised by. The five-song, 42-minute album has a genuinely metal bent, and not just thanks to ex Dream Theater producer David Prater. Groovy and magical, it's one of the wildest records of the year. 

Doors open at 9 p.m., Show starts at 10 p.m. // King's Rook Club, 1921 Peach St. // $12 in advance, $15 at the door // 21+ // For tickets and info: tickets.eriereader.com