Underground Springhouse and Dizgo have been crafting mind-whirling songs for years. But the similarities do not stop there — both bands are dedicated to the Jam Band genre and also performed at The Southern Cafe and Music Hall Wednesday, playing both of their sets in one night.
Their fanbases, in their regular tie-dye uniforms, filtered into the iconic local venue revved up for a fiery night. Underground Springhouse turned on the heat by shredding up the first set. The band originally formed in Athens, Georgia while they were students at the University of Georgia. They released their first single “Joyfell” in 2018 and have been playing shows since. Their stops often include college towns along the East Coast and Greek Life events.
The band’s connection after seven years of playing together was evident within the first few notes of their performance. From the first chord strike, they were in perfect harmony with one another, never missing a mark. They ramped up the set with their original “Bird in a Cage.” Polished and crispy keys were instantly tuned in from keyboardist Max Motley, accented with orbital drumming from guest drummer AJ Covey. Joe Hawkes, Class of 2024 alumnus and an employee of The Southern, expressed his enthusiasm for the band's skills.
“Underground Springhouse was excellent. They had some super long stretches of straight jamming, but kept the energy up the whole time.” Joe Hawkes said, “Also the lead singer has a super smooth voice. They did a surprising amount of covers too.”
Cheers from the crowd escalated when the band decided to turn things up a notch and transition into a cover of Men at Work’s “Down Under.” With timbre melodies, Motley, guitarist, Charlie Haas, and bass player, Jackson Thompson, harmonized to the cult classic tune.
Carrying on the show, Haas tore up his fretboard on his cherry red Gibson with exceptional stringwork. AJ Covey lured the band into a jazz section before quickly shifting to Reggae energy. Sampling Musical Youth’s “Pass the Dutchie” sparked an impressively seamless transition between the genres.
The band later followed with their indie-rock originals including “Mashed Potatoes” and “Julian.” Fans instantly shifted toward the front of the stage to get a better listen to the mesmerizing jams they’ve perfected from these tracks. With freeform movements on their instruments, attendees reacted with rhythmic sways. Leaving the crowd with grins on their faces, they closed with Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow” — a perfect grunge rock addition for a varied genre set.
Keeping up with the thrilling atmosphere, Dizgo put on a second set that continued the night's up-beat energy. The band got its start in Indiana where guitarist and vocalist, Andrew Pickel, and bass player, Kevin Hinnefeld, started attic jam sessions during high school in 2015. Over the years, they collected vocalist and keyboard player, Jake Evatt, and drummer, Justin Clark. Pickel reflected on his strong sense of wholeness with his bandmates.
“We finally feel like a complete unit,” Pickel stated. “It’s been a ton of fun. We've been getting so many miles on the road together, hours of playing our instruments together as a unit.”
This unison was clear throughout the night, as each band member moved their bodies to the rhythm of their instrument. This technique electrified the energy in the air and created a high-voltage aura from the start. Displaying their astounding musical talents from the first song, “Curio", each band member simultaneously played with full effort. They frequently switched between passing around solos and playing together. This roller-coaster produced a mesmerizing and unique sound.
The next song, an original titled “Fundamentals” transitioned into a cover of Blind Melon’s “No Rain” and created both astonishing sound when Hinnefeld switched back and forth between his bass and a keyboard. Harmonizing with Evatt, who was also on keys, on the other side of stage produced a mirroring effect that engulfed the crowd in the performance.
Unlike a lot of jam bands, Dizgo is not afraid to tap into more techno sounds via keyboard, adding to the vibrancy of their shows. Their skills, which are already futuristic, are topped-off with eagerness to explore their electronic instruments. This is intertwined with deep and precise drumming from Clark, punctuated bass slaps from Hinnefeld and lightning fast chord switches from Pickel. Evatt recalled how Dizgo makes their jams look so smooth.
“So you just give that look. We know where we're coming back when we drop back into it,” Evatt said.
Their deep familiarity with one another is obvious throughout their sets. The band consistently can tell what one another’s next move is without any words. Their immersion in their instruments and their brotherhood calls for a truly remarkable sound.
Wednesday night at The Southern was nothing short of extraordinary. With each band’s distinguished talent, they showed the magic that can ensue from the improvisation of a jam band. To catch an evening with these vibrant musicians, head over to Underground Springhouse and Dizgo’s websites to see where they are playing next.
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