The Permilla Project - Salisbury's Finest Band

When the weather gets warm...

2009-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ah, there is a crazy lightning storm happening and I can't help but get an anxious feeling pulsating through me. It is the kind of storm that reminds you spring/summer is here. Don't get me wrong I love to watch the seasons change but I LOVE long days and warm nights. The storm has such a cleansing feeling. Its almost like the new year starts now.

Just as the storm forbodes a new season, the new season forbodes a busy time ahead. Never does the phone seem to ring like the few months preceding summer. The Permilla Project has some crazy plans in store for your season in the sun. Stay tuned to the blog, myspace, and our facebook for all the latest happenings.

New Songs for Saturday

2009-04-07T08:29:00.001-07:00

We had a few requests so we will bust them out at Flavors. One is "Roadhouse Blues"as a birthday request. The other is something we will slip in during an A minor jam. We also learned the funk classic "Pick Up The Pieces" so watch for that one too.

Open Rehersal Tonight

2009-04-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

We will kick it off at 6pm. Feel free to come by and have a beer and a listen. That is, if you know where we rehearse.

Hard To Believe This Was Over A Year Ago

2009-03-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Permilla Project, Sullivan Hall, NYC- 2/7
by Dan Greenhaus of Jambands.com

In the not too distant past, I made it a point to get out quite frequently and see younger bands here in Manhattan. Younger bands have always had a freshness about them that more established bands lose while gaining experience, and that freshness, once lost, is never regained. It’s for that very reason that people who have seen bigger bands always refer to earlier shows at smaller venues with the obligatory beginning, “I remember when….” It’s a badge of honor to have seen a band in a tiny venue, not because you merely saw the band at a tiny venue, but rather because the band that eventually makes it big often played with an elevated level of ferocity and hunger earlier in their career.

The Permilla Project out of Maryland isn’t exactly at that point yet, but their show Feb 7th at Sullivan Hall was plenty enjoyable nonetheless. Taking the stage relatively early in the evening, the band launched into the opening combination of “Black Beans and Rice” and “A Break Would be Nice.” The high energy pair of songs set the tone for the evening and also served to introduce the band to those of us in the audience entirely unfamiliar with their style and their sound. One part Umphrey’s McGee, one part Phish, one part something else I haven’t quite decided on yet, the dueling lead guitars Ryan Jackson and Pete Bozick were certainly the focus of the band’s music, making comparisons with Umphrey’s fairly easy, even if both guitar players lacked the firepower of the seasoned musicians in that band.

As the set progressed, moving through songs such as “Skipjack,” “Big Yank” and “Hand to Mouth,” the band found themselves more comfortable in their surroundings, and the jam sections really began to take shape. While I have no idea the age of the band members, nor do I know how long they have been playing together, I suspect their time collaborating as a band has been relatively short, as the jam sections were often highlighted by elongated guitar solos rather than any real band communication. At the same time, those sections featured excellent layering by Charlie Greenhalgh on bass, whose bouncy lines and interplay with Sean Miller on drums, allowed both guitar players the room to attempt to move the songs forward, although often they fell back into the comfort zone of a pre-established chord progression. At the same time, it was over those chord progressions that the band offered up some danceable grooves which got many in the crowd at least bobbing their heads, if not outright dancing.

With solid enough vocals, excellent skills on their respective instruments and songs with interesting time signatures, The Permilla Project have many of the necessary tools in place. The show was surprisingly enjoyable and while the band has many miles left to go, traveling those miles is going to make this band that much better. A few festival slots, a few opening slots, and The Permilla Project out of Maryland is going to leave many people pleasantly surprised.

We're Back

2009-03-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's been a hot second since we've updated this site. I don't know how you all have survived without us but here we are. Every one has been super busy. Ryan went back to school. Sean started a new job. Charlie moved to a new house. Pete's daughter turned 5.

But, summer is rolling around so none of that matters now. Time to get back in the groove. See you all real soon!!

Keep it rilla'!

Oct 1 @ Santa Fe Cafe

2008-10-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

After visiting this club many times, it was nice to finally play there. We were able to get up there early enough to hit up Atomic Music in College Park and check out lots of cool instruments and amps. Once at the club, the staff was super cool, the load in was super easy, the sound was super nice, and we all got super drunk. The set started rather late, around 10:30, but was killing! 50 minutes of the best original material we have to offer. Our man P-Don, Patrick Rainey of The Bridge, came out to join us on sax for our set. Having just come from a 4 hour rehearsal, Pat was warmed up and on fire! He sounded great. We were lucky enough to be opening for good friends The Jamie McLean Band who also sounded great as always. It was a great little trip and we hope to be back there soon. And we are not sure who Matt Wertz is but, apparently he eats poop.

Sept 27 @ Millie's

2008-09-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh Millie's. Another return engagement here to a really fun party thrown by some great people. The pig roasting starts in the early morning and so does the drinking. By the time we pulled on the scene, everyone was feeling right. Lots of gambling going on and Sean won a JD mug on the coin toss. "You make it, you take it." The threat of rain forced us to set up in the garage, which was no big deal. We put the speakers up in the windows and used a hot condenser to get a nice band mix to pump through. It never did rain much, just a few sprinkles during set breaks. The atmosphere in the garage was epic. Between the wood working, Kenny Schrader flags, mini uzi, and the haulin' ass poster, we were having severe 80's flashbacks. The AC/DC block on the satellite radio during set up also helped put us in the right mood. We couldn't tell you all of what we played during the 3 set, 4 and a half hour show, but some highlights included a first time rendition of a new Sam Cooke song. We also hit some rock classics like Hard to Handle. We wrote a brand new one on the spot: The Candy Game Song, one of my personal favs. On the OG tip, Eek-a-lipse, Love on the Line, Black Beans and Rice, and Drink It Down were all hitting their marks while we did manage one of the worst versions of Chameleon ever. Millie also chimed in again with her version of Kansas City in D. Love it! Looking forward to next year Millie. Thanks!

Sept 5th @ East End Cafe w/ Basshound

2008-09-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

This was our first show at this venue. It is broken into three parts: an outdoor porch/patio, a punk bar w/ pool tables and a music hall. The hall is a nice wood room with a good sound man and a warm sound. Unfortunately, the threat of hurricane Hanna keep a lot of people away, but we rocked it none the less. We hit from 10-11 and the crowd that was there was digging it. Basshound took the stage around 11:30 and at that point the dancers really hit the floor for some great electro-funk grooves. After about 20 minutes of music, Nathan put his pedal through his kick drum head and panic struck briefly. Fortunately, the Mad Sweet Pangs were hanging out so a new kick drum was quickly retrieved and the show rolled on. We thoroughly enjoyed the night and the boys from Basshound were super chill, they sounded great and were fun to hang with, as always. Shelby (a.k.a. Elvis) was serving up drinks to Priscilla (a.k.a. Perm) and the crew. We also had a bite to eat which wasn't too bad. We will be back at the East End in another support slot in Oct or Nov. (Sorry no pictures this time)

Happy Birthday Perm!

2008-09-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Perm turned 27 today and was thoroughly surprised with a party of some close friends hosted by Dana at Brad and Courtney's house. It's going to be slow getting up tomorrow.

August 30th @ Arena's Deli

2008-08-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

After a nice drive and an easy load-in, the night started off a little slow (and loud), but after some Johnny Cash and Sam Cooke we settled into the right groove for the room. Up next was Drink It Down which hit all its marks and established the tenor for the rest of the night. At this point people were steadily filing in and the bodies were starting to shake. The second set started of with a hot combo of Chromatasize and Black Beans and Rice which really got the (half intoxicated) crowd going. After that, the 8 minute outro jam with hints of that gospel flava on a Steely Dan tune blew all our minds on stage. It was one of those classic moments when you truly have no idea what song you are supposed to be playing. A few more Harpoon I.P.A.'s and G.M. shots later and we were eating Black Russians (a.k.a. The Keep It Rilla Russian) at 1:30 am. One of our best shows to date. This is definitely one of our favorite venues to play on the Shore. With great food, great people (especially Kim!! Thanks!!) and a super chill vibe, you just can't ask for anything more. We will be back at Arena's on October 24th.

YO!

2008-08-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

We now have a blog! Bookmark/favorite this page immediately and check back here often, nay, everyday for cool new info and updates. And please leave us comments because this is the best way to keep in touch with you, the fans. Keep it rilla!