WEBVTT

00:00:21.929 --> 00:00:25.010
Hey Jam Heads, welcome back to Shecky's Jam Bands,

00:00:25.309 --> 00:00:28.769
the podcast where we dive into the roots, grooves,

00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:32.009
and improvisational journeys of bands keeping

00:00:32.009 --> 00:00:34.990
the jam scene alive. Today we're heading straight

00:00:34.990 --> 00:00:37.909
to the heart of Ohio to shine a light on a band

00:00:37.909 --> 00:00:41.090
that has built a reputation for explosive energy,

00:00:41.750 --> 00:00:45.810
fearless jams, and a fiercely loyal fan base.

00:00:46.310 --> 00:00:49.859
They're called The Works, and it's spelled. W

00:00:49.859 --> 00:00:52.960
-E -R -K -S, the works. If you haven't given

00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.140
these guys a serious listen yet, trust me, you're

00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:59.539
missing out on some of the most versatile, genre

00:00:59.539 --> 00:01:03.759
-hopping jams of the last two decades. The works

00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:08.739
formed back in 2005 in Dayton, Ohio. The story

00:01:08.739 --> 00:01:12.260
goes that Chris Hauser on guitar, Rob Chafin

00:01:12.260 --> 00:01:17.400
on drums, Chuck Love on bass, and Dave Bartoletti

00:01:17.689 --> 00:01:21.549
on keys came together out of a shared love for

00:01:21.549 --> 00:01:25.170
both jammed titans like Fish and the Dead, but

00:01:25.170 --> 00:01:28.670
also for hard rock, funk, and electronic music.

00:01:29.549 --> 00:01:33.769
As for the name, The Works, it started as a casual

00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:37.629
phrase in the band Circle of Friends. If something

00:01:37.629 --> 00:01:41.769
was top -notch, the whole package, they'd say,

00:01:42.349 --> 00:01:45.609
it had the works. Then the band started giggling.

00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:52.579
and the phrase stuck. They dropped the the and

00:01:52.579 --> 00:01:56.920
stylized it as The Works, a name that basically

00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:00.519
says you're gonna get everything. Rock, funk,

00:02:01.140 --> 00:02:04.879
electronica, shredded jams, all in one show.

00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:08.860
Okay, if you're new to The Works, here are some

00:02:08.860 --> 00:02:12.360
essential tracks that showcase what they do best.

00:02:13.139 --> 00:02:17.569
Number one is Duck Farm. This is the jam anthem.

00:02:18.210 --> 00:02:22.569
Funky as hell. It has tight grooves, soaring

00:02:22.569 --> 00:02:26.009
guitar peaks, and always turns into a dance party

00:02:26.009 --> 00:02:29.710
live. OG is another one you should check out.

00:02:30.069 --> 00:02:33.189
A heavy hitter with prog rock roots. This track

00:02:33.189 --> 00:02:37.729
blends odd time riffs with jammed out bliss.

00:02:38.569 --> 00:02:41.469
Perfect example of their genre, Bending Chops.

00:02:42.629 --> 00:02:45.110
The next one you should check out is Galactic

00:02:45.110 --> 00:02:49.349
Passport, a trippy space -funk journey that shows

00:02:49.349 --> 00:02:52.710
off the electronic influences and improvisational

00:02:52.710 --> 00:02:55.810
daring. Lastly, you should check out the song,

00:02:56.210 --> 00:02:59.469
Find Your Way, one of their more heartfelt songs,

00:02:59.810 --> 00:03:02.629
lyrical and melodic, proving that they can balance

00:03:02.629 --> 00:03:07.330
songwriting and improvisation. Some unique facts

00:03:07.330 --> 00:03:11.689
about the works. The works help create the Workout

00:03:11.689 --> 00:03:14.870
Music and Arts Festival in Ohio, a jam festival

00:03:14.870 --> 00:03:18.250
that's brought in everyone from Umphrey's McGee

00:03:18.250 --> 00:03:22.509
to Papadassio, creating a Midwest hub for the

00:03:22.509 --> 00:03:26.289
jam community. Their drummer, Rob Chaffin, has

00:03:26.289 --> 00:03:30.129
become a sort of jam scene ambassador, frequently

00:03:30.129 --> 00:03:33.830
collaborating with members of bands like Paradiso

00:03:33.830 --> 00:03:39.009
and Dopopod. Fans call themselves workers, and

00:03:39.009 --> 00:03:42.139
the community vibe at their shows feels like

00:03:42.139 --> 00:03:47.319
family, lots of shared road trips, and that classic

00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:50.500
grass -fruit jams scene energy. All right, Jam

00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:53.699
Nerds, let's talk about works jams. That's where

00:03:53.699 --> 00:03:59.879
the magic lives. Duck Farm at Workout 2012. This

00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:03.860
is one of the definitive works jams. It starts

00:04:03.860 --> 00:04:07.180
tight and funky with Chris Houser laying down

00:04:07.180 --> 00:04:11.259
a synchronized guitar riff. and gradually stretches

00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:14.680
it into an all -out peak jam that feels almost

00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:19.879
like early fish mixed with ST -S9. Around the

00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.540
13 -minute mark, it blossoms into a euphoric,

00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:29.139
hands -in -the -air climax. OG on April 20, 2013

00:04:29.139 --> 00:04:33.100
in Columbus, Ohio, this performance is a prog

00:04:33.100 --> 00:04:36.550
funk journey. The band shifts into heavy riffs

00:04:36.550 --> 00:04:39.170
into psychedelic territory and then slams into

00:04:39.170 --> 00:04:42.949
a double -time funk groove that had the whole

00:04:42.949 --> 00:04:47.810
crowd losing their minds. Pure works magic, mixing

00:04:47.810 --> 00:04:51.430
precision with chaos. Last but not least, check

00:04:51.430 --> 00:04:55.629
out In the Moss, one of my favorite songs, at

00:04:55.629 --> 00:04:59.250
2014, their tour highlight. A lesser -known deep

00:04:59.250 --> 00:05:02.370
cut, but the jam versions are sprawling and weird.

00:05:02.829 --> 00:05:06.879
Think swampy, funk that morphs into electronic

00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:10.319
madness, then back into rock. It's like the band

00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:14.620
saying, we can take you anywhere. The works are

00:05:14.620 --> 00:05:18.019
important because they never are afraid to push

00:05:18.019 --> 00:05:21.259
beyond the boundaries. They're part of a new

00:05:21.259 --> 00:05:25.899
wave of jam bands that said we can mix rock,

00:05:26.379 --> 00:05:30.199
EDM, funk, and psychedelia. And it's all fair

00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:33.459
game. Their jams are unpredictable. You'll get

00:05:33.459 --> 00:05:37.000
a tight groove, then suddenly an EDM drop, then

00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:40.079
straight into a soaring rock solo. They've created

00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:43.939
a Midwest Jam epicenter with the Workout Festival,

00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:48.120
nurturing a whole community around music. So

00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:51.019
if you haven't worked it out yet, pun intended,

00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:55.500
go stream Duck Farm, check out some workout recordings

00:05:55.500 --> 00:06:00.279
on Nugs or archive .org and let yourself dive

00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:03.939
into the swirl of rock. funk, and cosmic exploration

00:06:03.939 --> 00:06:07.519
that only the works can deliver. That's all for

00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:10.379
today's Shecky's Jam Bands. Next episode we'll

00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:13.199
dive into another scene favorite, but for now

00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:16.439
remember keep your ears open, your mind loose,

00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:18.620
and always chase the jam.