Animal Liberation Orchestra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) is a musical group, currently signed on Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label. They have released one full length album, Fly Between Falls, which is being re-released by Brushfire Records. They have also released several EPs and independent albums, including Time Expander.
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[edit] Biography
Born from a friendship nurtured during their days at the University of California Santa Barbara, the band consists of Zach Gill (Keyboards/Vocals), Steve Adams (Bass Guitar/Vocals), Dan Lebowitz (Guitars/Percussion/Vocals) and David Brogan (Drums/Vocals).
Originally a nine-piece ensemble featuring a brass section, ALO began drawing enormous attention in the Santa Barbara area with their rousing stage shows. When Zach, Dan and Steve returned to their hometown San Francisco, they stripped back down to a quartet, playing with a wide variety of different drummers. Finally, in 2002, the trio reunited with drummer David Brogan (with whom they had previously played in college) and the current version of Animal Liberation Orchestra was solidified.
Zach Gill, the keyboard player, went to college with the popular singer-songwriter, Jack Johnson, and they had good connections with one another. Zach Gill has recently provided piano in Jack Johnson's band, adding a new flavor to the live performances.
Animal Liberation Orchestra have already released several independent albums, including Fly Between Falls, which was recently re-released on Brushfire Records. This album includes the re-release of the track, "Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down", which features Jack Johnson providing guitar and vocals. New to the re-release is the song "Walls of Jericho", a tour staple and crowd favorite noted by its festival imagery, wailing guitar solo, and euphoric crescendo. This track gained popularity after its live performance was featured in the Jack Johnson and Friends Live at the Greek DVD. The studio version's debut on myspace.com received mixed review.
Recently, ALO finished a tour supporting Jack Johnson, along with Matt Costa, all across Europe, including United Kingdom, France and Spain, with two dates scheduled in mid-April supporting Jack Johnson in Brazil. In June, they opened for Dave Matthews Band at stops in upstate New York and North Carolina. On October 14th, they sold out their first headlining concert at the venerated Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Dubbed "The Abnormal Formal," this show included supporting acts Mojow and the Vibration Army, Honeycut and Blue Turtle Seduction, and featured ALO playing with special guests including Brett Dennen and Jack Johnson. ALO will perform on New Year's Eve at the Sea of Dreams event in San Francisco, then board a cruise ship to participate in the soldout Jam Cruise 5 from January 2-7, 2007. The band will also support Michael Franti & Spearhead at the Solutions for Dreamers benefit in Santa Barbara on February 24, and have booked a slot at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Fest in Australia in April.
[edit] Discography
Albums
- Animal Liberation Orchestra & The Free Range Horns Vs. L.A.G. (1998)
- One Size Fits All (1999)
- Time Expander (2002)
- Fly Between Falls (2004 - Original Release)
- Fly Between Falls (2006 - Brushfire Records)
EPs
- Live Mix (2000)
