Flux Capacitor
Emerging from the Pennsylvania music scene, from the outskirts of the City of Brotherly Love, is the phenom band known as Flux Capacitor. Their fiery, distinct sound has catapulted the group with lightning speed into the National Music Scene.
This band of brothers consistently inspire and evoke a new and wildly addicting sound resonating with elements of rock, improvisation and electronica. They redefine musicality with positive prophetic vocals, complex guitar work, innovative keys/synths/bass stylings, with feverish syncopated drum rhythms. Flux Capacitor concerts are filled with improvisation, musical segues, spontaneous covers, and teases creating a unique, one of a kind experience at every performance. The essence of the brothers’ music is fueled by their dedicated practice of meditation and lucid dreaming which keeps them fueled by a higher power. Their electric vibe transcends the stage and extends into the crowd creating a magical musical ambience.
Flux Capacitor has grown tremendously since the bands inception in 2007. From a hand full of shows to playing hundreds of shows, and fine tuning their craft culminating in their first full length release 2009`s “They Know We Know” and subsequent tour from Pa to Chicago Il playing 15 shows made possible through their fast growing buzz 
and fan-base through the internet and roots promotion. This first tour resulted in strong internet sales on iTunes and CdBaby helping to broaden their fanbase. In 2011 the brothers were invited to Seattle to work with Jack Endino for their second Release “Monolith”. Following that release, the band spent all of 2011 and 2012 touring, with 11 Dates throughout the UK and Canada and over 45 Shows outside their home region. Flux Capacitor won Jam Band of the Year at the highly esteemed 2013 TriState Indie awards in Philadlephia PA and has been nominated once again for this distinction in 2014. Flux has recently released their third album “Cycle 9,” showcasing the band’s most ambitious and epic material to date. “Cycle 9” was recorded with John Becker of Anomoulous Audio.
Flux Has Shared The Stage With Umphrey`s McGee, Railroad Earth, Keller Williams, Rusted Root, The New Mastersounds, Tea Leaf Green, Karl Denson`s Tiny Universe, Ozomatli, Conspirator, Stanton Moore, JGB with Melvin Seals, Particle, David Grisman Quartet, Ivan Neville`s Dumpstaphunk, Kung Fu, Papadosio, the Movement, Splintered Sunlight, Dangermuffin, Lukas Nelson and many, many more!
Live Music News and Review.com recently had a chance to catch up with Peter, Jason and Michael Specht and ask them a few questions about the band and their philosophy:
LMNR: Who do you aspire to be like? Who are your favorite bands on the scene today?
We aspire to be as original as possible while taking clues from musicians, artists and amazing people we respect like Bob Marley, Stephen King and Picasso. Some of our favorite bands include: Phish, Moe, Disco Biscuits, MMW, Marco Benevento, Papadosio and tons more.
LMNR: How has the evolution of the band from the original lineup to the current members changed the direction of the music? What has stayed constant?
Since inception we knew we wanted to play music with meaningful song lyrics and concepts and include musical explorations based on improvisation not limited to any particular style. As the lineup changed, and we became more focused on our goal and that led us to feed off each other creatively and technically. It allowed us to begin writing together and really start feeding off each other musically.
LMNR: You’re from the keystone state? What about that living in that area has affected your music, and what do you want people to learn about where you’re from via your music?
Eastern PA is filled with music lovers who have really followed and been down with the jam scene since the beginning creating a refined ear for music; this has really inspired us to bring something new and creative to the stage with our song writing and we definitely want to bring some love to the audience so they can feel good and positive, as a counter to the fast paced and often crazy world
LMNR: How is the touring going? You seem to have a lot of festivals this year. How do you feel festivals compare to more conventional gigs?
Touring is going great. We’ve starting hitting the road after our first CD came out in ’09 and we’ve really learned a lot plan out keeping up stamina and mental energies feeding of the chaos of the moment and bringing something new to the music each and every night.
Festivals are great for getting into the spirit of the community type thing with many bands on the line up and the outside energy people get cooking up and they bring that to the musicians as well, it’s our job to channel that and take them higher. More conventional shows in a club it’s the same energy, just a different animal; it’s more personal, and we usually will play multiple longer sets so we really stretch out musically.
LMNR: What first attracted you to jamtronica or whatever style you classify as your music?
We wanted the keyboards to be real prominent in our music. It’s a very versatile instrument that can wail like a guitar, be percussive, or add atmospheric textures, and we love to keep up the high energy feeling that makes you wanna dance. Listening to Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd and all the classics growing this jam and electronic feels like a suitable evolution for the psychedelic jam rock feel.
LMNR: How has infusing jams with electronic and hard rock elements pushed your artistic limits?
It’s has and is constantly pushing us to new places in writing and manifesting our ideas into sound, lyrics, and rhythm.
LMNR: How much does having your fans dance influence your music?
Fans dancing is like a drug- it really fuels the music and pushes us to some extraordinary places. If people are listening intently and chilling that is awesome too and it feeds the music in a more subtle way.
LMNR: What makes you different/unique? There is so much going on in the scene these days, what sets Flux apart?
The fact that we are a three piece and we are happy with that makes us pretty different from a scene with bands that often have a lot of members. It gives us sonic clarity and makes for us to have tons of control over our improv. Also. our Bass is played on keyboards with makes us different than most groups.
LMNR: What makes you excited these days about playing music?
Seeing the songs connect with people in very deep and positive ways. It feels great having people sing our songs and identify with our lyrics. It’s an unspoken bond of seeing the world through a particularly unique lens that we share. And seeing it grow as we grow people and musicians.
LMNR: Where did the name come from?
We are not sure where the name came from. It came out of a hat but we don’t know how it got into that hat.
LMNR: Where did the style that we all know as Flux come from? How did it evolve?
Our style really came from years of jamming together since we were children. We hadn’t had formal training, but we were religiously writing and creating songs out of thin air from dreams and ideas, personal intuitions and such. We don’t always follow normal rules for song writing and that allows to create a ton of truly original songs.
LMNR: How do you like to connect with fans?
We used to only have word of mouth and posters and email but now, with all the Facebook connectivity, we like that we can talk to everyone all the time- just gotta be ready for what ever comes next. It’s only a means to an end anyway.
LMNRL Why do you love what you do?
We love it because it’s satisfying an unstoppable calling that all three of us luckily share. We have this music we have to get out, without seeing it through it feels like something is wrong in the universe. No matter how many years we play or what chaos is going on, the feeling we get at the end of every show is this complete feeling like we set something in the cosmos right again.
LMNR: What is your passion?
I would have to say a revolution of thought and practice. Everything has to change for the better and it absolutely can and we desire to see our music get into people’s hearts and activate them.
LMNR: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a band?
Strength would be family, family, family and our individual patience, respect and regard to a spiritual viewpoint in life. Our weakness can also be our brotherhood because we know each other so well we can occasionally get locked in psychological stalemates.
LMNR: What do you want people to feel when they listen to your music?
We want people to feel inspired, free and motivated to dance and live it up in the moment and also not be afraid to say what they feel about things that are important to them in this lifetime.
LMNR: What do you want your music to do for your community?
We would love to make our hometown proud of us and bring love and interest to our city and we want everyone to form bands and become artists.
LMNR: What is your vision for Flux?
We want to continue to be inspired to write new music and record many more albums, and tour far and wide, uniting with all the people who find our music appealing. We can see ourselves in our 60s with a giant tour bus fleet for all our kids and wives and girlfriends playing this music at large outdoor shows in front of a beautiful sunset and a backstage tent open to the general admission filled with lobster and shrimp and endless hugs and good will.
Overcome your fears, become one with the music!
Upcoming Flux Capacitor tour dates:
Band | DATE | VENUE | CITY | ST |
Flux Capacitor | 04 18 Sat | O’Leary’s Pub | Scranton | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 04 22 Wed | Café 210 West | State College | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 04 23 Thu | Ardmore | PA | |
Flux Capacitor | 04 30 Thu | Kerhonkson | NY | |
Flux Capacitor | 05 02 Sat | Wassail Cider festival | Boyertown | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 05 08 Fri | Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Co | Harrisburg | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 05 16 Sat | Jam on the River | Philadelphia | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 05 21 Thu | Stella Blues | New Haven | CT |
Flux Capacitor | 05 22 Fri | Wormtown Music Festival | Greenfield | MA |
Flux Capacitor | 06 05 Fri | North Star Bar | Philadelphia | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 06 11 Thu | Beardfest | Hammonton | NJ |
Flux Capacitor | 06 13 Sat | Pompei Lounge | Staunton | VA |
Flux Capacitor | 06 18 Thu | Keystone Lounge | Cedars | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 06 20 Sat | private party solstice celebration | Gilbertsville | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 06 21 Sun | private birthday party | Austin | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 07 02 Thu | The Brickyard and The Stonehouse | Williamsport | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 07 10 Fri | Liberty Music Festival | Roaring Branch | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 07 16 Thu | Uncle Eddies | Salisbury | MA |
Flux Capacitor | 07 18 Sat | Dover Forge | W Dover | VT |
Flux Capacitor | 08 08 Sat | Under the Stars | Terra Alta | WV |
Flux Capacitor | 08 15 Sat | The Peach Festival | Scranton | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 08 29 Sat | The Dam Show | Austin | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 09 05 Sat | private wedding | Duncannon | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 09 12 Sat | Vibe and Glow | Lancaster | PA |
Flux Capacitor | 10 10 Sat | World of Beer | Charlottesville | VA |
Disclaimer: The parent company of this website is also a music company. Flux Capacitor is a client of that company. Not all articles here are bands represented, but some are. Plus, they’re awesome, have sick jams, and are brothers, so that’s cool. We all love music, so who cares, right?
