Unlike kokanee, crayfish and the quagga mussel, Liquid Kactus is a mostly indigenous Lake Tahoe creature.
Three of the six band members from the rock band which opens the first show of the third Live at Lakeview concert series Thursday are from North Shore. The group is based in Arcata, where most of the members attended Humboldt State University.
Dreadlocked guitarist Jonny Yocum named the band after one of its tunes.
“He said it was like was a flowing kind of song, a punchy and spiky kind of thing,” said Josh Foster, who plays bass and trombone.
Formed in August 2011, Liquid Kactus played shows last summer at Incline Village’s Hacienda and South Lake Tahoe Himmel Haus. Earlier this year it played at Heavenly Village. This fall a six-state tour is planned.
“I was definitely into Phish and the Dead and newer jam bands so I came in with a jam band mentality,” Foster said. “But our piano player is into classic music, like Tool and prog rock and our drummer is all about hip-hop and reggae and Jonny is definitely a rock-blues guitar player, so it’s pretty eclectic.”
Foster’s mother, Clare, plays guitar and is a contributing photographer and writer for Tahoe Onstage.
“For a long period of time I didn’t want to listen to classic rock and the Grateful Dead because that’s what my parents listen to,” Foster said. “Then I actually listened to it and went, ‘Oh wow, that’s where it’s at.’ ”
Foster’s parents bought him a guitar when he showed an interest in music.
“Josh’s ability to hear a song and then play it note for note is astounding,” Clare Foster said. “It blows me away. I noticed after Josh turned 11 and he joined concert band, his love of music on every level began to blossom as did he as a musician. Josh rocks.”
The band includes trombone and piano player Bobby Carabetta, who, like Foster, is a North Tahoe Lakers alumnus. Yocum is from Tahoma but attended Incline High. Drummer Will Rosenthan is from Long Beach, saxophoninst Kyle McInnis is from Mount Vernon, Wash., and keyboardist Michael Grady, who will miss the Lakeview show, is from Huntington Beach.
Peter Joseph Burtt &the King Tide headline the show at 6 p.m. Liquid Kactus starts at 4:30 p.m.
Live at Lakeview
Lakeview Commons, South Lake TahoeHeadliner, opener
June 26 Peter Joseph Burtt and the King Tide; Liquid Kactus
July 3 Lavish Green; Taking Root
July 10 Tracorum; Sierra Drifters
July 17 Randy McAllister; Tyler McCoy Band
July 24 Paa Kow’s By All Means Band World; 4 Piece Puzzle
July 31 Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds; MerryGold
August 7 40 Watt Hype; Candelaria
August 14 Mojo Green; Musical Charis
August 21 Scott Pemberton Trio; Black Star Safari
August 28 Rocker-T; Weapon
Headliners onstage from 6-8:30 p.m.; openers, yet to be announced, 4:30-5:45 p.m. Attendance is free.
Parking is limited at Lakeview Commons, concertgoers are encouraged to bike to the event and utilize the free bike valet service. If you must drive, please note there are metered parking spaces that surround the venue because the voter-approved Measure P doesn’t go into effect until the 10-week series has ended. Free parking is available at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center (1180 Rufus Allen Blvd), which is just a short walk from the park. $40 season parking passes are available to Tahoe residents.
