Some would describe the band Yetisburg as belonging to a genre all its own. However, drummer Steve Downey uses terms such as synthetic, organic, live electric and jam band.
This band, consisting of five Farmington, Mo., natives, brings together sounds of the synthesizer and bongo drums. This combination is one that Downey said happened by chance.
The group has been together in its current form for a year. During that year, they have produced one recording and are working on a second.
According to Downey, the music on the first recording is more organic, while their most recent music has become more heavy and electric.
In early April, the band will be traveling to Mercenary Recording Studio in Springfield, Mo., to record new songs.
In addition, the band recently jumped from No. 250 to No. 3 on the St. Louis music charts.
“Really in the last month, we’ve exploded as far as attention,” Downey said.
The band performs the second Tuesday of every month at St. Louis venue, 2720 Cherokee. The first floor of the venue serves as the event space wheremusicians and a few painters can usually be found. The second floor serves as an art gallery.
Downey explained that he originally discovered the venue after attending a Mardi Gras celebration there last year. The venue’s party-like environment drew him in. The fact that it doubled as an art gallery also appealed to Downey.
“There is more than one thing going on at a time … It matched us perfectly,” Downey said.
The members of Yetisburg met while attending Farmington High School. Before their formation, they had played in other local bands. In addition, they studied music from the time they were children.
However, according to Downey, their interest in music started when Farmington used to have a local venue, The Rock House. It was attending this venue that turned the group onto local music and made them realize they had to be the people on stage.
Downey explained that when the band is not performing, they enjoy being outside in the fresh air.
“We write a lot about nature because we love nature,” Downey said.
Yetisburg will be performing at 2720 Cherokee on Feb. 8. Doors open at 9 p.m., and the cover charge will be $2. They will be joined by Blue Sol and Coryography.
