The Big Wu
Encyclopedia
The Big Wu is a rock 'n' roll jam band
from Minnesota
. The group is composed of Al Oikari, Andy Miller, Chris Castino, and Terry VanDeWalker. The band made a mark on the jam band
scene with a reputation for hook-oriented songwriting and as one of the earliest jam bands from the Midwest to achieve some national success. Relentless touring in the late 1990s and early 2000s built a loyal fan base that call themselves "family," many of whom get together for the band's recurring music festival, the Big Wu Family Reunion
. From 1998-2006, the band annually held the Family Reunion
on Memorial Weekend, and they frequently hold a Wu Years Eve event on December 31. The band has not toured since the end of 2006, instead playing only periodic shows in their home state of Minnesota.The Big Wu Family Reunion X will be held July 10–12 at Harmony Park in southern Minnesota off of Lake Geneva.
by students Chris Castino (guitar), Terry VanDeWalker (vocals), and Jason Fladager (guitar). Andrew Eklund (bass; now owns Ciceron, Inc.), Nathan Eklund (Keyboards; now with Kubla Khan
), Chip House (drums, now a VP with ExactTarget) made up the rest of the regular lineup. Julie Crumrine (vocals) and Julie Niksitch (vocals) made frequent appearances.
The band played their first gig on February 14, 1992 in the Lion's Pause in the basement of the old Ytterboe Hall at St. Olaf College in Northfield
, Minnesota
. Every song played was a cover by the Grateful Dead
, Bob Dylan
, or the Allman Brothers. The Big Wu continued to play every three weeks or so in town above the Reub-n-Stein, the most popular local bar at the time. Big Wu shows quickly became one of the biggest events on campus, and posters littered the cafeteria walls at both Carleton
and St. Olaf.
On September 11, 1995, the Big Wu played for the first time at the Terminal Bar on Hennepin Avenue
in Northeast Minneapolis. This gig started a run of shows that lasted from the end of 1995 into most of 1996. A little over a month later on October 28, 1995, they debuted their first original song "Silcanturnitova". Over the next four years an onslaught of new songs were written including "Bloodhound", "Red Sky", "Precious Hands", "Kangaroo", and "Puerto Rico." It was also at the Terminal Bar where the lineup was solidified, with Chip House, Andrew Eklund, and Nathan Eklund all leaving the band to pursue professional careers. At the time the Big Wu was looking for a keyboardist and bass guitar player. Andy Miller, also a St. Olaf College graduate, got the job playing bass, and several months later, Al Oikari sat in on keys and eventually became a member of the band.
At the end of 1996, the Big Wu got the job as the house band at the legendary Cabooze Bar in Minneapolis. Wednesday night became a regular night out for what became known as the "Wu Family", who served as the test market for new songs as the band reshaped their shows around original music and playful lyrics.
On September 12, 1997, Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub
, the Big Wu's debut CD was released. Though a CD release party was held at the Cabooze, the CD itself did not arrive at the show due to shipping problems, and the album wasn't available for purchase until the following week. Similar gaffes and logistical ironies would plague the band over the next several years, prompting a gentle self-mockery that became a staple of the band's onstage humor.
On July 17, 1998, the Big Wu hosted the first ever Big Wu Family Reunion at Latch Lake Studios in Eagan, Minnesota
– the local studio where Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub had been recorded the year before. The next year, the Family Reunion was held at Harmony Park Music Garden in Geneva, Minnesota, and the event would be held at either Harmony Park or the Jamboree Campground in Black River Falls, Wisconsin
thereafter. The Family Reunion drew thousands of concert-goers each year during the early 2000s, and the festival served to introduce the Midwest to a number of jam bands that would later find a national audience.
Short tours throughout the Midwest and periodic gigs in Colorado
led the Big Wu to hit the road full-time in 1999, and they would average 150–200 shows a year for the next several years.
On October 17, 2000, the band released their second album Folktales
on a small jam band
oriented record label out of New York
called Phoenix Rising Records. The album enjoyed a good ride, but was quickly forced into the abyss when Phoenix filed for bankruptcy a little over a year later. For the following two years, the Big Wu were unable to sell CDs to the public because the assets of the record label (including Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub and Folktales) were tied up in bankruptcy court.
While the band was in record label limbo, they took to recording a third CD, Spring Reverb. The album was produced by Bill Cutler, a veteran producer who had worked with the likes of the Grateful Dead. With Bill at the wheel, the Big Wu created what is generally their most well-regarded album, recording at Pachyderm Studio
in Cannon Falls
, Minnesota
, and at Oar Fin Records in Minneapolis. At the end of the summer in 2002, the Big Wu's contract with Phoenix was nullified, and they were able to buy their assets back, making the release of the newly finished album possible. The Big Wu played a CD release party for Spring Reverb at the Historic State Theatre on November 2, 2002.
On June 21, 2002, The Big Wu's rising fame gave them the opportunity to open the first ever Bonnaroo Music Festival
. Their afternoon set attracted over 50,000 fans and the band churned out a historic performance in the blazing sun. "Rhode Island Red" was selected from their performance to represent the band on the inaugural Live from Bonnaroo - Volume 2.
During the 2002 Harvest Festival
at Harmony Park Music Garden, the Big Wu played two long nights of music. The first ended up being guitarist Jason Fladager's last show. There was no announcement from stage, although the band knew that Fladager had no intent on returning for the second night. The second night of the festival, the Big Wu played a long set without one of their founding guitarists. A few days later the band announced that Fladager had left the band to be closer to his family. The guitarist's absence prompted the band to reinvent itself as a four-piece.
The Big Wu released Tool for Evening
in 2004, their first record as a four-piece. A live album followed in 2006. Following the band's 2006 fall–winter tour, which included a run of shows in Japan, the band took some time off the road, playing only a handful of shows in 2007 in their home state of Minnesota.
In 2009 The Big Wu announced that original member Jason Fladager was to re-join the group and they have since played a number of shows as the original five piece including a recent show at Festival Bella Madre. Big Wu Family Reunion 10 is scheduled for July 10–12, 2009 at the Harmony Park Music Garden. In addition to the Big Wu it features a number of Twin Cities acts.
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The group is composed of Al Oikari, Andy Miller, Chris Castino, and Terry VanDeWalker. The band made a mark on the jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
scene with a reputation for hook-oriented songwriting and as one of the earliest jam bands from the Midwest to achieve some national success. Relentless touring in the late 1990s and early 2000s built a loyal fan base that call themselves "family," many of whom get together for the band's recurring music festival, the Big Wu Family Reunion
The Big Wu Family Reunion
The Big Wu Family Reunion is an annual music festival hosted by the Rock and Roll jam band The Big Wu. It is currently held over the Memorial day weekend at the Harmony Park Music Gardens in Geneva, Minnesota, and features multiple bands on one or two stages as well as on-site camping.-History:On...
. From 1998-2006, the band annually held the Family Reunion
The Big Wu Family Reunion
The Big Wu Family Reunion is an annual music festival hosted by the Rock and Roll jam band The Big Wu. It is currently held over the Memorial day weekend at the Harmony Park Music Gardens in Geneva, Minnesota, and features multiple bands on one or two stages as well as on-site camping.-History:On...
on Memorial Weekend, and they frequently hold a Wu Years Eve event on December 31. The band has not toured since the end of 2006, instead playing only periodic shows in their home state of Minnesota.The Big Wu Family Reunion X will be held July 10–12 at Harmony Park in southern Minnesota off of Lake Geneva.
History
The Big Wu was founded in 1992 at St. Olaf CollegeSt. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
by students Chris Castino (guitar), Terry VanDeWalker (vocals), and Jason Fladager (guitar). Andrew Eklund (bass; now owns Ciceron, Inc.), Nathan Eklund (Keyboards; now with Kubla Khan
Kubla Khan
Kubla Khan is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, completed in 1797 and published in Christabel, Kubla Khan, and the Pains of Sleep in 1816...
), Chip House (drums, now a VP with ExactTarget) made up the rest of the regular lineup. Julie Crumrine (vocals) and Julie Niksitch (vocals) made frequent appearances.
The band played their first gig on February 14, 1992 in the Lion's Pause in the basement of the old Ytterboe Hall at St. Olaf College in Northfield
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Every song played was a cover by the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, or the Allman Brothers. The Big Wu continued to play every three weeks or so in town above the Reub-n-Stein, the most popular local bar at the time. Big Wu shows quickly became one of the biggest events on campus, and posters littered the cafeteria walls at both Carleton
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
and St. Olaf.
On September 11, 1995, the Big Wu played for the first time at the Terminal Bar on Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It runs from Lakewood Cemetery , north through the Uptown District of Southwest Minneapolis, through the former "Bottleneck" area west of Loring Park, through the North Loop in the city center, to Northeast Minneapolis and...
in Northeast Minneapolis. This gig started a run of shows that lasted from the end of 1995 into most of 1996. A little over a month later on October 28, 1995, they debuted their first original song "Silcanturnitova". Over the next four years an onslaught of new songs were written including "Bloodhound", "Red Sky", "Precious Hands", "Kangaroo", and "Puerto Rico." It was also at the Terminal Bar where the lineup was solidified, with Chip House, Andrew Eklund, and Nathan Eklund all leaving the band to pursue professional careers. At the time the Big Wu was looking for a keyboardist and bass guitar player. Andy Miller, also a St. Olaf College graduate, got the job playing bass, and several months later, Al Oikari sat in on keys and eventually became a member of the band.
At the end of 1996, the Big Wu got the job as the house band at the legendary Cabooze Bar in Minneapolis. Wednesday night became a regular night out for what became known as the "Wu Family", who served as the test market for new songs as the band reshaped their shows around original music and playful lyrics.
On September 12, 1997, Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub
Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub
Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub was the first studio album released by the rock n' roll jam band The Big Wu in 1997. It was released at the Cabooze Bar in Minneapolis during CD Release party hosted by the band.-Track listing:...
, the Big Wu's debut CD was released. Though a CD release party was held at the Cabooze, the CD itself did not arrive at the show due to shipping problems, and the album wasn't available for purchase until the following week. Similar gaffes and logistical ironies would plague the band over the next several years, prompting a gentle self-mockery that became a staple of the band's onstage humor.
On July 17, 1998, the Big Wu hosted the first ever Big Wu Family Reunion at Latch Lake Studios in Eagan, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
– the local studio where Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub had been recorded the year before. The next year, the Family Reunion was held at Harmony Park Music Garden in Geneva, Minnesota, and the event would be held at either Harmony Park or the Jamboree Campground in Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
thereafter. The Family Reunion drew thousands of concert-goers each year during the early 2000s, and the festival served to introduce the Midwest to a number of jam bands that would later find a national audience.
Short tours throughout the Midwest and periodic gigs in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
led the Big Wu to hit the road full-time in 1999, and they would average 150–200 shows a year for the next several years.
On October 17, 2000, the band released their second album Folktales
Folktales (album)
Folktales is the second studio album released by the rock and roll jam band The Big Wu.-Track listing:# "Angie O'Plasty"# "Minnesota Moon"# "Boxing Day"# "Two Person Chair"# "Oxygen"# "Elani"# "Kensington Manor"# "House of Wu"# "S.O.S."...
on a small jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
oriented record label out of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
called Phoenix Rising Records. The album enjoyed a good ride, but was quickly forced into the abyss when Phoenix filed for bankruptcy a little over a year later. For the following two years, the Big Wu were unable to sell CDs to the public because the assets of the record label (including Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub and Folktales) were tied up in bankruptcy court.
While the band was in record label limbo, they took to recording a third CD, Spring Reverb. The album was produced by Bill Cutler, a veteran producer who had worked with the likes of the Grateful Dead. With Bill at the wheel, the Big Wu created what is generally their most well-regarded album, recording at Pachyderm Studio
Pachyderm Studio
Pachyderm Recording Studio is a residential recording studio located in rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota, United States, 35.8 mi southeast of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. It is located in a secluded old-growth forest with a vibrant trout stream. The studio was founded in 1988...
in Cannon Falls
Cannon Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,550 households, and 996 families residing in the city. The population density was 946.4 people per square mile . There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 401.8 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, and at Oar Fin Records in Minneapolis. At the end of the summer in 2002, the Big Wu's contract with Phoenix was nullified, and they were able to buy their assets back, making the release of the newly finished album possible. The Big Wu played a CD release party for Spring Reverb at the Historic State Theatre on November 2, 2002.
On June 21, 2002, The Big Wu's rising fame gave them the opportunity to open the first ever Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
. Their afternoon set attracted over 50,000 fans and the band churned out a historic performance in the blazing sun. "Rhode Island Red" was selected from their performance to represent the band on the inaugural Live from Bonnaroo - Volume 2.
During the 2002 Harvest Festival
Harvest festival
A Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world...
at Harmony Park Music Garden, the Big Wu played two long nights of music. The first ended up being guitarist Jason Fladager's last show. There was no announcement from stage, although the band knew that Fladager had no intent on returning for the second night. The second night of the festival, the Big Wu played a long set without one of their founding guitarists. A few days later the band announced that Fladager had left the band to be closer to his family. The guitarist's absence prompted the band to reinvent itself as a four-piece.
The Big Wu released Tool for Evening
Tool for Evening
Tool for Evening is the fourth studio album released by The Big Wu during the seventh annual Big Wu Family Reunion on Memorial Day weekend in 2004. The album was recorded 20 minutes outside of The Big Wu’s birthplace at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota...
in 2004, their first record as a four-piece. A live album followed in 2006. Following the band's 2006 fall–winter tour, which included a run of shows in Japan, the band took some time off the road, playing only a handful of shows in 2007 in their home state of Minnesota.
In 2009 The Big Wu announced that original member Jason Fladager was to re-join the group and they have since played a number of shows as the original five piece including a recent show at Festival Bella Madre. Big Wu Family Reunion 10 is scheduled for July 10–12, 2009 at the Harmony Park Music Garden. In addition to the Big Wu it features a number of Twin Cities acts.
Albums
| Title | Date of Official Release | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub was the first studio album released by the rock n' roll jam band The Big Wu in 1997. It was released at the Cabooze Bar in Minneapolis during CD Release party hosted by the band.-Track listing:... |
September 12, 1997 | Phoenix Rising |
| Welcome to the Family, Baby! | October 1999 | |
| Live at the Fitzgerald Live at the Fitzgerald Live at the Fitzgerald is the first live album released by the rock n' roll jam band The Big Wu. It was released at their third annual Family Reunion on Memorial day weekend in 2000. It was recorded at the historic Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St... |
Memorial Day Weekend, 2000 | |
| Folktales Folktales (album) Folktales is the second studio album released by the rock and roll jam band The Big Wu.-Track listing:# "Angie O'Plasty"# "Minnesota Moon"# "Boxing Day"# "Two Person Chair"# "Oxygen"# "Elani"# "Kensington Manor"# "House of Wu"# "S.O.S."... |
October 17, 2000 | |
| 3/13/98 Cedar Cultural Centre 3/13/98 Cedar Cultural Centre 3/13/98 Cedar Cultural Centre is the second live album released by the rock n' roll jam band The Big Wu. It was released at their fourth annual Family Reunion on Memorial day weekend in 2001... |
Memorial Day Weekend, 2001 | BIVCO Records |
| Spring Reverb | November 2, 2002 | Oarfin Records |
| Tool for Evening Tool for Evening Tool for Evening is the fourth studio album released by The Big Wu during the seventh annual Big Wu Family Reunion on Memorial Day weekend in 2004. The album was recorded 20 minutes outside of The Big Wu’s birthplace at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota... |
Memorial Day Weekend, 2004 | |
| 2/2/03 Atwood Ballroom | September 19, 2006 |
Videos
| Date Recorded | Date of Official Release | Title | Recording Location | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24 and 25th, 2003 | 2006 | Family Reunion #6 | Black River Falls, Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... (live performance) |
DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... |
External links
- Official band website
- Website for Big Wu fans
- Big Wu Family Reunion
- The Big Wu collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - The Big Wu downloads at JamRadio.org