Lo-Pan have been dominating ear drums all over the U.S. for years. The Ohio 5 piece recently dropped their 5th release, an EP titled ‘In Tensions’. The EP continues Lo-Pan’s onslaught of infectious, riff-filled grooves that we have all came to love and admire. Each member of the band is a force to be reckoned with, bassist Skot Thompson is the mad scientist of groove, Jesse Bartz brings the beatdown on the drum kit, Jeff Martin unleashes his soothing prowess at the microphone and newcomer Chris Thompson has taken over the riff master position after Adrian Lee Zambrano exited the band. Their unique stage setup also makes for an incredible show, with Bartz and his drum kit being up front and center of the stage and vocalist Jeff Martin bellowing the songs out from the shadows in the back. Call it metal, call it stoner rock, call it what you will, but their sound is unmistakable and an instant addiction to the ears of any true music lover.
The band is about to embark on an upcoming tour which kicks off on May 3rd in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The band is providing support for The Obsessed, and Karma To Burn. It’s a lineup that is diverse and one you won’t want to miss. Lo-Pan will “Go West” then back to the East coast and wrap up the tour on May 20th in Baltimore, Maryland. On this tour alone the band gets to experience 2 great bands each and every night. Through their years of putting rubber to asphalt on tour the band has had the opportunity to see various artists live. They have opportunities the normal fan doesn’t. So the question begs to be answered. What bands do other bands want to see and why? We were able to catch up with vocalist Jeff Martin recently for this segment of THE BUCKETLIST. Instead of the traditional route Jeff decided to give us more of a throwback edition of The Bucketlist. Being an old soul himself the majority of his choices herald the sounds and vibes of the 70’s and 80’s. So indulge in this Lo-Pan Vocalist Jeff Martin’s bucketlist.
1. Joe Walsh 1972 – Joe is just one of the greatest musicians ever. He is a total shredder, a lyricist, an arranger, a beautiful voice…he could do no wrong back then. The guy gave Jimmy Page his first Les Paul…THE Les Paul. That’s pretty high pedigree.
2. The Husher 2002 – This is a band from Columbus that first got my attention in the local scene. They are friends of mine who all moved on to other projects but they put on one hell of a live show. I miss them terribly. But they will never play again, unfortunately. One of my all time favorites.
3. Marvin Gaye 1974 – The voice to silence all other voices. Never heard anything like him in all my life. His live performances were the stuff of legend. Look up his live performance of Distant Lover 1974 – and just try not to be amazed. Unbelievable.
4. Talk Talk 1986 – Mark Hollis is an absolute beast of a vocalist and this band is the business. ‘The Colour of Spring’ is one of my favorite albums. They just blow me away.
