Ekoostik Hookah "Utopia"

[theopenroad]

Satisfaction comes with time. You've got to do what makes you happy.

[AaronDLambert]

I was at this show and man do I miss these days, Sweney is the best...

[mildlyunfazed]

just heard this song for the first time. Sounds a lot like some of jethro tull's earlier works of the late 60's early 70's

[zeplinkid17]

Ekoostik Hookah is nothing without Cliff Starbuck

[morrisjeffery92]

fuck u people who criticize hookah u guys suck because hookah is the best band u will ever see in your lifetime and mine most energy of any band ever nickelback is posers

[19TheBlackBaron95]

just seen them live i cuyahoga falls and they are AMAZING!!! just rock on!

[NORMLNICK]

Dude Sweney is a monster. I love his tone and his playing style so much. The song really gets smokin at about 5.45.

[1313RAH]

WOW amazing if u like this u will will most likely like the song AH KOO STIK (original) watch it tell me what u think!!! :)))

[marypotts12steps]

I LOVE HOOKAH!!!! ROCK ON BROTHERS!!! HOOOOOOOOKAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[kindsoul420247]

FYI to all. It's Steve SWENEY, not Sweeney.

[kindsoul420247]

Sweney is such a bad-ass. Anyone who denies Sweney his due is dumb.

[1NickDelle1]

Anyone know what kind of scales the guitarist uses? They sound a lot like the ones that Chuck Garvey from moe. use and i'd like to use them myself

[TheMediocreForce]

I actually met Sweeney backstage once.

[kindsoul420247]

@TheMediocreForce It's Sweney.

[TheMediocreForce]

@kindsoul420247 My bad

[Bodacious468]

singer sounds alot like ian anderson

[TheBurgonian330]

3 words...Single Note Domination

[betochon]

OMG!

[WhenYouLoose]

noodling or not... it sounds good to us. so who cares

[jcoff07]

anyone who calls this directionless noodling is obviously a fool.

[cessna421ace]

These guys sound decent in a special way due to the fact that the vocals are drowned out by the sound coming from the rest of the band.

[mavriksfan11]

man these guys solos sound totally out of place with the slapping bass groove and thick keyboard sound, but id give it another listen or two

[Euphoriaman]

got the date of this show???

[asaum3]

woh woh woh everyone. good music is just that...good music! don't argue your personal favs.....cause in the end good music is still good music! I love Hookah!

[ob1ob123]

yeah man,,i like

[captaingraff]

lol at an "accomplished" Bluegrass musician complaining about noodling....Seriously?!?

I will add that yes, it was obviously fortunate for you that noodling could only get you so far since it's obvious you lack the chops necessary to make anything of it.

[georgiaswamper]

@captaingraff an expert in your own world. learn to play before you criticize. this is a bunch of glorified pentatonic scales, bluegrass is where its at. bluegrass has been around for almost 100 years and still going strong, jam bands are a fad among drop outs, city slickers and college kids. and will never gain the musical status that bluegrass has. go listen to some bill monroe and learn a thing or 2!

[captaingraff]

@georgiaswamper..I played guitar in a jamgrass band for three years during college. I still play a lot of bluegrass and am very well-versed in the genre.

I find it amusing that you boil down live guitar work as "glorified pentatonic scales." I call it soul. Soloing is the sport of music and this kat tears up his Gibson out in Ohio on a weekly basis.

[captaingraff]

@georgiaswamper I played guitar in a jamgrass band for three years during college. I still play a lot of bluegrass and am very well-versed in the genre.

I find it amusing that you boil down live guitar work as "glorified pentatonic scales." I call it soul. Soloing is the sport of music and this kat tears up his Gibson out in Ohio on a weekly basis.

[gobluebuckeye]

wow, i guess I do miss those days. Inspired times, intoxicated times.

[rybo79]

Three Words...Steve Fuckin Sweeney.

[jambandohio]

Three words for steve Sweeney.............TAKE A BATH

[optikfiber]

@jambandohio ...play guitar as good as him and you may never have to take a bath again...

[jambandohio]

just like a dirty stinky hippy that don't know shit about guitar playing.All he plays is pentatonic scales and very bad at that OVERRATED and you buy it.... thats your problem DUMB ASS

[optikfiber]

Has to be one of the strangest responses from someone that is also so obviously a dirty stinky hippie too, LMAO.

ps - sorry you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas yesterday ;)

[Umberto2]

are you some kind of self-hating rock fan? what's your problem? this music inspires my soul and the notes come fast and furious. what's not to like?

[Euphoriaman]

SSO!!!!!!

[Arthur1223]

I might be seeing this band today. It sounds like I might enjoy myself.

[AdamCursedUsFirst]

I still miss Polanski & Ed. I always got along good with them.

[greenfruitface]

Steve is one of the best lead guitarists I've ever seen. His tone, his intensity....amazing. I saw them two nights in a row a few days ago. The whole band is great. But damn....what a guitarist. He's can play SO perfectly, but isn't afraid to take chances and get freakin' DIRTY......nice.

[amneesiac]

Steve Sweeney can really wail!

[jambandohio]

OVERRATED

[hookah616]

never seen a better band live.... and iv seen some shit

[essentrik1]

Can't wait to see these guys tomorrow night!

I've seen them about 4 times and have enjoyed every show!

By the way, I find them enjoyable both high and un-high...

[vberr223]

whack version of the allman brothers with weird al look a like singing. just not for me

[mankind716]

whack? are you kidding me? Please don't refer to Saint Sweney's guitar playing as "whack" sir.

[sniktawleahcim]

i saw them live at nelson ledges yesterday.

EVERYONE was high except me and my friend.. everyone was like worshipping these guys.

they didnt take my breath away, but i did enjoy myself.

i came for buckethead, but enjoyed these guys as well.

[swaimb]

I smoked pot with these guys at a Phish show in Cols, Oh back in 2001. I had VIP passes and just happened to be sitting right by them. Cool people!

[DnMZen]

in 2001? i highly doubt that

[swaimb]

AHHHH Newport memories!

[ekoostik11]

one of the best jam bands out there. never seen a better live concert than these guys.

[bikerbutterfly]

They were over the edge and great in

Indy

PEACE

[bikerbutterfly]

Planning on seeing them in Indy

this Friday, March 6.

Exciting.......PEACE

[pajasper]

blugrastooth this is a well arranged song you putz

[blugrastooth]

this blows....noodle noodle noddle and take some acid....trippy dude...

[ericnorth]

Noodling? thats an extremely well thought out and structured guitar solo. especially considering much of it was improvised. Let me know how your next Nickelback corcert is.

[blugrastooth]

see now you're being assumptive. I am an accomplished bluegrass and acoustic musician as well as a former jammie. i would never pay to go see Nickelback (first of all theyre from Canada) and secondly, I cannot handle bullshit tunes. I understand the "jam band" philosophy as i played in one for my entire college career. Fortunately for me i grew up and realized that noodling only gets you so far. Know your audience before you go making accusations buddy. Cheers.

[ericnorth]

Congrats, we're all very impressed! A real live musician whos tastes have evolved beyond our own. I'm not a fan of what people call "jam bands" either. This looks and sounds like rock and roll to me. Not the deepest or most complex shit ever, but a good tune, and certainly not directionless noodling.

[sk8nboomer900]

@ericnorth This is a jam band.

[friendofganja]

youre a noodle...bitch

[swampgrassmedia]

@blugrastooth accomplished and pompous....

"and I enjoy going onstage and improvising a guitar solo. Its the instant challenge of going against the laws of physics and the laws of gravity and playing something nobody ever heard before and nobody would dare to play. Thats what I like to do.~Zappa

[racoondalini]

@blugrastooth nick-le-back! nick-le-back! nick-le-back!

[pajasper]

@ericnorth Not sure how much is improvised. I have seen the song live dozens of times and the structure of that solo is essentially the same each time out. There are variations for sure.  And the thing scrambles my mind every time.

[phishdead]

We just a played a 4 night run with Hookah in Jamaica in March. Believe me, they know what there doing,

[friendofganja]

major douchage

[MrPeak111]

@blugrastooth im subscribing to your channel so that when you post something 1/50th of the quality of guitar playing that he does here, ill be the first to see it.!

[Metalgeekchic]

Utopia is any night or day with Hookah, no matter what form.

Even if it's just Eric fartin on a snare drum

[detroithookah]

these posts below were replies to some other folks posts. Not sure why they are at the top instead of connected to who I was replying to...

Oh well,

SHIT HAPPENS

what can U dew?

[detroithookah]

respond to some of these posts..music is not a contest unless its high school or American Idol or something and it certainly isn't a competition between band members. All members equally contribute to great bands such as hookah and if hookah isn't a perfect example of that being true I don't know what is..if anyone is disapointed that 10,000 plus people don't show up to hookaville etc. consider that band and fan interaction is the key to e,,,.all the fun without the hassles!

[jackpott40]

Hooookah!

Man these guys fing rock! The music && shows are amazing my husband && I saw them in Louisville, the New Year show, Hookahville XXX && in April are headed to "Hookah in the Hills"

If you do not know who Ekoostik Hookah is GET TO the experiance is great .!

Peace && Love ;-]

[elaurenta]

i miss star cat!!! T_T

[RyanJ1977]

I think I was at this show. I tripped my ass off at a hookah show at the newport in the mid 90s. It's funny watching people do the hippie dance at hookah shows.

[breal1977]

Sweeney is sick, Dave is great, Cliffy is the man, but god damn I miss Johnny and Ed, has not sounded the same since. Ed's creative song writing always gave my head a place to go on those long hookah nights.

[Euphoriaman]

i cant wait for their new years eve show!!!

[pajasper]

I miss Diamond Eddie though.

[Euphoriaman]

saw them last friday at the newport and seeing them again at hookah in the hills cant wait!!!!!

[idontknowwlol]

i wish i could play piano like dave katz =) he's a fantastic guy with a great attitude. i love this banddd

[mushroomherbs]

I just cannot get over how wonderfully mind blowing this song is!

[mushroomherbs]

Awesome song man!

[Euphoriaman]

love it!! need to go see them sometime :)

[buckeyeguy77]

i agree, i love hookah altogether but you cant tell me you can throw any guitarist in their and hookah would even be half of what it is now. Sweeney holds every song together

[buckeyeguy77]

ekoostik hookah would be nothing without sweeney

[ericnorth]

He's undoubtably a genious but everyone in the band it pretty talented. But I think what truly makes Hookah a great band is their songwriting, and Sweney doesn't do a whole lot of that.

[allforyouz]

@ericnorth Genius? bit much. I'd say he plays guitar.

[Omegapancakes]

has anyone else noticed that over the years hookahville has shrinked down from say 14000 attendies to 8000? hookah is crumbling.

[ericnorth]

I think the only times they've had near 14K were when Bob Weir and Ratdog came.

Also, a lot of people prefer the smaller more low-key hookavilles. The more people who show-up tends to increase the amount of hassles and bad attitudes. Theres a reason Hookah doesn't have coprporate sponsorship of Hookahville, or signed a record deal for that matter.

[Fluffyskunknuggs]

I like hookah i wouldn't be watching this if i didn't. However they have fallen off a little. Losing ed and johnny hurt the band. John Mullins is shaky as a front man. Almost half the songs that made the band as big as it was in it's golden age can't be played anymore. Hookahville is a secondary festival i mean that lineup wow! You may dissagree but it's my opinion. I guess what i want to know is has ekoostik hookah lasted through time?

[zebrahead07]

i agree the only other band on their lineup that actually caught my attention was Lotus.

[Omegapancakes]

Hookah is starting to sound all the same to me. Dave and John's writing style is just so similar it all just blends together. The thing was that with Ed there was alot of diversity.

[captaingraff]

hookah rox but anybody who says they are more talented and or "better" than Phish is a complete fool

You sound like a fool whoever you are

[detroithookah]

they are all excellent musicians and we all should just appreciate there talents and if anything be inspired to find our own talents because we all have them. Its really amazing what you find when you start to believe in yourself...

[crackyo6]

worst jam ever? yes

[themusefest]

This looks like it was a great show. What a nice stage setup... Hookah rules.

[detroithookah]

lets put it this way, if EH went fishing and caught a PHISH, my guess is that they would throw it back! PHISH does have a few good songs but there lyrics don't inspire me at all and HOOKAH has made me a BETTER MAN...PERIOD!

[HookahDancer]

Sweeny rocks my socks tehehe

[HookahDancer]

damn look at dave gettin down on piano! Hell yeah! Cant wait till Hookahville 29 wo0ot!!

[idyllharmony]

ahh, the good old days w/ed on rhythm

[everettwakefield]

Has phish weathered the test of time?

[generatrix999]

Phish sounds like a high school band compared to Hookah, who are way-tighter, better musicians. Phish has a younger fan base, the only reason they sell more tickets. I being a pro musician, would rather hear/see Hooka any-day. Maybe if I was 18 again I would feel more comfortable at a Phish concert.

[deludedinsanehippie]

Personally I love phish, but I have to admit that few to none can compare to EH. This is magic stuff here.

[KatsuGuitar]

Well thats nice that you are a pro musician with a very narrow minded opinion. I happen to be a professional musician myself, and I can tell you that these guys do not make phish seem like a high school band. Both bands are talented, very much so. If anything Phish influenced these guys.

[auxetatsunis]

Follow the next Hookah concert on K Tel (Sp?) I have seen em all since 89'-90' (?) suits me fine.

[tooweighmirror]

i love hookah but listen to the halloween show in '94 and you'll realize why hookah can't retain the fanbase that phish had trey is god not to take away from steve fuckin sweeney but phish could do more than throw distortion on and play scales the whole band was dynamic i love dave but paige destroys him on ivory. There's a reason phish sold 20,000 tickets at every show and hookah can't sell out the newport!

[auxetatsunis]

Hookah kicks the shit out that fairy Kevin Federline band. You probably live in in michigan and are excited about the big money phish made on their last concert. Yet Hookah is untouchable.

[ekoostik11]

Let me know when you see Trey or Jerry play guitar like that. These guys never fail to put on an amazing show.

[auxetatsunis]

yeah I don't know ???? what the hell is phish

[auxetatsunis]

whtevr

[thisisdopey]

Dave Katz is the man! Makes my heart swell!

[YurpleBliss]

This seems like the kind of thing that should be posted on our account rather than someone else's.... but this sure is a blast from the Yurple past.

[mnease]

Steve is too good for this band. I love seeing hookah, but he blows the rest of these guys out of the water.

[GreyGleamII]

I second that!!

[afrance101]

i agree with you, i like him with spikedrivers so much better, although i do respect the other guys in hookah

[hookahkiddy]

a place they call utopia, a place within the mind:o)

[dark420bishop]

Yes, they did good work on the New Years DVD

[Umberto2]

yes, Yurple Bliss! nice work, once again.