The Who Meets Harry Potter

Princeton resident Lo Faber, the former frontman for jam band God Street Wine, brings Henry’s House to Asbury Park.

By: Susan Van Dongen
   Somewhere on this planet, like maybe Latvia or Nunavut, Supertramp is still touring and progressive rock lives.
   For those who missed it, this distinctive music enjoyed its heyday in the mid-1970s. Groups like Yes, Genesis and Supertramp crafted epics about giant hogweed plants and "topographic oceans." The cerebral story lines were offset by virtuoso solos and elaborate instrumental jams in complex time signatures, all of which was worshipped by loyal fans but disdained by critics as self-indulgent and bloated.

"The
The Lo Faber Band will bring progressive rock to the famed Stone Pony in Asbury Park, Oct. 26.

   The stripped-down sound and raw emotions of punk rock (and the cheapness of record companies) put the kibosh on the progressive era. Every once in a while, however, a new generation of musicians pay tribute to those bygone days of 20-minute songs and art by Roger Dean.
   Princeton native Lo Faber may not remember when vinyl albums came with posters inside their double-gate sleeves, but he has come to appreciate some of the best music from that era.
   "Early Genesis has been a big influence," says Mr. Faber, 35. "I never really got into them when I was younger, but I recently bought ‘Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ and ‘Selling England by the Pound’ and have been listening to them a lot."
   The former guitarist and principal songwriter for the seminal jam band God Street Wine has written and recorded Henry’s House, the "first jam band rock opera," which he’ll be taking on the road with a new collection of jam band all-stars. The Lo Faber Band will make a rare local appearance at the famed Stone Pony in Asbury Park, Oct. 26.
   The Village Voice perfectly described Henry’s House
as "the Who meets Harry Potter." A concept album harking back to the days of
Tommy and Quadrophenia, Henry’s House blends 24 original songs
into a musical tale of heroic, magical children. With a nod to literary influences
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, the story is sophisticated and whimsical.
   "I wanted to come up with something that would interest adults on one level and kids in a whole other way," says Mr. Faber, speaking from his home studio in rural upstate New York.
   Henry’s House is the story of eight boys and girls who get sent away to an abandoned summer house in the woods when their homeland comes under attack. Like Harry Potter, Henry discovers he has hidden magical powers and only he can save the rest of the children and their parents.

"Mr.
Mr.


Faber’s rock opera album, Henry’s House, is a musical tale of heroic, magical
children.

   Experimenting with analog synthesizers and rich vocal arrangements, Henry’s House re-creates the scope of classic Pink Floyd albums, laced with the eccentric humor of Apostrophe-era Frank Zappa and the thoughtful musicality of early Genesis.
   "This is the album I always wanted to make with God Street Wine," he says. "But GSW went the major-label route, and there was pressure to make commercial-sounding music. Looking back, we would have been happier had we emphasized more of what was unique about ourselves. I wanted to do something that was ‘me’ all the way with this project."
   With a professional bluegrass mandolinist for a mother, Mr. Faber’s musical life was probably predestined. She started him off at age 10 with banjo lessons, graduating to guitar, bass and piano. Mr. Faber played in bands throughout high school and college, but left higher education to form GSW in 1988.
   Backed by the Geffen and Mercury labels, GSW toured constantly for 11 years, becoming — along with Phish and the Dave Matthews Band — part of a generation of jam bands that established a strong fan base through their exhilarating live shows.
   To stage the production he envisions for Henry’s House, Mr. Faber hopes to bring in some folks with theatrical as well as musical knowledge.
   "I would love to something different, but I know nothing
about theatrical production," he says. "We’ve been doing some GSW tunes and
then we’ll play blocks of Henry’s House segued together to give people
an idea of the overall concept. It’s been working out great, we’ve had a really
good response."
   The driving, overall sound of the songs and seamless quality of the album is thanks largely to LFB’s masterful rhythm section — guitarist Todd Pasternack, bassist Tom Pirozzi and drummer Ted Marotta.
   "That’s part of our Steely Dan influence," Mr. Faber says. "Ted and Tom played together for 10 years in Ominous Seapods. I love that they have such a tight sound."
   Mr. Faber also drafted his friend Angela Ford, an operatic soprano, to top out the lush harmonies.
   Who knows? Henry’s House could spark a new generation of concept albums, light shows and characters wearing bat-wing headdresses on-stage (see Peter Gabriel-era Genesis). Right now, the future for Lo Faber includes more touring, with dates being added constantly.
   "It’s a brand-new band, and although a handful of people know me from GSW, we want to build up a new fan base," he says. "I just want to keep us out there playing live and winning people over."
The Lo Faber Band plays The Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park, Oct.
26, at approximately 10:30 p.m. (doors 8 p.m.). Tickets cost $8 advance, $10
day of show. For information, call (732) 502-0600. The Stone Pony on the Web:
www.stoneponyonline.com.
Lo Faber Band on the Web: www.lofaber.com