Founding member of The Main Squeeze, Ben Silverstein, compared his band’s influences to a “melting pot,” but the post-funk and soul rockers have at least one love in common: hip hop.
Almost exactly six years after performing a Jay Z and Kanye tribute show as one of its first gigs, The Main Squeeze will return to the Bluebird stage Thursday.
The band, which released its sophomore album “Mind Your Head” in late 2015, was born in Bloomington. Each of its five members attended IU at one point.
“We’ve been playing Little 5 weekend for the past six years probably,” Silverstein said.
When The Main Squeeze started out, its members came from a variety of musical backgrounds, he said.
Silverstein was big into jam bands and funk, and guitarist Max Newman was influenced by guitar rock like Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
Drummer Reuben Gingrich came from a jazz background, vocalist Corey Frye brought an old school R&B sound, and the newest member of the group, bassist Rob Walker, has a gospel influence.
“While our influences are definitely more old school, we’re definitely bridging the gap to new school and starting to combine a bunch of different styles,” Silverstein said.
The Main Squeeze’s music is a modern spin on funk, he said. Despite being a “melting pot,” the band also finds common ground in taste.
“We love a lot of the same music as well, so it’s been cool to meet up in certain genres,” he said.
Silverstein and Newman were the band’s first members. Silverstein said he met Frye completely at random as a freshman after sneaking into a bar.
He got up on stage during the performers’ set break and played “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder on piano while Frye sang. Eventually The Main Squeeze needed a new vocalist, and Frye filled the gap.
After building a large following in Bloomington, playing huge shows at the Bluebird and touring regionally, Silverstein said the band started to realize it had reached its college town potential.
“We actually got to the point where we didn’t think there was anywhere to go from where we were in Bloomington,” he said.
The band first relocated to Chicago and now Los Angeles, and Silverstein said he’s even aiming to tour their next album in Europe.
“We think they would love it a lot over there,” he said.
Though the funk and soul influence is still heavy in the band’s new music, he said the songwriting isn’t totally geared towards funk.
“All our songs will still be funky, but there’s not as many funk songs, so to say, on our new record,” he said.
Despite their ever-growing popularity, Silverstein said The Main Squeeze always loves to come back to Bloomington to see old friends and hangouts.
“I’ll probably get some deep dish at Mother Bear’s, and that’ll probably be the highlight,” he said.
