Wasi Townsend's voice has been described as a force of nature - earthy and airy, soft and wild. Like a breath of fresh air and the roar of the ocean. He's stepping out on his own after over 12 years with Houston bands Hueman and, most recently, Snowshoe and Lewis. Late night crowds are lured to Dean's in downtown Houston every Tuesday and Wednesday as Wasi opens the doors with emotionally charged acoustic versions of his original work, as well as some familiar covers. By night's end, Wasi's Songwriter's Workshop turns into an all out jam session with a regular parade of guest musicians. Delivering positive messages about the awesomeness of creation and the oneness of us all, Wasi proclaims - "I want to be larger than life, and then show people that we are all the same." The paradox of greatness wrapped in humility is a theme that spans his writings as he ponders the infinite limitlessness of our universe and our inherent fear of realizing our true selves. He is not your ordinary rock star, but he rocks nonetheless. His soon to be released EP is a breathtakingly rich musical odyssey. Wasi is currently applying his wizardly touch in his home studio on electrified versions of his acoustic work and a ceaseless stream of new creations. Take a peak at his Myspace page. Feel the elements - the seductive bass lines, stirring guitar melodies and passionate vocals - weave an exotic dream world, fusing rock, jazz and soul with a splash of hip hop. Come and listen to truly experience the sound of this humble musician's soul.
Zero Anataman has been a drifter in the music scene in Houston for over 10 years. Originally an award winning classical and jazz bassist, he moved to rock music as a singer for the band Eden in '99 after playing with his friends Jeff Short and Chris Balshaw, who would later become Anubis. With vocals compared to Cedric Bixler, Chris Cornell, Maynard Keenan, and Thome York he would pioneer a style mixing Soul, Indie, Metal, and Jazz. With the dissolution of Eden, Zero went on to hone his skills in audio engineering. Following in his father's footsteps he would go on to sharpen his teeth in not only the studio forum, but as a live engineer as well. Spending some time living in his vehicle Zero would start playing for world percussion troupes such as the International Hand Percussionists and World Music Night @ Brasil's. After a stint in that genre he moved into an unnamed indie rock project that would be shattered by a devastating accident. Zero's car wreck left his back broken in three places and his memory scattered into the winds of time. Piecing together what was left of his life he put out a flyer to find more work as a musician and was found by stepson of legendary guitarist Ken Valentino, Matt Ligrani. The two became immediate friends and formed the acoustic rock band Uroboros. Soon after, they would introduce good friend Chris Freeman (Innocuous, Nothing, All the Way to the Bank, Unicorns of Destruction, Dead Girls Don't Say No) and Matt Warren (Third Coast Dub) to form Endless Moment. As time went on, Zero and Matt went forward to form indie metal band Sitch. After much success and lot's of hardship, during which Zero played keys for local indie group Threnody, Sitch began winding down and an opportunity to be a front man for Fade In Fade Out opened up that caught Zero's attention. After much chaos associated with FIFO (now Without Bounds) Zero moved into downtown to play bass for a brief stint in The Brandon Thomas Band. During this time he was running a quickly waning Jam night every Tuesday @ Notsuoh w/ members of Helicopter Jones (The Ton Tons and Studemont Project), The Free Radicals, and Heptik Skeptic (Bam Its Kam) and he started migrating over to Dean's on Tuesdays. This allowed the chance for Zero and Wasi to meet and jam. Chemistry in the making, Hueman is the new home for Zero's bass playing, producing, and vocals. With the onset of new members to the group the band's sound is progressively moving forward as well as the potential for the production company to grow into a full on record label. Keep your ear to the ground for updates on the status of the evolution of Hueman.
~UPCOMING SHOW: Hueman will be at Dean's every Thursday, starting July 3rd. Special guests and other bands are TBA. Come show some love!
