On Feb. 1, in Syracuse, Juice blew the roof off Funk N’ Waffles. While other acts were excellent, Juice’s unique style and energy stole the show. The band is comprised of seven members. On guitar are Daniel Moss, Michael Ricciardulli and Kamau Burton. Rami El-Abidin plays bass, Miles Clyatt is on drums, Christian Rose is on electric violin, and Ben Stevens is on vocals. Burton also provides vocal support with Rose, who is known for his rapping.
The band classifies itself as a blend of rock, pop and hip-hop influences. The deep sound provided by a plethora of instruments makes for an unforgettable live experience. The real question is, how did all of these different musicians decide to form a band?
“Freshman year, it all kind of happened by chance,” Stevens said. “None of us are music majors, but we all just met through different classes and social circles.”
The seven Boston College students started playing together and realized they had something special. They decided to play a battle of the bands and won. This was just the beginning for them.
The first album for Juice was self titled and came out in 2016. One of the best achievements for Juice members was when they won the $20,000 grand prize at the 2016 Land The Big Gig Competition at Summeriest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The band also opened up for DNCE at Summerfest in 2017.
“That was crazy. It didn’t even seem real,” El-Abdin said. “You think you’d be super nervous, but as soon as I got on stage, it felt totally awesome, just looking out at the crowd you think, am I really here right now?”
Currently the band is touring the East Coast and gaining traction.
While listening to Juice’s recorded music is still a treat, it does not compare to seeing them live. On Thursday, the band, unfortunately missing Burton, was electrifying. The fun that the band has on stage diffuses seamlessly into the crowd.
“Especially in a room like this when there is such great energy, you get a rush of blood to your face,” Rose said. “You see all your boys on stage just ripping it and you can’t help but to smile.”
Each member of the band showcases their talents with expert solos that get the audience going wild. In the band’s cover of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger,” Moss shredded on the guitar. The versatility to transform a rap song into an intense guitar solo boasts the talent of the group.
“A lot of the emotion that we have on stage is contributed by the fact that we switch it up every night,” Moss said. “I think a lot of the happiness and emotional reactions on stage are us just reacting to something we’ve never heard before.”
The drums also get the crowd moving. The steady style of Clyatt helps the audience know when to bob their heads and tap their toes.
“I listen to a lot of jam bands even though we don’t classify ourselves as one,” Clyatt said. “But philosophically, I like that looseness and mentality of just having fun with it and letting stuff happen.”
One of the many exciting things about Juice is audiences never know who is going to solo next. The capabilities of every band-mate is second to none. This feeds into the enlightening chemistry on stage.
“I can rip a solo; you can rip a solo; we all can do that,” said guitarist Mike Ricciardulli. “You start to feel the music a little more as time goes on together because there is an inherent energy on stage and you want to contribute to that more than anything.”
Contributions were made by all members of the band. Stevens’ soulful and charming voice shocked listeners’ ear drums with intensity. He sings his riffs so naturally and freely that it sends chills down the spines of concert-goers.
This, paired with the sleek and clean rapping of Rose, kept the material fresh at all times. Rose can crush a violin solo, spit bars and harmonize all in the span of five minutes. This kind of prowess is a spectacle on stage.
“Sometimes you’ll be sitting in the car with them driving from place to place and forget that they aren’t just your friends,” Stevens said. “Then you remember they are all virtuosos at what they do, and I am so fortunate to be surrounded by those guys.”
If listeners want to hear a fresh style with an empowering stage presence, look no further. The Juice is loose, and it is only the beginning. Juice is releasing a new single on Feb. 16 named “Sugar.” When talking to the band members, almost all of them said “Sugar” was their favorite song.
Photo: Nick Nicosia | The Oswegonian
