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With its authentic brand of neo-psychedelic rock and penchant for improvisational sets, Reading based band of brothers Flux Capacitor has been on the rise. Named the Tri-State Indie Jam Band of the Year in 2013 and 2015 and with credits including stints at Peach Music Festival and an upcoming appearance at Bonnaroo, Flux built quite a resume. Non-stop touring took them throughout the U.S. and into Europe, but they have an affinity for Wilkes-Barre.
The trio of Pete Specht on guitar, Jason Specht on drums and Mike Specht on keyboards, brings a high energy jam session to Northeastern Pennsylvania when they pass through. This time, they come bearing tribute. Flux will perform at 10 p.m. Feb. 13 at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains. The band is slated for three sets, one of which will be David Bowie’s entire album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.”
Drummer Jason Specht said he and his brothers appreciate the support they’ve found in the Wyoming Valley.
“We’ve been coming to Wilkes-Barre once every two or three months for about three years,” Specht said. “We love it there. It’s like our second home. We have such a good time every time we play there. We love River Street. We did that May Day Festival. We like to come up there as much as possible, and it’s just like another base for us.”
That base, Specht said, became a place so comfortable and familiar for Flux they are always thinking about a way to give fans a good show. The band started a Christmas tradition of covering an entire album six years ago. They’ve treated fans to The Doors’ debut effort, Jimi Hendrix’s “Axis/Bold As Love,” The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and Pink Floyd’s “Meddle.” 2015’s holiday show featured Ziggy Stardust, and after a well received Doors set, the band decided River Street would be a good place to celebrate Bowie again.
“After we had played and it went amazingly, we were up at River Street playing … and we thought, ‘We just did it, why don’t we do it one more time while it’s still fresh?’” Specht said. “That was a Saturday night, and on Tuesday, we found out that David Bowie had passed away. It was so crazy. It was definitely a weird, surreal experience … and we thought, ‘This was definitely meant to be.’”
Along with a loyal following of fans who Specht said do a lot to spread Flux’s music in Northeastern Pennsylvania, playing in the region has led to business relationships. Forty Fort native Tom Moran promotes Flux through his company, TPM Music.
“They’re really original, and they have an interesting kind of jam,” Moran said. “There’s nobody else doing that style. It’s kind of jam with a little of the Seattle scene in it. Now that they’ve started doing three part harmonies, they’re growing so well. Plus the commitment, how nice they are … the whole package is really good. I think they’re the hottest original band on the jam scene.”
The band’s upcoming performance at Bonnaroo will be another big step in gaining exposure, Moran said.
“We are beyond stoked,” Specht said of Bonnaroo. “We’re so excited right now. We’ve got a little bit to go, but we’re already trying to figure out our plans for the whole weekend. It’s definitely the most epic thing we’ve ever planned on doing so far. I don’t want to say it like we’ve already done it, but it’s hard to believe. It’s totally where we want to be and where we feel like we should be, but it’s crazy to see our name with Pearl Jam and Dead & Company. We’re on the bill with them, and it’s mind blowing.”
In addition to Bonnaroo, Scranton’s Peach Festival is an event Flux hopes to play for a third time this year.
“It’s one of the best experiences we’ve had and we love it,” Specht said.
Flux is currently in the studio laying down drum tracks for a new album.
“We’re not sure exactly when this can be expected, but it’s definitely happening right now, so we’re really excited about that too,” he said.
