Huntertones, a band formed by Ohio State students, returns to Columbus for a concert at the Lincoln Theatre Oct. 9. Photo Credit: Dan White.
Formed in an Ohio State dorm room years ago, the jazz-funk group Huntertones has returned to downtown Columbus for a homecoming concert Friday at 8 p.m. at the historic Lincoln Theatre.?
After creating the band as Ohio State students, Huntertones built a following through house shows and campus events before moving to New York to launch professional music careers. Now, the group is returning to Columbus to headline the theater where it once played as an opening act.
“It means the world,” bandleader and saxophonist Dan White said. “Columbus is a very special place for us.”
When White and his band members were students at Ohio State, they lived in the Baker West residence hall before moving into an apartment on Hunter Avenue. Those cramped spaces eventually turned into the birthplace of the band.
“The house shows started off small,” White said. “We used each show as an opportunity to try out new music.”?
Jon Lampley, trumpet and sousaphone player said he remembers the days as a student as a period of ambition, when him and the other band members were constantly trying to figure out who they wanted to be as artists. In fact, right before moving to New York, the group opened for the band Snarky Puppy at the same Lincoln Theatre.?
“I remember that show being a highlight for us and also thinking ‘It’d be really cool to headline this venue someday,’” Lampley said. “It feels great to be able to make that desire a reality.”
Over the years, the musicians have traded college jam sessions for professional careers, traveling the world and touring with stadium acts like O.A.R. Despite their packed schedules and stadium stages, they still maintained their tight-knit chemistry.?
“The amount of hours spent together in the studio and onstage is really something special,” White said. “Through those experiences we have grown closer as people so much so that we’re able to mind meld and lock in when we take the stage.”?
White said fans heading to the upcoming show can expect to hear a heavy amount of new material from the band’s latest record, “Transmission,” which leans into an unfiltered studio vibe.?
“We set up microphones in a big room and played together without polishing and tweaking every little thing,” White said.?
That energy carries over into their live sets, anchored by Lampley’s distinct brass style.?
“My goal every time I get to play the sousaphone is [to] try to make it sound as fun as the instrument looks,” Lampley said.?
Huntertones will perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. Students looking to catch the homecoming show will have a chance for a $20 to $25 discount on tickets by using the promo code HTstudent.?
Tickets are available through the CAPA Ticket Center or Natalie’s Grandview for the Huntertones album release show in Columbus.?
