Get ready to groove

Combine Hawaiian slack guitar with echos of the Grateful Dead and Phish and what have you got--Something Different. Playing all over California, Something Different calls Humboldt County home.

Ryan Cassidy and Mark Philipp grooving with Something Different. photo by Jennifer McFerrin

All five members moved to Humboldt County to attend Humboldt State University. "The funny thing is that we didn't form a band until '97, in Humboldt County," said guitarist Ryan Cassidy. "Erin moved up here, in '93 and we all eventually followed."

Ryan and Erin Cassidy are identical twin brothers who have been playing together for 11 years. When they were in the third grade they met one of thier future band members but had no idea of this at the time. In the seventh grade the three came upon Mark Phillipp, who then several years later, introduced them to Kevin Kotaka while attending junior college in Stockton. They were friends, hanging out in spare time, but not until they moved to Humboldt did the idea of forming a band come into play.

The members of the band each have a unique way of playing and performing with their particular instruments, allowing each member to stand out. Ryan Cassidy plays the guitar, and has been working on his keyboard skills. Erin Cassidy plays the drums; Russ Morgan also plays the guitar. Kevin Kotaka is on bass, and rounding out the group is Mark Phillipp on percussion.

Something Different has been influenced by many musicians and music styles including Frank Zappa, Hawaiian slack key, Jerry Garcia, Pink Floyd, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden. The origin of the their name comes from the mix of all varieties of music and therefore becomes, "Something Different."

"Our music is slackadelic," Ryan Cassidy said, explaining the title of their first album, Slackadelic. "It is Hawaiian slack key mixed with psychedelic funk." He said of the improvisational music the band plays. "The slack key coming from Kevin and his Hawaiian background."

Going with the flow is what the band is all about when it comes to the live performances, being very big on improvisation.

Something Different has a website posted at www.mp3.com/something different, making

Something Different jams at Hempfest 2000 in Redwood Park. photo by Jennifer McFerrin

the band an international hit.

"We have had over half a million listeners from our website," Erin Cassidy explained excitedly. "All of our money comes from our downloads from our listeners online."

"We are huge in Japan," Ryan Cassidy told of his reputation overseas. "Something like 11 or 13 percent of our listeners come from there."

"We are big on KMUD," Ryan Cassidy said of the local radio station. "They play our CD all the time, especially during their block session."

The group recently returned from Southern California, where they played in San Diego and Los Angeles. The group has no problem keeping busy; they are trying to make their name as big in the U.S. as it is in other countries across the globe on the internet. Something Different has been entertaining all over Humboldt County for four years now. The year 2000 brought a fourth performance at the Humboldt Hemp Festival and a performance at the Mateel Community Center for the KMUD Halloween Boogy for the first time.

"Two of our guys moved back home to Stockton," Erin Cassidy said during a phone interview. "It is hard now that Russ and Mark have left, if they can't make it up here for a show we end up playing with three guys."

Whether it is the full five- or the three-man band of Something Different you are always in for an exciting show and it is guaranteed that you will never see the same performance twice. With a mixture of styles they are sure to keep you jammin' well into the night.