Samples, Big Wu jam at Axis

Veterans of the music business since 1987, The Samples have remained true to their own style of music, a blend of soothing melodies and thoughtful lyrics. Their sound is mellow and peaceful, yet a little sappy, combining elements of rock, pop, folk and reggae. \nDrawing a sizable crowd to Axis Nightclub, 419 N. Walnut St., Monday night, The Samples played a set that covered the span of their lengthy career.\nThe show started slow with older, mellower tunes like "Nature" and "Indiana." While they played, pictures of flowers and fields were projected on a screen behind them, complementing Sean Kelly's environmentally friendly lyrics. Throughout the show, the screen showed other random images, including old band photos and scenes from "This Is Spinal Tap." \n"It's good to be back in the only state you care to write a song about," said Kelly after performing "Indiana."\nThe crowd appreciated the comment, and the tempo of the show picked up with livelier tunes like "Taking Us Home" and "Save It for a Rainy Day," a reggae style jam off their newest release Return to Earth. "Taking Us Home" featured a pounding drum intro by Sam Young and Rob Somers playing a twelve-string acoustic guitar.\nA highlight of the set was Neil Young's "Harvest," performed by Alex Matson on keyboard and Andy Sheldon on acoustic guitar and vocals. \nBefore singing the tune, Sheldon encouraged audience members to get close for the "Canadian dance song."\nTo close the set, The Samples played "Did You Ever Look So Nice?" This was by far their most energetic tune. Sheldon's bassline provided a more danceable beat while the other band members took more time to solo and draw off the crowd's energy. \nUnfortunately, once the band had injected enough oomph into a song to really get the crowd moving, their set was over. While the crowd responded well, chanting "Samples" as the band left the stage, the band simply warmed up the crowd for a high-powered set by The Big Wu. \nHailing from Minneapolis, The Big Wu is a rock band that has found itself in the "jam band" category. But what makes them unique is each member's ability to write great songs.\nTheir songs have fun, sing-along lyrics and catchy melodies that dance through your head long after the tune is over. Pick up a copy of their latest release, Folktales, and you'll hear rock, calypso, country, ska and even a pop-ballad.\nLike most jam bands, their music is best heard live, and fans of the jam were not disappointed Monday when the Big Wu took the stage at Axis. With more than 50 original songs to their credit, The Big Wu had no problem filling their set with Wu classics and few covers.\nThe show opened with the upbeat, jumpy song aptly titled "Kangaroo," off the band's debut release Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub. Swarms of fans swirled across the dance floor, stopping their groove only momentarily to applaud a solo.\nThe band kept up the tempo with a rendition of "Dancing with Lula," which ended with all five band members singing at the end. \nDuring the next few songs, keyboardist Al Oikari shined, his fingers flying across the various keyboards that surrounded him. With his eyes closed during jams, he flowed seamlessly from piano to organ, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. He also played the harmonica for several songs, including "Gibson Girl" and "Half Past One," a hoedown so jumpin' it would raise the roof off your grandma's barn.\nA cover of the Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones" highlighted the relationship between singer/guitarist Chris Castino and Oikari, who often play off each other during jams. Castino said the two share a sort of "kinship" with each other.\nThe band continued to build the tempo of their music and brought the audience with them. Songs like "House of Wu" and "Red Sky" featured extended jams not found on the studio versions, making each the performance unique.\nFor their encore, the band played another Dead tune, "Mexicali Blues," and the original "Minnesota Moon," penned in honor of their home state.\nToward the end of the show, the crowd thinned, but the music only got better. \n"I saw them play before 20,000 people, and now I see them play before this crowd," said sophomore Justin Corey. "The intensity level is the same"