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Three’s a crowd, and when you bring together the three extremely talented musicians of Huge World Project, a crowd is exactly what you’ll get.
Only a little over a year old, the band has been rapidly increasing their fan base thanks to their artistic combination of lyrics with hip hop beats, reggae bass lines and classic ripping electric guitar.
The locally-formed band is scheduled to play at 4 p.m. on Friday as the opening act for the Main Stage of the Black Swamp Arts Festival.
‘It’s the biggest show of the year in this town,’ said Tony Papa, who is not only the founder of the band but also the guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter. ‘I’m pretty psyched about it.’
Through Huge World Project, Papa has created a genre-bending band that encompasses many different musical influences, allowing for an ‘organic, new experience’ every time they play, he said.
The best way to describe Huge World Project’s music is eclectic, according to bass player, Mohom.
Their songs have a little something for everyone.
Combine folk and rock music, add some funk and bluegrass, top it off with a bit of jazz and blues, and occasionally add a touch of sitar for good measure, and you have the music of Huge World Project.
Their across-the-board style is amplified in the band’s name, which comes, in part, from the idea that the world is a huge place with lots of musical influences, Papa said.
The 32-year-old Papa toured nationally with the Milwaukee-based band, Freshwater Collins, before he decided to return to Bowling Green in 2003 and start his own three-piece band.
He found his perfect trio while working at BG Music and Sound, where he met the current members of the band, Elijah Vasquez and Mohom.
Vasquez, a University jazz studies graduate, plays the drums and performs backup vocals for the band. Papa met the 24-year-old Vasquez while he was part of the band, La Revancha.
‘I was just blown away by him,’ Papa said. ‘He’s an amazing drummer.’
Mohom, 29, plays bass and occasionally the sitar, a classical string instrument from India.
He also works as a repairman and technician at BG Music and Sound along with Papa, who teaches guitar lessons at the shop.
In March, the band released their first CD, ‘The [Breakup] Album,’ which will be on sale during their show at the festival.
The album is a limited-edition, as future versions of the album will be slightly different, Papa said.
Huge World Project can also be seen playing at both Howard’s Club H and Nate ‘amp; Wally’s Fish Bowl on a frequent basis.
For more information about their show schedule visit their Web site at www.hugeworldproject.com.
