Dear Prudence never sounded so good…

It was last Thursday and it was the psychedelic electronic jam band called Green Lemon at Rascal’s that covered that popular Beatle’s tune. Strobe-lights and all.

A crowd of about 50 tie-dye wearing, twenty-something people turned up for the Pink Floyd-esque band.

Brad Lautenschlager, a junior at Winona State University studying recreation and tourism, thought it was the best show he’s seen in Winona.

“My favorite song would be Flight of Manwe,” Lautenschlager said. “Their sound is an electric Phish-y perpetual groove jam band with a very unique sound.”

He said that his friends from Ft. Collins, Col., first turned him on to Green Lemon.

“It was really cool that Rascal’s was able to book such a tight show,” Lautenschlager said.

Some of the other songs on the set list included For Them, Love, Red Alert, Dirty Weather, and White Cap.

Green Lemon formed in 1999 in the Midwestern suburban town of Edmond, Okla., and then moved out to Ft. Collins, Col., in 2001 to “pursue their futures.”

“Shoestring,” their follow-up album to the 2003 self-titled “Green Lemon,” was released in 2004 with rave reviews.

The band members are Wayne Allen on guitar and vocals, Jesse Fioravanti on bass and vocals, Chris Cox on percussions, Jon Cordero on the keys and vocals and Steve Schaben on guitar and vocals.

Schaben said his music is inspired by jazz musician John Scofield, but also mentioned U2, Death Cab for Cutie and David Gilmore.

“Classification [of our music] is a bit unnecessary,” Schaben said in telephone interview the following day. “Technically, we’re in a box of a lot of genres.”

In a tired and scratchy voice, Schaben said he had just woken up because they partied in Winona until 6 a.m. The phone call was at 4:30 p.m.  

“I really liked it [in Winona], there’s good support for live music,” Schaben said.

Recently dubbed the “New Home Grown Band of 2004” by Leeway’s Home Grown Music Network and listed as one of the “Top Bands to See Live in 2005” by JamBase.com, their reggae influenced sound is getting nation-wide attention.

For more information about Green Lemon visit their web site at www.greenlemonband.com.