Music flowed off the low green stage with a slippery aura. It resonated off the wood-stained low-set tables that told the tales of pilsners come and gone. The sound had a forceful tone, ricocheting around the room as it hit the patrons of Goose Island Brewery with a jolting affect. Such is the muscle of Zmick. Their sound — loose and free-flowing at times, jarring and precise at others — can seriously mess with your head. In the best way possible of course. With this sound comes the knowledge that you are hearing a mechanized unit, tightened over time. I’m not even talking about the tightness that bands can develop through long practice sessions in a damp, darkly-lit basement. Zmick’s tightness can’t be taught. It’s the compact cohesiveness that sticks out and cues you in that the four musicians are a polished act, bred on jam-band likes of Phish and Umphrey’s McGee, with a definitive edge that sets them apart. The four-piece band (guitar, bass, keys, drums) seems to have signified the essentials needed to rock out in today’s neo-hippie jam band age. The usual aura created within the jam-band circuit often leaves me unsatisfied — a longing for a more concrete sound amidst the wobbly pentatonic shredding. Many jam-bands have used this looseness to delve into bluegrass, prog-rock, and other various genres, yet it’s the availability of so many directions that often leads bands down the inevitable path of uncertainty. Zmick seems to have taken the path less traveled. The Chicago-based band, who have developed a significant following in Urbana, Illinois through regular gigs at the famed Canopy Club, have carved out a fascinating niche: Improvisational rock with an eye for detail, without compromising their user-friendly sound. With the hops of hometown brew slowly entering my bloodstream, the tunes started emanating from the billiards-style emerald felt that enveloped the stage, and Zmick’s aura began to take form. “Stay A Little While Longer” — which followed a lively opener, “Blue Bassa” — began as a reggae-infused riff, heavy on the dosage of bass guitar courtesy of classically eccentric bassist Dan Wonsover. A barbershop quartet chorus gave way to a building guitar solo draped in sheer power. Guitarist Brad Miller seemed to bend the notes of the solo in his mind, as his open-mouthed, Trey Anastasio-esque demeanor suggested a sheer amusement for his own craft. Naturally, the beer at a microbrewery like Goose Island has the power to draw someone from the comfortable confines of their table back up to the long plank of wood that laymen refer to as the bar. Luckily for me, my alcoholic intuition drew me in the right direction. As Zmick entered into a improvisational jam of sorts, which they refer to as “Pockets” segueing into “Ophelia”, I happened to glance over to the left of the bar and caught Kris Myers, drummer for Umphrey’s McGee, enjoying a lager in a back booth while bobbing his head in approving fashion. I’m no psychologist, but I’ve watched enough Dr. Phil to imagine Zmick’s drummer, Kris Ahrens, would have been a tad nervous had he known Meyers was in the crowd. Thankfully for Ahrens and the rest of the band, they were unaware of Meyer’s presence and raged on through “Pocket”. The paradox of bands that fall under the “jam” category is whether or not to take them seriously. While many display profound musical abilities, their choice of musical “scene” leaves questions to be answered. Make your way to a handful of festivals during the summer months, once abandoned rural patches of green grass, now infested with crushed beer cans and roaches (not the insect), and you shall notice a collection of bands and fans who have taken one too many nitrous cartridges in their day. Not to say these bands aren’t talented. Hell, Phish are as musically talented as it gets, but even Trey Anastasio can’t help dabbling. Point being, the smiles and good times emanating from many jam bands seems chemically induced. I don’t get that feeling from Zmick in the least bit. The band members’ smiles during catchy, single-friendly tunes like “Apt. 54” and “Bring it Back” seemed natural, easy to come by, and thankfully genuine. Miller and Wonsover’s co- front-men dynamic works to perfection, while Ahrens and keyboardist Mike Donato provide the color. Bottom line: Zmick is for real. Other highlights from the Goose Island gig included Zmick’s impersonation of a British classic-rock band, with charged renditions of Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung” and the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black”. It’s not 1972, but the foursome’s attempt at these classics was superb. Ear-splitting guitar riffs courtesy of Miller interlaced with tepid strokes of the keyboard by Donato make for the perfect combination. Maybe it was the band’s smiles infectiously entering my brain, or perhaps it was the liters of beer in my stomach talking, but as I braved Chicago’s winter cold and hopped in a cab, myself and my cohorts for the evening could do nothing but sit back, laugh, and ask our cabbie “So buddy, are we on Cash Cab or what?” I guess Zmick just makes you wanna party.