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That's a 'Good Question'

The end of the semester is fast approaching, and what better way to start studying for finals than a concert stocked with ample kegs?

Local band Good Question kicks off Dead Day Eve with a show at the Mat Bevel Institute tomorrow night. Marking one of the first times the venue has served alcohol, the Nimbus Brewing Co.'s beer will be featured.

Featuring a blend of rock, jazz and funk, Good Question has been playing at a plethora of venues around Tucson over the past year, but their roots go much farther back.

Drummer Aaron Dubois, a media arts junior, met guitarist/vocalist Andy Tenn in Los Angeles when the two were in the third grade. "I got my first drum set the day he got his first guitar," Dubois said. "We both started from scratch and matched each other's artistic levels and tastes."

During his freshman year at the UA, Dubois and guitarist/vocalist Jeff Toffoli lived together in the dorms and soon convinced Tenn to move to Tucson. Bassist Ryan Porter completed the group when they responded to his classified ad for a "jam band."

"We are very improvisational. Our songs change every time we play them," said Dubois of Good Question's unique style. Their original songs feature heavy bass lines with melodic guitar riffs and lots of drum involvement.

"Some of our influences are obvious, but we add a lot of funk to jam-oriented music," Porter said. The Grateful Dead and Phish are among the bands that have affected Good Question, but in their covers they like to include tunes by the Beastie Boys and James Brown.

As a bassist, Porter said musicians like Victor Wooten and Phil Lesh have had a great impact on him. "They had ridiculous speed and their melodies were unheard of. They took their instruments to a whole other level with constant innovation," he said.

Over the last year, Good Question has performed at Spring Fling, Fall Crawl and they opened for nationally touring band Galactic this past May.

Though they have not signed with any labels yet, the band released their first CD on Halloween. The eponymous album is available for purchase at all of Good Question's concerts. In the coming months, the band hopes to extend their audience base outside of Tucson by performing shows in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Southern California. Porter, originally from Maryland, looks forward to touring the East Coast with the band this summer.