You're holding the edge of a patchwork parachute, waving it up and down while spinning in a circle.
No, you're not in elementary school gym class. You're at an Icy Core of Jupiter show.
The band, which hails from Tempe, is mixing up the local music scene with the creativity of its live performances. Each time the group performs, it incorporates new, crazy elements that keep the audience always guessing what will come next.
For the show featuring the parachute, lead lyricist Jessy Meeker says he and his girlfriend sewed the multicolored pieces of fabric together. "The idea came from the blanket of thoughts we're all entangled in every second of our lives," Meeker says, strumming idly on a guitar spray-painted with planets.
Meeker, an inter-media senior, played solo on the streets of Tempe before joining with bassist Jeff Haye and percussionist Miguel Quijada about six months ago. Derek Leiss, a sophomore who wails on the saxophone and smacks an African bongo drum, is the band's newest member.
During live shows, the audience is invited to participate in the creative process. Fans pick up stray instruments, like a washboard and a broken tambourine, contributing to the band's improvisation.
"Sometimes we have a lot of jamming," Meeker says. "What we do depends on the vibe of the show - whatever is in the stars."
Each performance contains a special element, from slideshows to someone in a cardboard clock costume dancing around the stage.
"Everything we do, we try and keep it fresh," Meeker says.
Icy Core of Jupiter blends an acid-jam-rock sound with lyrics that dwell on profound matters of existence. But Meeker says he doesn't dwell on the band's future. "Good things come our way because we like to throw good things [like positive energy] out to others," Meeker says.
The members live together in a house filled with eclectic objects, including coasters depicting kama sutra positions and a bowling pin in the bathroom. The house's menagerie reflects the band's originality and aversion to conforming to a "normal" style of living.
Although one home-recorded CD is available, people will need to go see a show to experience the band's music. The members have no plans to professionally record a CD, Meeker says.
"Or you can come to our house and listen to us jam," Quijada adds.
The band's practice room - which they have dubbed "The Jovian Lounge"- changes daily, mirroring the constant evolution of the band's music.
"It's new-age soul," Haye says.
Meeker chimes in. "It's the music of the future," he says.
Reach the reporter at: leah.duran@asu.edu.
