It's Almost Here: Winter Werkout 2019!

Photo and article by: Michael Broerman

The third annual Winter Werkout is almost upon us, and just as the winter months bring heavy downfalls of snow, February 1 and 2 will bring a blizzard of jams to Columbus.

Once again, Dayton quartet The Werks will be taking over The Bluestone in Columbus for two nights of wall-to-wall jams.  This year’s headliners include electronic-improvisation duo EOTO (featuring Michael Travis and Jason Hann of The String Cheese Incident), producer and DJ Emancipator, Cleveland punky-reggae mainstay Tropidelic and multi-instrumentalist Zach Deputy, returning for yet another Winter Werkout.  But of course, the weekend would not be possible without two nights of The Werks.

But those are just the hard facts.  There is so much more going on at this year’s Winter Werkout than just the lineup.  The mere timing of the event itself is significant because of the impending release of the sixth studio album, Sonder, from The Werks.  

Just last week, the band released a three-song taster EP, Sonder (Encounters), featuring selections from the newest album, including the dancey single “Stars Collide” that the band has been playing on the road since the Werkout pre-party at Brother’s Drake in July; the ripping instrumental “Flatiron” that was debuted at the Werkers’ Union Christmas Party in December; and another brand-new instrumental “No Prisoners.”  

Given the impending nature of The Winter Werkout and the release of (Encounters), drummer Rob Chafin gave fans the scoop on the release for the rest of Sonder, saying in an Instagram post that the album will be released in three parts throughout 2019.  

While he didn’t give dates or even months for the rest of the album, each passing day brings the promise of new Werks tunes and, regardless of when the rest of the album is released, there is not a doubt in my mind that the guys will be ripping into plenty of new material when they hit the stage at the Bluestone.

 But a recent comment in The Werks Facebook fan page (The Werkers Union) from guitarist Chris Houser, saying that “were [sic] flexing our bust out game this tour guys… GET READY,” inspires a whole new slew of possibilities following the recent re-emergence of some old favorites on this tour including “Looking for the Light,” and “Inside A Dream.”

While no official schedule has been released as of the time of this article, ticket provider Eventbrite lists the acts performing on Friday night as: The Werks, Emancipator, Tropidelic, Consider The Source, Litz, PronToh, Ghost Gardens, and more.  

The artists listed for Saturday night are: The Werks, EOTO, Zach Deputy, Mom And Dad (ft. members of Dopapod), Any Colour (Pink Floyd Tribute), Bulls on Parade (Rage Against The Machine Tribute), Ghost Gardens, and more).

The Winter Werkout will once again take place at The Bluestone in Columbus, a 19th-century Baptist Church repurposed into a concert venue.  The original stained-glass windows will be audibly vibrating around the block from the buzz of bassist Jake Goldberg on February 1 and 2. Be there and don’t get left out in the cold.