| The Aquarium Rescue Unit's ever-rotating
lineup became a fixture on the early jam band scene, eventually
spawning members of the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh and Friends,
Leftover Salmon, and Frogwings. The band's fun fusion of bluegrass,
rock, Latin, jazz, and impeccable chops became a template for much
future work in the genre.
Growing out of a weekly Atlanta jam session hosted by the legendary
Col. Bruce Hampton, the Aquarium Rescue Unit performed around their
native Southeast with a rotating lineup before settling on the group
that would be heard on their two Capricorn Records releases in 1991
and 1993, respectively.
After recording their self-titled live debut in 1991, the band embarked
on the first two H.O.R.D.E. tours during the summers of 1992 and
1993, where they found musical compatriots with bands like Phish,
Blues Traveler, the Spin Doctors, and fellow Georgians Widespread
Panic. Cross-pollination was frequent, with members of the Unit
and other bands frequently appearing on-stage or in the studio with
their tourmates.
Though the band never officially broke up, over the next few years,
touring tapered off and the members went in different directions.
In early 2006, an almost complete original ARU line-up reunited
to play at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO.
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