Over the summer, my good friend and local prog rock hero Daniel Graham shared some exciting news with me. He had helped book a show with 3.2 featuring Robert Berry, the last musical project in which legendary keyboardist and singer Keith Emerson was involved prior to his untimely passing in 2016. Graham has been a huge proponent of the progressive and experimental scene in Atlanta through his yearly festival PROGnosis. His passion for promoting the genre caught the attention of 3.2, enough for them to add an Atlanta stop on their current U.S. tour. His band, Great Wide Nothing, along with fellow locals Story of a Life, were selected as the opening acts, a huge honor for these aspiring groups to rub elbows with a prog rock legend.

Having worked with Graham on local band promotion, he asked me if I would lend my ears for the show on October 27th at Decatur’s Vista Room. As I hadn’t yet seen Great Wide Nothing perform live or visited the venue, I accepted the invite. Seeing Robert Berry was just an added perk to checking out what the Atlanta prog scene has to offer.

Upon arriving at the Vista Room, I snagged a seat at the bar as all of the tables were reserved. The air was heavy with anticipation for the music to come. When Great Wide Nothing took to the stage, the venue was already half full with active listeners aching for their fix of prog rock, and the group did not disappoint. Featuring just three musicians—bassist and vocalist Daniel Graham, keyboardist Dylan Porper, and drummer Jeff Matthews—the band created a complex and captivating soundscape. The lack of a lead guitarist, aside from a few riffs added in certain songs by Graham, made their set fairly bass heavy, but not in a manner that felt overwhelming. Porper held down the melodies very well while Graham and Matthews kept a solid rhythm. Over the course of their set, the band took the audience on a spellbinding journey with everyone’s gaze focused on the trio.

It was refreshing to see an audience willing to cease all side conversations and allow the room to fill with music, especially from an opening act. Great Wide Nothing submerged my ears in waves of canorous bliss with each song transitioning dynamically between relaxing and rousing moments. The threesome are still relatively fresh as a band but have already made significant strides in opening for 3.2 featuring Robert Berry. I hope to see this band flourish and continue to expose younger listeners to prog rock. This iconic genre may have dwindled from the mainstream but I believe it can still find a niche amongst the more open-minded youth of today.

Great Wide Nothing will perform on Sun., Nov. 17 at PROGnosis 2019 at Connect Live in Woodstock, GA. Doors open at 2 p.m. Admission is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. All ages.

More Info
Bandcamp: greatwidenothing.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @greatwidenothingatl
Instagram: @greatwidenothingatl
Twitter: @gwnatl