Touring
Slug credits most of the group's success to the large amount of touring the group does. In the early days, they once drove from Minneapolis to Dallas to play a show for $250.
During the @ It Again tour, Atmosphere was accompanied by a live band, with Nate Collis on guitar, Brett Johnson on bass guitar, Erick Anderson on keyboards and Patrick Armitage on drums. Armitage was replaced in late 2005 by Brian McLeod for the "Pour Me Another" tour. The live set-up brought a jazzy, more improvisational feel to Atmosphere's sound. Slug has said he wanted to play with a live band to add more of a challenge to performing live. Atmosphere has been playing with a live band since at least 2001.
Since the Paint Your City Gold series of "release parties" in support of When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, the live band has been re-rostered with Ant providing percussion as DJ, Nate Collis on guitar and back up vocals, Erick Anderson on keyboards and synthesisers and Mankwe Ndosi as the "human samples".
In spring 2009, Atmosphere embarked on the "When God Gives You Ugly" tour to celebrate the re-release of the 2002 album God Loves Ugly (which had been out of print) as well as their latest studio LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. Slug and Ant were accompanied by Attracted To Gods, P.O.S, Brother Ali, Eyedea and Abilities during the tour.
Read more about this topic: Atmosphere (music Group)