Colorado’s home-grown funk band, The Motet is turning over a green new leaf.

They’ve been grooving since the late 90’s, throwing down at venues from dive bars to amphitheaters, getting funky from coast to coast. They just released their ninth album, Death or Devotion earlier this year and on July 12 they’re playing their fifth annual Red Rocks show, alongside Galactic.
 

And now, on top of all that, they’re dropping their own dank new strain of Colorado cannabis, which they hope Red Rocks is going to be full of come July.

“There should be plenty of Motet weed at the Motet Red Rocks show,” chuckles Parris Fleming, the band’s new trumpet player.

When The Clinic dispensary approached The Motet about teaming up to make a special cannabis strain, Fleming says it was the perfect opportunity. They’d already been playing with the idea, and The Clinic is known for their high-quality, award winning weed products.

“Everyone in the band is an avid weed consumer,” he says. “And the stars just happened to align with this partnership with The Clinic… We were just trying to get the best product out there, and The Clinic was very down and very happy to help us with that.”

So, Fleming, along with Ryan Jalbert (guitar) and Drew Sayers (saxophone) took a grow tour with Jay Price, the head breeder for The Bank (the grow operation that provides The Clinic with all their flower). The boys got to sample a variety of different strains, from which they were to choose the one that would become the Motet’s signature flower. They talked with Elevated Culture about the experience back in April.

 The guys tour The Bank's grow. From front to back: Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Drew Sayers (saxophone), Parris Fleming (trumpet). Photo courtesy of Nicole Castellano with the Clinic.

“I personally enjoy weed a ton so I took notes down on what each of the strains kind of made me feel and what it tasted like,” Fleming explains. “Then while we were on the road we talked it through and made sure that we were on the same page as far as what we were looking for and making sure that this strain represents what we want it to represent in us.”

After smoking several different samples, discussing, debating, contemplating the flavors and effects of each, the band made a decision and selected their strain: an Indica-leaning hybrid that would be dubbed, StarMatter 303.

 The band poses with Jay Price, The Bank's head breeder, surrounded by happy plants. Photo courtesy of Nicole Castellano with the Clinic.

The progeny of StarDawg Guava and 303 OG, this tasty dank is produced by The Bank, for The Motet and sold at The Clinic dispensaries. And it’s a hot crossbreed. StarMatter 303 has an earthy, kind of spicy funk to it, with some subtle but satisfying diesel undertones. But, importantly, it isn’t beefed up with any kind of unnecessary flavors — it just tastes like good weed. Which was exactly what the band intended.

“We're not trying to hide any of the weed taste or enhance it with any sort of fruit or anything like that,” Fleming says. “It's just good weed. Weed lovers will like it for sure.”

Concentrate cartridges of StarMatter 303 (made by The Lab) for Pax vape pens are available at The Clinic now, and the flower will be available in the coming months. The vape cartridge is a great way to get the unadulterated flavor of the strain, and it’s convenient as hell to get into concerts or to take with on hikes, bikes, or days chillin’ out on the creek. But the flower is Fleming’s favorite form of StarMatter 303 — if only because of he prefers to pack or roll his bud.  

“I love bongs,” Fleming confides. “But I do enjoy joints, too, and I actually just got a cannagar press this year which presses a quarter ounce into a cigar… joints are small sometimes so when you’ve got big groups people, a fat cigar full of weed is really nice.”

A fat cigar full of StarMatter 303 does sound really nice. And like the perfect thing to bring to the Motet’s upcoming Red Rocks show. What could pair better with a Motet concert than ripping a fatty full of their signature bud, at their annual Red Rocks show, and sharing it with your entire row?

It’s a dream that’s totally attainable. 

Tickets for this summer’s Red Rocks show are on sale now and selling out fast. The Motet will be co-headlining alongside Galactic (another dope jazz/jam band out of New Orleans) with Moon Hooch opening.