Sixteen years after Blues Travelers’ break into the mainstream with hit song “Run-Around,” the group is still running around the country on tour. The jam band will pause in Portsmouth on Saturday, July 24, to headline the 14th annual RedhookFest at the Redhook Ale Brewery in Pease Tradeport.

 

“Summers are nice, we enjoy doing touring,” said bassist Tad Kinchla. “We will be playing festivals and as much outside stuff as possible. We get through a good amount of the East Coast. We are all from Princeton (N.J.), so we feel somewhat at home when we are there.”

 

The Crash Kings, Rustic Overtones, and the Adam Ezra Group will precede Blues Traveler at the daylong festival of music, food and drink.

 

Kinchla said Blues Traveler plans to hit the studio in January to record new material and revisit some old songs for a box set the band hopes to release in 2012 for the 25th anniversary of its inception.

 

“Every time we go into the studio, we have a different process. We have open-ended expectations (for this trip into the studio) and want to try different styles. This (recording) will be on its own for style. A band only has one 25-year anniversary. We are still getting our heads around it. We want it to be notable and memorable,” he said.

 

Kinchla joined the band in 1999, five years after they had achieved fame with their 1994 album “Four,” after original bassist Bobby Sheehan died of an accidental drug overdose. Kinchla described the period as trying for everyone involved. His older brother, guitarist Chan Kinchla, had joined the group soon after its formation in 1987, so Tad had grown up with the band members and had a close relationship with Sheehan.

 

“Everyone was mourning the loss of a friend,” he said.

 

However, with its close-knit nature, Kinchla said the group was able to pull through.

“There is a family vibe to the band that helps maintain the philosophy of being tight and enjoying each other’s company that we’ve always had,” he said.

 

Kinchla was playing music in New York at the time of Sheehan’s death. He said he was at a crossroads in his life, with job offers outside of music. Blues Traveler was holding auditions for a new bassist and he decided to give it a shot.

 

“They basically gave us a song sheet and said to learn it and come play live with them. It was definitely one of the most nerve-wracking experiences, playing live on tour in front of an audience without ever having played with the group,” he said.

 

Kinchla said there was good chemistry and Blues Traveler decided to hire him. He came to the group from a three-piece band that he described as stylistically more syncopated and rhythmic, closer to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

 

“I didn’t want to come in and recreate Bobby’s playing,” he said. “I love it, but it was a different style. The band also wasn’t trying to recreate the same style. If they had wanted someone to just recreate Bobby’s notes, they would have hired a studio musician. They wanted to roll forward as a band.”

 

Keyboardist Ben Wilson followed Kinchla soon after, introducing another new dynamic to Blues Traveler.

 

“Bobby played like an organ, rolling in the background and establishing chords. With the keyboards, I didn’t have to roll as much on the bottom. The keys covered the chords. We complemented each other. I could add more melody and the keys could sustain the chordal movement of sound. Adding another lead instrument made us more spacious in the way we play, though we were a little jammed up at first and had to think our music through and find spots and timing where we all fit. It was a new sound for Blues Traveler,” he said.

 

He said the group had to learn how to deal with more instruments around the same range, with Wilson, Chan Kinchla and harmonica extraordinaire John Popper covering the high to mid range, while Tad Kinchla and the drummer Brendan Hill cover the lower range.

 

“I had to figure out when to lay things down on the bottom end with the drummer and focus on tightening up the rhythm section. Brendan is tight and has impeccable timing. It’s great when we settle into something that sets up a good platform for (the others) to play with.”

 

Kinchla said fans have remained supportive and loyal, undergoing the musical transition with the band, which has maintained its fundamental essence as an improvisational powerhouse. “When you hear us play, you know it’s Blues Traveler,” he said.

 

Kinchla said getting along and working well together are paramount to surviving through years on the road. 

 

“In the long haul, we need to have good relations to tour and make music as long as we have,” he said. “The sacrifices, like time with family, are not always great. You might find yourself stuck in a place and things don’t always go your way. But it’s a privilege to play together. I’d say the couple hours we get to play and interact with each other are the best part. It’s usually not the truck stops, that’s for sure.”

 

Kinchla said while many bands go on big tours with production companies and play the same show for months, Blues Traveler plays a different set every night, which benefits the band.

 

“I think (playing the same show) is harder as a musician. They are paid not to do anything past that. They aren’t paid to improvise and such. I think having the freedom to play what we want each night keeps us fresh and is rewarding,” he said.

 

Kinchla described the state of the music industry as “interesting.” He said Blues Traveler has not been alone in bouncing around between labels over its past few albums.

 

“I think searching for the best fit in recording and selling albums is emblematic of the state of the music industry. You want to feel compensated without feeling like you’re part of a machine,” he said.

 

Kinchla said he believes many artists’ downfall is trying to sell music they can’t recreate live. Although they’ve had some radio hits, Blues Traveler relies on the dedication of its live following. 

 

“The bottom line is, live performance will never die,” he said. “People are always going to want to see live performances. The more a band can hone its skills at performances the more longevity it will have. It’s about creating a unique experience people can see that they can’t get off an album.”

RedhookFest begins at 2 p.m. on July 24 at the Redhook Ale Brewery, 35 Corporate Drive, Pease International Tradeport, Portsmouth, 603-430-8600. Tickets are $20 in advance or $30 day of show, $5 for kids 12 and under. Visit www.hookfest.com.