After meeting at a weekly open mic session in Columbus, Ohio in 1991, songwriter John Mullins and his friends keyboardist Dave Katz, bassist Cliff Starbuck, and lead guitarist Steve Sweney formed ekoostik hookah and recorded their debut record UNDER FULL SAIL. When drummer Eric Lanese joined the ensemble in 1993, they succeeded in putting Ohio on the jam band map with relentless touring and a sound reminiscent of the Grateful Dead at their most energized. Self-releasing all of their albums and headlining their own festivals (including the popular biannual Hookahville festival in rural Ohio), ekoostik hookah proudly exist outside the mainstream music industry and remain one of the most vital units on the jam band circuit.