Justin A. Hinkley has written about Battle Creek area music for the Battle Creek Enquirer since late 2006. He is also a musician himself. Call him at 269-966-0698 or e-mail him.
Above is an interview and song from the Grand Rapids-based Hopeless Heroes, who I interviewed this week and who will be featured in this week's WOW.
The most interesting part for me of our long and friendly talk last week was when the musicians spoke of the fraternal bond each felt with their band mates. A musician myself, that rang true to my heart.
Normally, here I normally would have a long and winded rant on the meaning behind the band's motivations, but I have already written that spiel. There's no need to go into it again.
Among my favorite lines from my conversation last week with the four guys of DUNKTANK is this, from
bassist Jamie Denison:
"We like to be heavy, but we still like girls at the shows."
It reminds me of this line I think was attributed to Journey guitarist Neal Schon that said something like, "Selling out is just another word for success."
That quote came from "The Big Book of Rock," which I lost somewhere ... Probably when I was sleeping in my car ...
Anyway, I don't think Denison and his band mates — or more specifically their hook-driven, groove heavy style of rock — reminds me of that quote because they're sellouts. But they do fall into that category of salable (both to bar audiences and possibly CD stores) music where they might find criticism from both sides.
Some of the harder bands might criticize them for copping out to radio-friendly pop rock (which they aren't), and abandoning the very heavy noise of what many consider rock purity. On the other end of the spectrum, the lighter bands might call them out for delving into the primal noise.
But, as Schon said, there's nothing wrong with trying to find a balance that's radio-friendly. That's called career planning. And I've learned to believe that music can be both a passionate endeavor and a job. Really, that's the hope.
But more importantly is this line, from guitarist Rob Seth:
"We grew up listening to music that was on the radio, so that's what we write."
And that's more important. The music DUNKTANK plays is important and carries meaning and fun to each of the members of DUNKTANK. And no rattle call of criticism should make them give that up.
Above is an interview with DUNKTANK, a Kalamazoo band who will be featured in this week's WOW. More on this band later. There will also be more on the show they'll play Friday at Planet Rock. It's a massive show meant to find new talent, and hosted by Mistress Juliya, of FUSE TV. More on this later, also, but for now, here's a flier below.
Below is streaming audio of 17 minutes of tonight's dueling pianos show at Gary Fields Comedy Club.
Sample of Jan. 20 dueling piano show at Gary Fields':
The dueling pianos are now the regular Tuesday night entertainment at Gary's, replacing the Gary Fields Comedy Club Blues Band.
Audience participation was the name of the game tonight as the two players (I didn't catch their names) asked for screams and shouts from the crowd (small as it was tonight) and took request after request. And the pair playing tonight — on a pair of electronic keyboards hooked into some docking station that made it look like a two-sided grand piano — were able to play almost anything thrown before them on small slips of paper. My favorite request (featured in the audio sample) is "Why Don't We Just Do It in the Road?" from The Beatles' "White Album."
Remember Taproot? Well, they're coming to Planet Rock at the end of this month.
This is from a story that will run on 1A on Thursday:
After three major label albums, Taproot guitarist Mike DeWolf said the band now is “taking back control.”
When the Ann Arbor-based quartet released its fourth album, “Our Long Road Home,” it did so in partnership with management firm Velvet Hammer Music instead of with industry giant Atlantic Records. Working without the big label allows for more creative and management freedom.
DeWolf said it was the band’s way of — as told in Track One on “Long Road” — walking the
“Path Less Taken.”
“That song really sums up the theme of what we’re doing right now,” the guitarist said. “We’re taking back control and paving our own road. It’s a new way to try to do what we do.”
The band was formed by DeWolf and vocalist-guitarist Stephen Richards in 1997 and broke onto the MTV, radio and big tour scene with 2000’s “Poem,” from the album “Gift.” With heavily melodic, chunky-guitar, soaring-vocal alt-rock songs, Taproot found fame.
DeWolf said “Gift” and Taproot’s two other Atlantic releases (2002’s “Welcome” and 2005’s “Blue-Sky Research”) were recorded at stressful paces in far away places.
But the group — rounded out by bassist Phil Lipscomb and drummer Jarred Montague (Nick Fredell is drumming on tour while Montague stays home with family) — recorded “Long Road” at The Loft in Ann Arbor, with producer Tim Patalan. DeWolf said it was “a really cool process, completely different than how it was done on previous albums.
“They used to pack us up and move us out to California, and we’d move into an apartment and work 10, 12 hours a day writing and recording,” DeWolf said. “This was a different kind of pace, where we could be close to our families.”
We are a new Band in Battle Creek. We are a cover Band but have just as
many originals too. We are called "Tobawah" let me help, it's like Todd
but with a B, "Tob"- a - wah. The Band is named after the guitar player
Todd Calkins, or Tobby. Let me introduce you, Todd Calkins on guitar,
Kenny Frey on Bass, Travis Marshall on drums and Dave Belote is the
lead singer. We started out playing just because we liked getting
together and having a good time. Then we played at the Endzone lounge
at Nottkes bowl with no advertisement and packed the place, so we have
been booked at places ever since. We have only been together for about
8 months now. Todd Calkins is an area electrician, and Kenny Frey is a
carpenter, Travis Marshall owns Otter's Oaiss, with his father Dennis
Marshall, and Dave Belote is the Tooling Manager at a powder metal
company in Fort Custer. We have a show coming up at The Eagles across
from M-66 Bowling Alley Friday, Jan. 30th at 9:30. This show is open to
the public, no cover charge, open to 18 and over. Check out our website
on myspace. com/tobawah to see some of what we play. Come check us out on the 30th if you can. ~Tobawah~
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