It doesn't take long to hear that Blackstone Valley Crew means business. In
fact, the fuzzy power chords that kick off the band's sizzling new Ohana
pretty much tell the story right off the bat. (The title translates roughly to:
family who are not blood related.) It's a crackling hello, to be sure. I had a
chance to discuss the making of the album and its attendant activity with
founding member Josh.
Q: How was the recording process?
A: Recording was a huge ordeal. We were ready to record a couple of
different times and something major cut it off. Originally, we were ready as a
four-piece, and we wrote a bunch of songs for that. But then we added a DJ and
live drums, and wrote some songs with that lineup. Last December we planned to
start recording but our drummer quit with no warning. And so we had to cancel
everything. Then we added a second guitarist. The guy who we recruited to play
drums now was an original member of the band. So, really, we've been through a
lot of changes.
Q: But the core of the band has been constant?
A: We've been friends since high school or more. We've been friends so
long that new people who come into the band feel like outsiders. But even
though we had our original lineup again, we were back at the starting line
again. Plus, with six people's schedules to take into account, recording was
difficult.
Q: How do you feel about the new recording?
A: Besides recording issues, background noise, microphone bleeds, I
think it came out pretty well. The songs are better than the first record. We
matured, even though I hate to use that phrase. We write songs that are
actually about something instead of things like soda and strip clubs, like we
did on the last album.
Q: With so many different personalities, was it difficult to write
the songs for this album?
A: I look at bands like Shed or major bands on the radio and I wonder
how they write all the songs they do. I can't imagine writing all those songs
about "things." In BVC, no one has written an entire song. That's because the
three of us write our own words to each song, which we feel makes the final
product interesting. With different viewpoints, the song can end up being
serious, silly, whatever, all together.
Q: What about the band's live show?
A: When we got the live drums, the impact on the crowd really got a lot
better. It's huge. It's visual and it adds energy. The more people on stage,
the more energy the band has. We've got good stage presence.
Q: What sort of ideas do you have for the record release
party?
A: We definitely have some stuff going on that has never been done
live, so there will be some surprises. We'll probably bring back some old
songs. I'm hoping that based on all the different bands that we'll get some
action going onstage, too. The goal of the night was to book a family-style
show, where all the bands on the bill really knew each other -- SOC, Slugworth,
Kobalt. They've all been big supporters, so it was only natural that we all
come together for the night.
The lineup for BVC's record release party, which goes down this Saturday,
November 9 at Jarrod's Place in Attleboro, Massachusetts, features Masta Mindz,
SOC, Letdown, Kobalt, Slugworth, iLL NaTuReD, Precinct 13, Trauma Concept, the
Yukon MC with Warlok, Oak Loantree, and Keep the Change. Call (508)
222-8878.
MARY SMITH BENEFIT. You've heard it in this column before. You'll
probably hear it again. But Jack Smith is one of the great lost treasures of
our area. And hell, let's just call a spade a spade. He's one of the last
remaining vestiges of the original rockabilly era. That Jack is really
something. Have you heard him? He shares as much with guys like Carl Perkins
and early Elvis than anything of a more recent vintage. And that's OK with the
world of rockabilly, which reveres the tall quiet one like few other rockabilly
archetypes.
I met Jack for the first time when
he came to my house late one night
to personally drop off his latest CD, Cruel Red. I was surprised by
his hale stature, his quietly strong demeanor. When we got to talking about
music, he was encyclopedic, focused, proud. Rockabilly was more than just his
avocation, it was his life. He explained to me the meaning of true rockabilly,
the musical characteristics, the original artists, the way a preacher explains
the difference between heaven and hell. He is a dyed-in-the-wool rocker. He has
lived the part. He has always loved his music. He's a proud purveyor of it --
perhaps the last true flamekeeper of the style in our area.
Well, Jack's wife Mary, who has been with him for a long, long time, is
seriously ill, and has been for several years. To assist the couple on the
occasion of Mary's illness, their friends, lots of them from the musical
sphere, have organized a benefit to help pay for Mary's care. The
benefit/tribute will take place at Stepping Stone Ranch in West Greenwich, long
the town Jack has called home, on Sunday (the 10th). The bill features guitar
great Bill Kirchen, current and former members of Jack Smith and the
Rock-A-Billy Planet, Sugar Ray Norcia, and a whole bunch of other great musical
guests. The proceedings will begin at 3 and end 'round 8 p.m.; admission is
$10. Food and drink will, of course, be available.
According to Brian Bishop, Darryl and Heidi Waldron have recently renovated
Stepping Stone's large dance hall, known as the "People Barn," adding heat and
even (gasp!) flush toilets. And while certain signature events taking place at
the Ranch have moved on to other pastures, Stepping Stone itself is updating
its image with the hope of recapturing the rootsy cache it had so completely
through the years. It would be great to show support for the venue, for local
music, for rockabilly, for Jack and his band, for Mary Smith. So many reasons,
so little time to truly have fun.
POWERHOUSE. PowerHouse is set to release their second CD, Exotic
Dancer, tonight (Thursday, the 7th). The band's planning a large-scale
production at JR's Bourbon Street Rock House in the Mardi Gras complex. The
party starts at 7 p.m. and Wayward One Productions will be shooting a live
video for the band to commemorate the event. Al Monti and company have a great
blues-rock thing going and it should be quite a night, with a special event
flair. I'll be reporting on the album when I get a chance, too.
E-mail me with your music news at big.daddy1@cox.net.
Issue Date: November 8 - 14, 2002
