Rock on Rocking the Riverfront

Twelve teen bands will compete to be named Spokane’s top garage band Saturday during BOBfest at Riverfront Park.

Former BOBfest competitor No Cover will open the event at 1 p.m., with the competition starting at 1:45. After the competition, Eloi, the 2004 BOBfest winner, will play while votes are tallied.

The winning band will be announced at 7.

The BOBfest 2004 CD featuring an original single from each band will be on sale during the contest. Other activities during BOBfest will include tie-dying, hemp-jewelry making and tattoo art.

The competitors:

Haphazard

Haphazard is a new, bluegrass-inspired rock band that will bring a slightly different type of rock to BOBfest this year.

The band, which formed in March, includes Shaw Leach, 18, a home-schooler; John Malek, 17, and Lane Morgan, 17, both from Gonzaga Prep and Mark Burgard, 16, from University.

After uniting, the four vigorously searched the dictionary to find the perfect name. Haphazard seemed to fit.

“Everything we’ve ever done has been thrown together,” Burgard said.

The members of Haphazard claim several musical influences, including Tool, Phish, Dave Matthews, Poncho Sanchez and Michael Jackson.

To create the bluegrass-rock sound, the band features some not-so-common instruments for a high-school band. While Leach, who sings and plays guitar, and Burgard, who plays drums, provide the basics, Malek plays the mandolin and fiddle and Morgan adds percussion.

The band will grace BOBfest as a first-time contender and plans to perform original songs.

The group performed at the University talent show and will play BOBfest for the first time.

After BOBfest, the group hopes to make a CD.

Intermission

Intermission is a three-piece, alternative-rock band from Lake City High School.

Intermission is comprised of Cory Howard, 17, Ian McNeely, 16, and Brian Burke, 18. Howard fronts the band with guitar and lead vocals while McNeely strums the bass and Burke plays drums.

This rock band began with Howard and Burke jamming together last fall. After playing a few coffee-shop shows as a duo, they decided to find another member. Last February, McNeely turned up to be the guy they wanted, adding a twinge of funk to the group’s sound.

The trio’s influences include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beatles and the Eagles.

With the lineup complete, Intermission took first place at the Lake City High School Battle of the Bands last March. Since then, the group also played a few local shows at the Detour and the Songbird Theater.

Now the band plans to go against the top high school bands of the Northwest at BOBfest, where Intermission will play all original songs. After BOBfest, the group hopes to release a CD and hit the road for a tour in August. (lily ko)

Milestone

Those of you who have seen this band in the past may want to take a second look. With a new sound, a new name and a new member, Milestone, formerly “Cuz’n,” has transformed.

A cover band in the past, Milestone now writes its own songs.

“We have 10 originals that we’ve written over the last six months,” said Riley Long, a Lewis and Clark freshman and Milestone’s drummer. “We don’t especially like playing covers.”

The group’s name, Milestone, marks other turning points as well.

“It marks when we transferred from pop music to rock,” Riley said. “That was a big step.”

This transition involved some changes on Milestone’s part. Curran Long, a Lewis and Clark freshman and former keyboarder, now plays lead guitar. Cole Tanner, also from Lewis and Clark, was recently introduced into the band as a bassist.

Who does this band idolize? Pat O’Neill, a Ferris freshman and Milestone’s vocalist, identifies the band’s influences as Nirvana, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zepplin, Myles Kennedy and the Mayfield 4.

“All these artists had passion,” O’Neill said. “We want to as well.”

Can Milestone’s passion help set it apart from competitors? It took second in popularity at BOBfest two years ago and performed at venues like the Met and First Night Spokane.

The band is working on a CD, which should be done this summer.

Hijacked Royalty

It may be easy for some bands to define their music, but Hijacked Royalty is different than most.

“We’re original,” said Ryan Ehrmantrout, the band’s vocalist. “Our music is hard to describe.”

The group’s bassist, Joe Haeger, agreed. “It ranges from soft stuff like Radiohead to harder rock like Incubus,” he said.

The fact that the group’s members have trouble describing their music doesn’t mean they don’t have the talent to pull it off. Hijacked Royalty has played at such venues as The Detour, Club Soda and BOBfest 2003.

But for those familiar with the band’s previous BOBfest performance should expect something different this time. “We’ve changed a lot from the musical style we were back then,” Ehrmantrout said.

The group’s makeup has stayed the same. Joining Haeger and Ehrmantrout are Ryan Emery on drums and Brad Terry on guitar. All the band members attend Mead.

The band’s name has no hidden meaning or special significance, Haeger said. “I thought it sounded cool, so we used it,” Haeger said.

Does Hijacked Royalty plan to turn out a CD soon? Maybe is the group’s best answer.

“We’re just waiting for an opportunity to make a new one,” Haeger said.

Three’s a Crowd

Mike Hartanob and Brian Johnson, both 16, stepped up to the McDonald’s counter with a special order in mind —fries “with a little love.”

Surprisingly, it was not the fries but the person serving them who made the McDonald’s visit memorable. Cody LaBelle, 18, soon joined Hartanob and Johnson to form the emo-punk band Three’s a Crowd. The name fit, said one band member, even though “three really isn’t a crowd.”

Now, three months after the group’s McDonald’s genesis, the band has 10 songs in the works for its first album. The members, all Mt. Spokane students, draw on Starting Line, Finch and newer Blink 182 for musical influence.

Though new to BOBfest, Three’s a Crowd has performed at Mt. Spokane’s coffee house, the Market Street Market, and, most recently, at Bloomsday.

While Three’s a Crowd is still young, its band members are looking long-term, beyond BOBfest to the group’s future musical careers. Their motto, after all, is “Life’s a fire, keep burning.”

Angry Mushroom Tribe

A few misheard words can make a big difference, as members of the Angry Mushroom Tribe have learned.

While listening to a song about pizza by System of a Down, someone in the then-unnamed band heard the lyric “olives, mushrooms, chives” — but thought he heard “angry mushroom tribe.”

The indie-alternative band had found its name.

Eighteen-year olds-Forrest Copeland and Ryan McMahon of Lewis and Clark, along with Jake Sullivan of Gonzaga Prep, had played together before Angry Mushroom Tribe as part of Malfunction and performed third last year at BOBfest. While Malfunction, now called Somrilhi, is still together, for more than a year band members also have played with former Lewis and Clark student Evan Burgad, also 18, as the Angry Mushroom Tribe.

This band is “in a totally different direction from Malfunction,” Copeland said, with influences that include Modest Mouse and Radiohead. While they are not recording now, they have performed recently at Lewis and Clark’s May Week. Copeland said “the band will probably end when we go to college in the fall,” but the band members will most likely continue playing individually or with other groups.

Thalamos

Progressive rockers Thalamos are back for another shot at the BOBfest crown.

Armed with experience and new songs, the members of Thalamos are looking to improve upon last-year’s third place finish and people’s choice award.

Band members Jack Mountjoy and James Miller, both 17, and Bryson Nitta and Jacob Nevernier, both 16, have spent the past year developing their progressive style and performing at venues such as the Detour, Club Soda and Fat Tuesday’s. They also recently put out a full-length album.

The music from these Gonzaga Prep students reflects the influence of an array of bands from Radiohead and the Icelandic band Sigur Ros to Peter Gabriel.

But even more ancient than Gabriel is the source of the band’s name. “Thalamos” is an ancient Greek word meaning “inner core,” an idea the band members try to express through the music.

For Years Blue

For Years Blue is gradually becoming a well-established member of the Spokane music scene.

Rocking at venues such as the Detour, Club Soda, and just recently The Big Easy, this group of five high schoolers includes Marcus Ourada and Will Giardino, both of Ferris, as well as Kyle Musslewhite, Erik Walters and Mac Smith, all from Lewis and Clark.

With influences that include Incubus, Radiohead, Cold Play and Minus the Bear, this group of musicians plays a blend of alternative rock.

The band competed at BOBfest last year with the name Hubris Youth.

Work on a CD will begin this summer.

The Agitators

With original lyrics about social protest that cause agitation and challenge authority, The Agitators are destined to be a hit at BOBfest 2004.

This quartet is made up of Ferris student Will Giardino, Lewis and Clark student Brynna Murray, Washington State University student Jacob Jones and Eastern Washington University student Jeremy Rouse.

Inspiration streams from groups such as Toots and the Maytals, Burning Spear and Bob Marley. The group plays a type of music one member described as “mostly reggae with a mix of blues and folk.”

This will be the band’s first BOBfest appearance, but The Agitators already have played shows in Moscow, Omak, Cheney and various locations around Spokane. The Agitators have produced two CDs, “Arise!” and “Struggle.” The group plans to record its third album this month.

Dimercaprol

The dictionary defines dimercaprol as an antidote given for heavy metal poisoning. It’s the perfect name for a band whose members describe their sound as “rock infused with some punk metal and grunge influences.”

Dimercaprol includes Rogers students Greg Collin and Adam Burk, Mt. Spokane student Shawn Towry and high school graduate James Arnold.

The band’s major musical influences include Alice In Chains, NOFX and White Zombie.

While the band currently plays all original music, members are looking to play some classic covers in the near future.

Although this is the group’s first BOBfest appearance, Dimercaprol has performed at the Detour and Club Soda, as well as spent many hours playing in the basement.

With one demo CD already released, these musicians currently are working on two new albums, one that is completely acoustic and one that is a full production.

Killianne Knerr, the band’s manager, said listeners should expect something different when they hear Dimercaprol at BOBfest.

“Give us a chance,” Knerr said. “It’s OK to try new things.”

The Big Wang Theory

Breaking through the garage band cliché and rocking out at BOBfest this year are basement rockers The Big Wang Theory.

With influences ranging from Van Halen to good old AC/DC, The Big Wang Theory should rock the BOBfest stage this year with all the energy of the group’s favorite big-haired bands.

The band’s members include Adam Brock, Allen Crow, Max Shellabarger, who all go to Cheney, and Vinnie Nickeloff, who goes to Cheney Middle School.

Wide-Eyed Wonder

One band that has been around the block for awhile is the unique Wide-Eyed Wonder.

The group has played locally at the Detour and Club Soda and even traveled to Portland to play.

Band members include Jeremy Deaton, who plays guitar, Mike Uhlencott, who plays bass, both of Spokane Falls Community College, Luke Sedler, who sings vocals, of Ferris, Luke Anderson, a home-schooler who plays drums. The group will be rocking the BOBfest stage for the first time this year.

The group describes its sound as an original, unique rock that can’t be classified by a particular genre. The band plays all its own music. In fact, the band’s name comes from the lyrics in one of lead singer Deaton’s songs.

Wide-Eyed Wonder is working on a demo that should be out soon.