Band makes corner connections

They come out after dark, bringing music to an unsuspecting public on the corner of Sprague Avenue and Sullivan Road.

Joel Drexel, Neil Mendenhall and Travis Tveit, who make up the band Lysdexic, started playing there out of boredom about a year ago, and it soon turned into a regular jam session. Drexel plays guitar, Mendenhall plays bass, and Tveit beats on a drum set.

Stopped at the light, drivers and passengers are quick to react. Some grin, bop their heads, and even throw money. Others curse and call names.

Jeremy Vanorman, 16, who often joins in with his guitar and plays in a band called The Flappers, said, “I find it hilarious … getting yelled at by the stupid people who I never want to be like. They have no idea how funny it is. It is completely retarded, or something I heard in, like, fourth grade.”

The musicians have been egged, paintballed and, most recently, had an ice cream cone thrown at them. It hit Tveit and his drums.

“Instead of freaking out, he picked it up and started eating it,” said Drexel.

Still, the good far outnumber the “meanies,” making it worth it, they say. Compliments, smiles, gratitude and making a passing connection in a disconnected world motivate them.

“They love their music, and I always know where they are,” said Drexel’s mother, Terri Drexel. “Joel has always marched to his own beat. He’s his own person.”

Drexel has plans to go to college to produce and record music. The others have similar goals, the more immediate ones being to sell their CDs at Hastings and to find more venues to play.

In response to the guy who yelled, “Why don’t you play on a real stage like a real band, ya hippies,” the entertainers have this to say: “Thanks,” “Come again,” and “That’s the plan.”

Playing on the corner allows them to practice, learn to deal with a critical audience and inspire others to take similar chances.