As beer-based bands float in and out of bars
and touring groups ride luxury buses into town, a group of local
melody-makers ride a wave of their own excitement, unfettered by
the trappings of your average music-business philosophy.
Leading the Springfield pack of these
nonchalant go-getters is the band Resident Genius. This group of
indie rockers invented itself in the summer of 2002, went
three-piece for a while, and returned to a two-guitar/bass/drum
setup. The band’s songs range from angry to pretty (often
within a verse, always within a song) and are rock-danceable, with
the lyrics generally social oriented. “Accelerator,”
the new EP to be released this Saturday, is the band’s first
excursion into personal relationships.
Says Jason Perry, singer, guitarist, and
songwriter for the band: “It’s a bit of a departure for
us as there is no political/social commentary within the three
[songs]. The “Accelerator” CD is about love and
loss.” Guest artists include Perry’s 14-year-old
neighbor Tim Reynolds on trumpet and Tim Moore, drummer for JACK,
on piano.
Also in the works for Resident Genius is a
springtime CD release on Thick Records, a popular and important
Chicago-based label, with political activist and author Howard
Zinn. “I got the idea from a recording by punk band Bad
Religion and Noam Chomsky,” Perry says. “I grew up on
that stuff.” Along with the six songs by Resident Genius,
including guest vocals by Jeff Williams of NIL8 and Robbie Kording of the Timmys, Zinn
offers a reading from his works.
Saturday’s event features other
highlights of the Springfield independent-rock movement: Members of
the Gunga Dins, now calling themselves A Dashing Bold Adventure,
will reunite. Park frontman Ladd Mitchell performs a rare solo
show. High-school band Electric Snow makes its public debut. Even
in Blackouts, an acoustic punk band headed by John Pierson,
formerly of legendary Chicago punk group Screeching Weasel, adds a
vintage aspect to the show. And the best part: The all-ages show is
being presented in a smoke-free venue in downtown Springfield.
Come experience Resident Genius, Even in
Blackouts, Ladd Mitchell, A Dashing Bold Adventure, and Electric
Snow at Andiamo!, 204 S. Sixth St. (217-523-3262), on Saturday, Jan. 29. The all-ages
show begins at 7:30 p.m. and costs $5.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2005.
