Two Years and
Eighty-3 Feet
by Ryan Williams
Next Show: Sat, Jan 8 @ Emerson Theater
Listen: Airball (mp3)
It takes a certain charm to write a song that inspires members of the audience to either cheer enthusiastically or demand their money back from the venue. 83 Feet is the group with that certain charm, and the song in question is "I Hate." Singer/guitarist Josh McKinney says that while he is "in fact allergic to patchouli," the song's social commentary actually evolved from seeing a "brand new Volvo with leather seats that had two bumper stickers that said 'Meat Is Murder' (leather seats) and 'Capitalism Is Evil' (Volvo)."
You might expect such sentiments from a songwriter that mentions Frank Zappa in the band's bio, and indeed there are elements of that iconoclastic artist in the mix that is 83 Feet. The band doesn't really acknowledge any disparate influences in their music, preferring to just refer to it as "rock and roll." Still, there are some unusual elements. First and probably most prominent is the presence of trombonist Drew Darby - it's an unusual rock instrument, at least outside the realms of Fred Wesley and whatever wave of ska we're on now. The second is the music itself. McKinney , Darby, guitarist/vocalist Christian Desserich, bassist Mike Eicher, and drummer Joe Kubala combine to make music that has earned various monikers and influences, from Dave Matthews to Tool.
The band began two years ago, although all of the members trace their musical beginnings back to their childhood days. Desserich and Kubala trace their association back to the time when Desserich took piano lesson's from Kubala's mother. Desserich adds "We were in marching, concert and jazz band together, plus we played in our own rock band." Since their formation, the band managed to play the Vogue as finalists in the 2003 Benchmark Records Battle Of The Bands and release their debut CD "Winnemucca." With those two milestones accomplished, Darby says the band is now focusing on "writing more songs, building the fan base, and finding new clubs to play in and out of Indy."
83 Feet is taking a step towards building their fan base with an all-ages show at the Emerson on January 8th. Kubala says "We haven't focused on an under-age crowd, so it should be great to see how well we are received." Darby agrees, at least in principle. "Since there aren't many all-ages clubs around, that's one of the only places for drunk teenagers to see us. Hopefully, they'll like us as much as drunken adults do . . . to be clear, I do not condone sneaking beer into the Emerson. Leave it in your cars! Wait, that's worse . . ."
83 Feet played the Emerson in Indianapolis on January 8th, along with Transient Frank, Sonus Ventorium, Mantis, and Kevin Mohl & The Burning Sensation. The show starts at 7pm, and tickets are $7.
Related Links:
www.eightythreefeet.com
www.emersontheater.com
