Rock bands jumping at chances to perform at the Strand
Steve Talbert
NEWS Correspondent
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
From covers of the past to originals of the present, a wide range of rock music will resonate within the walls of the Strand Theatre in November.
On Friday at 8 p.m., Rule of Seven will be performing its heartfelt originals, along with a rousing rendition of The Doors’ "Roadhouse Blues."
On Nov. 28, the Time Bandits will "steal" favorites of the 1960s British rock invasion, when they perform their versions of songs from The Byrds, The Beatles, the Turtles and others. On Nov. 29, Dropclaw will bring an energetic edge to the stage with their takes on Rush, U2, Black Sabbath, Black Crowes and Poison. Special guest Faded Daze will open the show.
After watching Ede and Travis of the Cosmos perform at the Strand on Oct. 25, Andrew Hamilton, Tye Wade, Gerry Myers and Troy Wade can’t wait to perform at the Strand on Friday as Rule of Seven.
"The Strand is awesome," Tye Wade said. "The place is beautiful, and our fans will love it."
Originally called "Paradigm," the band changed its name to Rule of Seven when band members discovered that another group had trademarked the name. Hamilton and the Wade brothers grew up together in Shelby County, and they have many fond memories of Shelbyville. The three reunited after a seven-year separation, which is one of many reasons for the new name.
The theater holds special meaning for the three longtime friends because they watched "Jurassic Park," "The Matrix" and many other movies there when it was Cinema 3.
Rule of Seven will be releasing their newest CD at the concert, and the band will meet and greet attendees after the show.
"We want to say ‘thanks’ to our fans," Tye Wade said. "If it wasn’t for our fans, we wouldn’t be playing at the Strand."
Time Bandits will transport concert-goers to a bygone era when they perform at the Strand on Nov. 28. The band comprises Ed Jakad, drums and vocals; Val Muylle, guitar and vocals; Don Etchison, guitar and vocals; Francie Richard, vocals and keyboards; Dean MacNamara, bass guitar; and Laura Harmon, guitar and mandolin.
"While we play a variety of rock music from different time periods, we specialize in music of the British rock invasion era," Harmon said. "We perform music by the Dave Clark 5, the Who, Herman’s Hermits, Zombies, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, the Mamas and the Papas and many others."
Dropclaw, a 4-year-old rock band from Indianapolis, returns to the Strand on Nov. 29. After performing in bars and clubs around Indy, Mark Bailey, Dropclaw’s vocalist and guitarist, enjoys playing at Shelbyville’s intimate indoor concert venue.
"During our last show at the Strand, we were moved by the energy that we received from those attending the show," Bailey said. "We look forward to providing another energetic rock experience for Shelbyville at our upcoming performance."
Playing for a focused audience is new and refreshing experience for most bands who perform at the Strand.
"Our first show at the Strand was a blast," Bailey said. "Normally we play bars and clubs, where the crowd is often busy doing other things while you’re playing."
Dropclaw also features Paul Fielding on drums and R.J. Salewicz on bass guitar.
Rock concerts at the Strand are arranged and promoted by Joe Gaudin, owner of Smashed productions. All rock musicians perform at the Strand for free. Gaudin donates proceeds from ticket sales and concessions to the theatre’s restoration fund.
Gaudin gives each rock band a professional-quality DVD of their performance as payment for their contribution to The Strand.
"They can use the video to get other gigs, put on You Tube or whatever they’d like," Gaudin said. "The DVD costs more than they’d probably make if they played somewhere else for money."
