Bockman celebrates communal music scene
Published May 1, 2007
Lindsay Eanet
Staff Writer
If you ask guitarist Tim Lloyd from The Doxies how his band received a spot on the bill for fellow Columbia rockers Bockman's CD release party, you might get an answer like this:
"We got some pictures of (Bockman guitarist) Sean (Canan) in some compromising positions," Lloyd said. "And we told him that we would release them if he would not let us play tonight."
Although Lloyd's statement was in jest, it does reflect the sense of community within the Columbia music scene, as well as the ability of the bands to joke around with one another.
Stingrays bassist Mark Siebenaler said this dynamic continues to amaze him.
"There's no animosity or competition between labels," Siebenaler said. "You have everybody lifting everyone higher. It's friendly competition. Bands push each other and kind of feed off each other, and I'm having fun."
Shannon Diaz of Shirrelle C. Limes and the Lemons is featured on a track on Bockman's new album and is recording her new album in Bockman bassist Wil Reeves's studio with his assistance.
"I have pretty positive things to say about the Columbia music scene," Diaz said. "I've been to a lot of different places on tour and seen what other music scenes were like. And there are a lot of really good ones out there, but I always still choose to go back to Columbia."
Diaz played a brief set as one-woman band Shirrelle C. Limes and the Lemons.
Stingrays, a garage-rock quartet featuring two former members of The Doxies, began its set with a raucous cover of Queens of the Stone Age's "No One Knows." With catchy melodies and an energetic stage show, the set got audience members out of their seats.
A three-piece session brass ensemble, known affectionately for the evening as "Barnacle Brass," played with the group on a few numbers.
Trumpeter Alex Baisch said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with several local bands.
"I love being able to play with as many different groups as possible without being tied down to one specific style of music or anything like that," Baisch said.
The Doxies played a raucous, energy-filled set of new material.
"We're not playing anything we've done before or that anyone has ever heard before," Lloyd said. "So as far as what we're doing tonight, we're just trying to gauge a reaction to what we're doing."
Bockman's set consisted mainly of new songs off Chasing Dragons, a series of emotionally charged arena-rock anthems.
Bassist Wil Reeves said he was thrilled to be able to showcase the new material.
"The songs are between one and three years old," Reeves said. "So it's stuff we've been working on for a while, and it's nice to finally get it out there."
Barnacle Brass joined the band on several songs for a fuller, symphonic sound. Two women, one on the violin and one on the cello, also took the stage.
"We had a couple people come in on certain songs, strings and horns, and just thought it was cool to get people involved," Reeves said.
In the middle of its set, Bockman threw in an energetic cover of The Cure's "Close To Me." The audience went wild, danced, flailed and turned The Blue Note into the location for an '80s music video that never happened.
"With our generation, people really respond to '80s songs," Canan said.
After "Close To Me," Bockman invited Diaz to join the band for the fiercely energetic "In a Cruel Morning."
"There are a lot of good bands in Columbia right now," Canan said. "I really feel like this town is blossoming as a music scene, more so now than ever."
Bockman ended its set with the exuberant jazz-funk blowout "Hello Mailbox," complete with the brass section playing solos throughout.
"There's so many great musicians in town, and it builds the community," Reeves said. "And tonight, it's just the more bands, the more people, the more fun."