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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1998)
iday • April 17, 1998 The Battalion ■ ' G IELIFE browin' down the blues ,ocal band prepares for upcoming shows, CD recording By April Towery Staff writer ) ften musicians find it hard to describe their own music. Throwaway People, however, has no problem summing it up. "It’s like a big funk peanut butter and jelly sand- ch,” drummer Sam Pulley, a senior mechanical engi- Hg major, said. The band is a six-piece blues-rock group influenced every musician from Beethoven to Duran Duran to as’ own Stevie Ray Vaughan. : driving force behind Throwaway People is lead er and guitarist Craig Hanna, who graduated last Eer with a degree in geography. "Playing guitar is kind of its own religion for me,” inna said. “I’ve taken everything we’ve ever written !h( another level.” The band formed as a trio two years ago with Han- ,bass player Lara Abrams and a drummer. “Then we met Sam, and we thought he was cute,” ima said. Be trio met trumpet player Mark Oakland at a Tex aco station, and he introduced them to saxophone player Jason Whiteman. Then the group met key boardist Steve Savitski at a blues jam, and thus the Throwaway People we know today was born. Abrams, a senior environmental design major, said she is honored to play with such talented musicians. “As for being a woman in the band, I guess the best thing is that there are always five sexy guys around to wait on my every whim ... just kidding,” she said. “But really, I hardly ever have to carry any equipment be cause these guys are total gentlemen.” Abrams has had to deal with the stereotype of being one of the few local female musicians who is serious about what she’s doing. “Unfortunately there are stereotypes of all kinds out there, which could be the problem,” Abrams said. “But, thank goodness what I do is about the love for the mu sic, and not whether I wear a bra or not.” Whiteman, a senior computer engineering major, said his sax music is influenced by such greats as Frank Morgan and Charlie Parker. Whiteman said the local music scene has grown since he’s been at A&M, but Throwaway People transcends the category. - v I ■Hnii SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION i/jqtote Savitski, Lara Abrams, Craig Hanna, Mark Oakland, Jason Whiteman and Sam Pulley are Throwaway People. no ' - “It’s gotten harder to be a musi cian,” he said. Abrams credits Whiteman and Oakland, a graduate student in elec trical engineering, as the “power house” of the band. “They make you want to get crazy on the bar,” she said. And music fans will have plenty of opportunities to get crazy at Throw away People shows this month and next. The band has lined up several shows on Northgate. “We’re playing at Double Dave’s, at Gumbys — next thing you know we’ll be playing at E-Z Mart.” As for other future plans, the band will head to Jumping Dog Studios in Austin to record in May. “For now, I think our biggest goal is just to malce beer money,” Pulley said. In the meantime, Hanna said he has been taking gub tar lessons from one of the greats, Chris Duarte, who has rocked his world, so to speak. “I really thought I knew what I was doing on guitar,” Hanna said. “It’s been a big door-opener. He’s helped us out a lot.” Savitski, a graduate student in physics, said he has learned it’s really no big deal to play live music. “The glamour of being in front of a crowd really doesn’t exist,” he said. Although these musicians may not experience stage fright, they have no problem incorporating the audi ence into their shows. “We feed off one another, give and take,” Pulley said. “We have a good time. It will touch your soul and light a fire in your britches at the same time.” The band members learned a lesson about toning things down a little when they played at a wedding. “We changed some of the questionable lyrics, did a lot of lounge that night and expanded every song into about 15 minutes,” Hanna said. One thing that is obvious from Throwaway People’s shows is their obvious passion for music and quest to just have a good time. It is evident that each member loves expressing themselves through their music, and they are able to incorporate a variety of feelings into their live show. Hanna said anyone who is remotely interested in high-energy blues-rock will definitely enjoy their show. “We want to be remembered as an honest band with great-feeling music,” Hanna said. Pulley, always eager to entertain, said he has anoth er idea for how he wants the band to be remembered when they leave College Station. “Didn’t we see them in church?” he said with a smile. When the band members are not joking with one another, they do get serious. Abrams said the entire band contributes their own to each song, but Hanna is the creator and inspiration. SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION Mark Oakland, Jason Whiteman and Craig Hanna jam with Chris Duarte. Hanna writes the band’s songs on a variety of topics. His songs deal with broken hearts, love gone bad, deal ing with everyday life, death, happiness and everything in between that does not have words. “Basically, the songs aren't necessarily about those things, but about the feelings brought about by them,” he said. The instrumental tune “Left Too Soon” is about how Hanna felt musically when his cousin died. Oakland, influenced by Junior Medlow and Miles Davis, said the songs have different colors. “Even inside the same songs, we can tour different territory,” Oakland. As for a description of the music that is never played the same way twice, Savitski said he heard a descrip tion he’ll never forget. “A friend of mine brought his new girlfriend to one of our shows,” he said. “After the show, she came up to me and said, ‘Your music really turns me on.’ That’s the best compliment I’ve ever had. It always stuck with me.” Upcoming Shows: Fit April 17 Gumby’s Pizza at 9:30 p.m. Sat. April 18 The Grove at 3 p.m. Sat. April 18 Cow Hop at 10:30 p.m. Sat April 25 Cow Hop at 10:30 p.m. Sun. April 26 3rd Floor Cantina at 9:30 p.m. Fri. May 1 Cow Hop at 10:30 p.m. Sat. May 9 Crooked Path at 10:30 p.m. Wed. May 13 Dixie Theatre at 9:30 p.m. Thur. May 21 Palace Theatre at noon Check out Throwaway People’s Web site at http://PersonalWebs.myriad.net/marko/ throwaway.htm jyfei WE'LL MAKE THIS PARENTS WEEKEND RAND WITH FREE BEANIE BABIES! Just collect $200 in mall receipts* dated Friday, April 17 - Sunday, April 19. Bring your mall receipts to our Customer Service Booth and you'll be hugging a Ty®Beanie Baby FREE! Plus... need something new to hang on your wall or accent your room? Come enjoy the Brazos Valley Art League's Art Show. Post Oak Mall... A Grand Place To Shop! Quantities limited, offer good while supplies last. Some restrictions apply. *Exduding department store receipts. POSTO Bealls, Dillard's, Foley's, JCPenney, Sears, Service Merchandise, The Food Court and 105 Speciality Stores. Open Monday-Saturday 10 to 9, Sunday 12 to 6. Your Gift Certificate Connection...Call our Customer Service Booth 764-0777. Texas 6 Bypass at Highway 30, College Station HOP US SAVE THE PI Free Jason’s Deli delivery after 4 PM with Student I.D. The Politically Correct Alternative. Pizza is one of the most stalked and preyed upon meals in the United States, and is at the top of the endangered foods list. Please help save the pizza by making a conscious and politically correct decision at your next meal: Call Jason’s Deli. Not only will you be working to save pizza from extinction, you’ll feel better because you’re eating higher on the food chain. Jason’s deli 1404 Texas Ave. S. • 764-2929 * 764-2712 FAX Have you checked 0 1 for emeals today? email: www.jasonsdeli.com $6 minimum order Hpsi