Abhorrence of Definitions
By Nate Schweber
[ web link ]
A trait that defines the Oblio Joes is their abhorrence of definitions. The band is adamant about not getting pigeonholed into a specific genre, specific instrumentation, specific political ideology, or even general knowledge of their members’ whereabouts.
In fact, as of press time, the Obes had just found their AWOL drummer, Danny Strachan. Bassist Tor Dahl was somewhere in Colorado.
In their absence, guitarman/keyboardman/songwriterman/singerman John Brownell and keyboardman/guitarman/backup singerman Ian Smith are rehearsing vigorously, and drinking a lot of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Black Star beer, in preparation for three big Oblio Joes shows in the next week. On Friday, they’re road-tripping down to Butte to combat-rock in a “Battle of the Bands” with three other groups, including Abendego of Missoula. The Obes took second place at the Butte band battle five years ago, but this time, Brownell says, they’re bound for glory.
“I think we’re gonna pull it off this time,” Brownell says. “I plan on winning.”
The next day, the Obes are playing a benefit gig for Amnesty International at Caras Park. Then on Tuesday, they’re hosting a CD release party at Jay’s Upstairs in celebration of their new EP, the band’s third official release.
“I’m makin’ ’em as fast as I can,” Brownell says of the stack of 20 just-packaged CDs on Smith’s living room floor. “I’m burning them on my computer at home; we’ve made and sold 15 so far.”
Brownell says the most significant sign of the Obes’ continuing success is that promoters come to them, asking for shows. For example, the Obes are playing the Battle of the Bands because the promoter surfed onto the band’s Web site, http://pandora.bigsky.net/obliojoes/, liked what he heard and booked the band. Also, the Obes were once included on a CD compilation disc made in Georgia because the dude putting the disc together heard an Obes tape and dug it.
Influenced by indie-rock bands like Pavement, Sebadoh and Mercury Rev, as well as classic rockers the Velvet Underground and Neil Diamond, the Obes’ mission statement, says Brownell, is to play music they like and not tell one another what to do. Letting each band member bring his own ideas, influences and creativity into each song is perhaps why the band has stuck together for seven years (factoid: this is about as long as the Beatles lasted).
The Obes’ sound ranges from brooding dirge-rock to bluegrass to country-esque to almost pure pop.
“We don’t really have a specific musical idea when we sit down and play,” Brownell says. “I always end up saying we play rock ’n’ roll, but even that has connotations.”
He adds definitively: “We’re eclectic rock.”
Born out of the band the Flannelles, the Oblio Joes formed in 1993. Brownell says they named the band “Oblio” after a character from the Harry Nilsson album “The Point” — which was later made into a cartoon. The “Joes,” Brownell says, was “just to make it more obscure and less meaningful.”
Since then, the band has played San Jose, Calif., Spokane and Olympia, Wash., Seattle and even the near-empty Filling Station in Bozeman, where a man raged toward them kicking over chairs and demanding, “When’s the rock ’n’ roll gonna start?”
“That was pretty harrowing,” Brownell says.
Brownell credits the hip Missoula band scene for much of the Obes’ success. Not only do other bands turn out to watch Oblio shows, but they support and inspire each other, Brownell says.
“There’s a lot of great Missoula bands,” Brownell says. “A lot of them are my favorite bands.”
Brownell says the Obes are going to mix their music up as much as possible for their upcoming gigs.
“We always scribble our set lists down on a napkin before every show,” Brownell says. “Then we end up ignoring it. We just play requests.”
|
