There was a reason that bands like Cream, Blind Faith, hell, even Stockholm Syndrome make history. Theyre just good. When the individual players in a band are of a certain skill and caliber, no matter what the groups material, theyll rock; most of the time.
The best kept secret supergroup in Flagstaff, Gravy, is finally poking its head out of its backstage curtain for the music fans of Flagstaff. Imagine a marital union of local legendary bands Onus B. Johnson, Barefoot and Freshly Baked with a whole lot of outlaw country attitude and sound, all while enjoying a psychedelic journey of circa 67 Grateful Dead.
Confused? Good.
I like my beer cold and my whiskey sour, and my country gritty more like real life, says Rand Anderson, the dreadlocked pedal steel/electric guitar player and vocalist for the band. Anderson, who has possibly logged more hours than any other local musician jamming within the bars of Flagstaff, is trying to maintain a careful balance for Gravy in a town where overexposure is a constant danger for musicians.
Our biggest issue is not wanting to overplay in this town, he says.
Anderson and company are also trying to flee the heavily polished, modern country sound. It is this philosophy and the band members unbelievable amount of experience that has lead the band down a path of careful restraint and casual performance, concentrating on letting the music take shape on its own and avoiding common pitfalls of bands in small towns. As a result, the band has out of town gigs in the works including some in Colorado, L.A., Sedona and Prescott.
Coming together casually at Andersons self-built, home studio in Kachina Village, bassist/vocalist Keith Gomorrah, vocalist/guitarist Brad Bays, drummer Andrew Lauher and pianist Karen Hasemier, struck a vain of music that has desperately lacked in Flagstaff. The band also provided a vehicle for Hasemier to branch out into the secular after nearly a decade of playing exclusively in church (a spiritually liberating event according to Anderson). Gravy has also given Bays an opportunity to play electric, after most visibly playing acoustic with Onus B. Johnson for several years. Gomorrah, who has played standup bass in a variety of local bands including Barefoot, is sticking to the electric this time around. Lauher is highly visible as the drummer for the Porchlights, Each Others Legend and Nolan McKelvey and 33 as well as a slew of bands over the last several years.
Were kind of matured, Anderson says. Not so eager to puff out our chest all the time.
As Anderson explains, Gravys first musical meeting came near the first of the year, but they delayed their first performance until the Redneck Olympics last June, providing the soundtrack to tire changing competitions and a variety of other good ole boy games. It is just this type of environment that Anderson envisions as the main vibe of Gravys musicjust plain fun. Paying tribute to country rock greats like Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allen Coe, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earl, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings has been the bands unofficial mission as well. The recently re-released film Heartworn Highways also provided an inspiration to Anderson.
Combining over 50 original tunes by Anderson and Bays, Gravys repertoire has ballooned with a spectrum of cover tunes from Little Feat, Mearl Haggard, David Allen Coe, The Band, among many others. Anderson, Bays and Gomorrah serve as co-frontmen, giving the band more of an actual band feel. In addition, the blending of the guitar styles by Anderson and Bays gives a truly varied perspective to the country rock soundBays playing a Telecaster with Anderson sticking to Stratocaster, two radically different electric sounds. Andersons pedal steel paying has also improved greatly, providing a more rich, legit-country sound to Gravy.
Were playing the type of music thats tangible for people, Anderson says.
Catch Gravy at Heritage Square, Thu, Sept. 9 for Flag Lives final Thursdays on the Square concert of the summer. The show is free and goes from 5:307:30 p.m. For more information, call 779-1877. Gravy will also be performing from 8 p.m.midnight, Sat, Sept. 18 at Oak Creek Brewing Co. in Sedona, 2050 Yavapai Drive. For more information about the Sedona show, call (928) 204-1300.
— Arizona Daily Sun