Spring Break
New chemistry gives band its 'sparks'
STEVE LABATE
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On Tuesday night, Beachwood Sparks brought this strange dimension to Athens. The band members took time from their schedule to talk over riviera salads and chicken & dumplings at the Five Star Day CafZ
"Someone who works here said they like our music, and that makes the food taste even better," said bass player Brent Rademaker, who spent the time before soundcheck riding his skateboard around the club.
Beachwood Sparks and their Sub Pop labelmates, The Shins, have been on the road for a few weeks now.
"Playing live is a heat of the moment, thrilling kind of thing. Sometimes it can put all your nerves on end," said pedal steel player Dave Scher between bites of soulfood.
"What makes it so exciting is that you only get one chance to capture what you're trying to," said singer/guitarist Chris Gunst.
The band recently re-introduced original drummer Jimi Hey after the departure of Aaron Sperske, and seemed glad to have their old friend back.
"I just bring more bang for the buck, I suppose," said Hey.
The Sparks also hired guitarist and past collaborator Ben Knight to round out the sound for the tour.
"We can't usually get him because he's teaching all year," said Scher.
"Yeah, I teach kindergarten," explained Knight.
The band feels its chemistry has in- creased with its recent lineup changes.
"The thing we found out last year was that the chemistry was going awry, not through the fault of one person, but through the fault of the four of us interacting together," said Rademaker. "There was a chemical imbalance and we tried to take some band Prozac."
Just before midnight Tuesday, when the Sparks hit the Tasty World stage, it seemed that the anti-depressants were in full effect. The band cranked through a set that was more raw than their studio efforts. It floated from spacey, melodic tangents to sudden, punkish bursts of noise that sent the jam-packed crowd into a frenzy.
"We're searching for something that I don't think any of us have seen or experienced," said Gunst.
Whether the Beachwood Sparks will find what it's looking for is unanswerable at this point, but it seems that the search is doing the band a hell of a lot of good.
