#wnti

So long Monday! It's #TroutTuesday! And better than the news that Monday is over is the news that Redband rainbow trout and other fish may get a little more protection in Washington State with action scheduled by the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission this weekend, January 9 - 10 on 2015-16 sportfishing rules that include a Columbia River Basin Stream Strategy. Meanwhile, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists are working with partners to fill information gaps about redbands in Lake Roosevelt, the Spokane River, and other waterways, to better manage these unique fish.

Bridging The Gap, as I said in my last few posts, is a show run by Joe Vellekamp which aims to be an outlet for local musicians.  Since I have gotten to be on the show and often listen to it, I wanted to spotlight it and its creator.

The idea began back in the summer of 2011 when Vellekamp was doing his internship at the station.  He was doing voice tracking and he filled in for people when they could not be there to run their show.  He got used to being on the air, and an opportunity for student programming opened.  

"Being a musician myself I've always been heavily involved in the local music scene," Vellekamp said. "Talented local musicians deserve recognition wherever they can get it."

This is what inspired Vellekamp to create Bridging The Gap.  He pitched the show's title and concept, and it went from there.  There are difficulties, however, to running a local music show such as finding serious local musicians.  Those who are solely focused on getting air play rather than getting out there and performing shows are not exactly who Vellekamp is looking for.  He wants people who are passionate about playing for their live audiences, and getting air play is an added bonus.

Bridging The Gap has been on the air for about a year, and during its airtime Vellekamp has had several in-studio guests.  One of his favorite interviews was with Don Ryan, an experimental folk singer, an an all-around interesting guy.  He and Vellekamp have similar personalities, so it was the easiest interview Vellekamp ever conducted.  He still remains in contact with Don Ryan. 

"My favorite moment was when I opened up the mic for the first show," Vellekamp said. "It was my show."

If you're ever surfing the radio on a Tuesday night from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., tune into WNTI for Bridging The Gap.  You will be exposed to exciting music that's from the area, and supporting local music is the best thing anyone can do.  Vellekamp is always looking for new submissions as well, so send your CD with the proper information in the mail.  Even if you don't get on the show the first time, Vellekamp offers some worthy advice:

Last night I had the opportunity to be a guest on Joe Vellekamp's radio show Bridging the Gap, a show that features local music.  A favorite local band of mine, Dad Brother, also got to spend time in the WNTI studios.  For those of you who did not get to listen, I am giving a recap of the night which proved to be interesting.  I want to say thank you to Joe for facilitating the interview with me and Dad Brother, because he made my first official radio interview more relaxing than I thought it would be. 

On Friday, October 26 Dad Brother will release its first CD, Mavericks, at a release party being held at The Clash Bar in Clifton, NJ.  They were on Bridging the Gap to promote their new CD and to spend some quality time with Joe and I.  Dad Brother is a two-piece band which consists of Andrew Lange and Evan Luberger.  Both of them play multiple instruments on the album and do the vocals.  Their rock sound is exciting, refreshing and interesting.

I am not going to transcribe and post the entire interview, but I would like to write about some of the interesting parts.  It was a night filled with discussions of using blenders as instruments and the mustaches Andrew and Evan have both managed to grow.

During the night I had the chance to hear three of the songs included on the new CD, but luckily I had also gotten to hear them live a few weeks prior at The Stanhope House.  Joe asked about the recording process of the album which primarily took place at Evan's parents' house in Dingman's Ferry, PA and a wedding studio.  They finished the drum pieces in Pennsylvania and the rest of the mixing was finished in the wedding studio in Montclair, NJ.

The first song we had the chance to preview was, "Scooter and Chippy," a catchy song with lines that instantly grab the listener's attention.  In this song there were doubled vocals, an organ and the hitting of a blender to create some great sounds:

Joe Vellekamp: How did the idea for the blender come around for the blender in the background?

Andrew Lange:  Saw it in the basement [laughter]. You know we were just clapping pieces of wood together for the claps. Ev's got a sauna in his basement so that was like our little vocal booth. We'd just go in there and bang on things and then we saw the blender and we were like "Yeah let's put some blender on this." Like most things that happen with this band it was a joke at first, and then we were like "Okay, this is pretty cool."

"Domino Gasoline" was the second song previewed during the interview.  It's an upbeat song that is comparable to a Black Keys song, but almost better since it is its own sound:

JV: "Domino Gasoline," where does that come from? 

AL: I dunno, it's kind of one of those songs that wrote itself. I read that book On the Road, and afterwards I wanted to write a song. I have no idea it just kind of came out that way.

Even if their song names do not have huge stories behind them, the music is enough to get the listener hooked.  Andrew and Evan put most of their thought into quality lyrics and musical composition.  They are also known for making their shows a lot of fun, and getting the crowd excited:

JV: What kind of reaction do you guys get from your crowd?

Evan Luberger: If we're having fun up there it seems like people see that and can get into it as opposed to a band that's kind of like all business.

The final Dad Brother song of the night was "Wet The Dry."  The title came from a line in the song, and it is one of their slower and layered songs.  Mavericks proves to be an album worth listening to over and over again, and if you have the chance make it out to Dad Brother's release show at The Clash Bar.

To find out more about Dad Brother's music and upcoming shows make sure to check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/dadbrother?fref=ts and to listen to their music that is available online check out: http://www.reverbnation.com/dadbrother and http://dadbrother.bandcamp.com/. They are a band that is easy to love, and their shows are some of the most fun ones I've attended.

Dad Brother performing at The Stanhope House

Hey everyone! Tuesday October 16 at 10:00 p.m. I will be interviewed by Joe Vellekamp on one of his radio shows, Bridging The Gap.  The show airs on Centenary College's radio station, WNTI, and it features local artists.  Dad Brother, a local band from this area, will also be featured that night.  Make sure to tune in, and also expect a post about Bridging The Gap to appear on the blog soon.  Also, this week is WNTI's membership drive.  They are a public radio station so every donation counts. Listen in this week for special gifts you can receive as a thank you gift for donating. To check out their website click this link: http://www.wnti.org/.