>>PREVIEW
THE 88
Friday, September 8
Wykham House (MRC)
If you’ve listened to any Los Angeles-based radio stations in the past three years, then chances are you’ve probably heard The 88. The power pop-rock ensemble is a well-established darling of the La-La-Land media-gaining exposure and fans with every enthusiastically endorsed rotation.
Even the fickle taste-makers at L.A. Alternative Press dubbed them the "Best Band in Los Angeles." Add to that dubious distinction their contributions to the soundtracks of several television series including The O.C., Dawson’s Creek and JAG. Then there’s The 88’s recurring appearances on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, their work as a children’s group under the moniker Gwendolyn & The Goodtime Gang, songs featured in the movies Get Shorty 2: Be Cool, Failure to Launch and Surviving Christmas and, most recently, their late-night appearances on shows hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, Carson Daly and Craig Ferguson.
Now, poised on the verge of a pan-North American tour in support of their oh-so-upbeat new release Over and Over, pianist Adam Merrin explains how The 88 has altered their musical methodology to come up with a fresh new take on a familiar California sunshine groove.
"The biggest difference between this album and Kind of Light is that we produced the first one ourselves. Working with a producer (Ethan Allen — think Tricky, Luscious Jackson, Gram Rabbit, not your mother’s living room furniture) gave us a different perspective; he really pushed us to play like we would if we were in front of an audience. We really wanted to capture that feeling you get from a live performance.
"Honestly, it’s so hard to get that live energy to translate onto a recording. When you have people come to see you play it gives you an extra burst of energy and the whole show holds itself up. And, we are known for having a lot of energy when we play live!"
Capturing the irrepressibly gleeful spirit of their onstage egos and bottling it for resale may be the band’s most brilliant move to date. Imminently at risk of trading in any trace of artistic integrity they may possess for instant celebrity status, The 88 is making a concerted effort to achieve a higher level of personal satisfaction in group endeavours. While their ongoing romance with Hollywood has earned them a good chunk of change and a sizable following of fans, pianist Adam Merrin along with vocalist Keith Slettedahl, guitarist Brandon Jay, bassist Carlos Torres and drummer Anthony Zimmitti are more committed than ever to working hard and paying their professional dues every step of the way.
"We can’t believe the way our music has caught on," Merrin says with a chuckle. "We didn’t even know what The O.C. was, and suddenly we’re a teenage phenomenon just because one of our songs, which we didn’t even write for the show, wound up on that record. Now wherever we play I see young fans singing along and they’re like ‘Oh, it’s that band!’
"One of our best shows was the last time we were in Toronto, the girls were so into it they were screaming their heads off and we hadn’t even played a note. It was never our intention to become the most called upon band in film and television, it was just blind luck. Soundtracks and cover tunes may not be our favourite thing to do, but we try different approaches and have a lot of fun with it."
Keeping things busy and positive is what The 88 do best. Buzzing around like a swarm of honey-drunk bees the lads balance their overt tendency to emulate bands like The Kinks, The Beatles, Squeeze, T-Rex, The Knack and Jellyfish by giving over to their own flow-of-consciousness songwriting sensibilities and granting centre stage to Adam and his show-stealing piano arrangements.
"Our name definitely comes from having a piano in the act and also from a song of the same name by the French Kicks. ‘Rocket 88’ was a huge funk hit from Ike Turner that inspired us, too," Merrin explains. "I play the electric keyboard, with eighty-eight keys, and a Mac computer that’s full of samples and effects like strings, choirs and backwards cymbals.
"I’ve had so many people come up to me after gigs to say that I’ve inspired them to go back to the instrument (piano) or to start learning. It’s one of our goals to do a tour where we play concert halls equipped with real pianos." |
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