Music Everywhere
Friday 15 June @ 14:01:28 |
 
The demise of Blacktop Badge, the future of Sunshine Behavior
by DWIGHT HOBBES
Well, I’ve got good news for you and I’ve got bad. The good news is that a young band of energetic upstarts, Sunshine Behavior, has can’t-miss written all over them and should be able to look forward to a very rewarding future. The bad news is that Blacktop Badge, a crew of seasoned warhorses, who had can’t-miss written all over them and should’ve been able to look forward to one helluva career have called it quits. You just never know how things are going to shake out.
I swung by The Cabooze a few weeks ago to catch New Primitives and found myself gawking at the opening act, a handful of young kids, naked from the waist up, flouncing themselves about, their hard-driving music playing to one beat, their bodies moving to God-knows-what. “What in the pure-dee hell do these kids think they’re doing?” I asked myself. Myself didn’t say anything, but as I turned to walk off and wait for New Primitives to get busy, I got my answer. Without the distraction of watching the band (admittedly nobody else in the joint had a problem looking at them and, indeed, the crowd was having a great time), just listening to Sunshine Behavior, it hit me that these youngsters have solid chops. So, I asked for a copy of their demo. Thankfully, they had one handy. Lead cuts, “Today” and “April’s Fools,” make a very effective one-two punch (word to the aspiring—if you don’t get the listener with your first two songs, they’re not going to bother listening any further). Both songs follow an interesting tack-–starting out with a mellow intro that quickly switches gears, not just getting your full attention so much as actually snatching it. “Bar of Chocolate,” which kind of reminds you of the ancient Frisco band Quicksilver Messenger Service, is fairly conventional, anchored in plain old boogie-woogie. That is, until the guys stop on a dime to hit a weird, lullaby bridge—before going back to raising hell. Bottom line, these boys have a lot going on for themselves. Yeah, yeah, I know, I shouldn’t’ve judged a book by the cover: Sue me.
I can’t figure out, for the life of me, what the hell happened with Blacktop Badge. And nobody’s talking. Their manager, Chris Ryding, didn’t return a call asking for insight behind the band’s demise and I couldn’t get hold of any of the guys in the band. But for whatever reason, it was announced in late April that their gifted young vocalist Aaron McMenamy was no longer with the group and that guitarist Adam “Whizbang” Whisner would handle lead vocals and take over as frontman. Okay, McMenamy had a lot of damned good fire at the mike, but Whisner’s no slouch each either. The band hadn’t gone from five pieces to four (Whisner, guitarist Cory Jesok, bass player Dave Schermerhorn and drummer Aaron Biggar) a solid month before word came that they were all cashing in their hand. Which is a goddam shame. Working from a core of some good, old Chuck Berry flavored rock-and-roll, Blacktop Badge built a sound that was nothing short of wall-busting. And they could play their asses off, doing versions of “Under My Thumb” and “Soul Kitchen” that (you will pardon the sacrilege) gave up nothing to either The Stones or The Doors.
Importantly, their originals burned like a five-alarm fire. “The Grind,” “Gone,” and the bound-to-get-the-party-started anthem “Star Spangled Man” all are on their self-titled album (it’s still in the stores, by the way) and each is a hit in need only of airplay. Blacktop Badge’s calling card was classic ’80s-style rock. And I’d’ve bet the ranch they were going all the way. But they bailed. Who’d a thunk it?
Sunshine Behavior are at 400 Bar on the West Bank in Minneapolis. 18+; $5. on Minneapolis’ West Bank. June 16 at 10 p.m.
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