By Dean Robinson
On most nights, it’s not usually recommended for one to climb onto an urban rooftop with members of a hard-rock outfit. As we all well know, those wild heavy-metal types would probably rather heave someone or something from that elevated position and hear it smash or splat on the pavement below rather than simply sit, chat and sip colas. On this night, however, on the back roof of Downbreed vocalist Jef Conn’s house in the Summit City, all is calm — it’s a chat and cola night. From our location — a few blocks from some train tracks — all you can hear is three voices in the night and the mighty whistle of the old 9:45 — right on time.
“That’s nightly,” Conn says. “I’ve lived like a block from train tracks in an apartment down in Indy. Every night, 11 o’clock until about 3 a.m. Eleven to three in the morning, man. That’s all you heard was trains. After a while they put you to sleep. It becomes your lullaby.”
“At least if you don’t live so close that it rattles stuff on the walls,” says bassist Samuel Honeycutt.
With a band like Downbreed around, who needs trains? Or earthquakes for that matter. A dose of Downbreed has been known to shake down the house. The four-man metal band has been festering in Fort Wayne since 1995 and has grown into a full-blown boil since 1999. With a muscular musical style akin to the likes of Pantera orFear Factory, Downbreed has been rattling audiences with its frenetic live show, full of fierce power-metal grooves and guttural vocals.
And that name: Downbreed. You’ve gotta love it. It’s like these dudes are a step down from humanity. To paraphrase WXKE-FM rock personality Doc West, it’s what results when aliens from outer space breed with human beings.
“I came up with that name about five years ago,” Honeycutt says. “I always talked about how easy it is to come up with good band names. Just put any two words together. So one day I’m on the phone with Jef and we’re talking about it so I look down at the newspaper and read ‘Down’ then I look up on the TV and see ‘Breed.’ ‘Down-breed. All right? Click.’ “
Downbreed — consisting of Conn, Honeycutt, drummer Gary W. and guitarist Mark Vela — has recently completed recording their debut release, titled To the Core. According to Conn and Honeycutt, the band plans to release the CD sometime during the third quarter. Well known for blistering live concerts at such local venues as Piere’s, Sunset Hall, Legends, Buster McNasty’s and Sports & Spirits, Downbreed plans to take a break from performing in July - as Conn and his wife anticipate the birth of their latest bundle of joy.
Apparently, living the hard-rock lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean living out life like the cover of Motley Crue’s Too Fast For Love album anymore. The days of flaming couches have given way to the Chrysler minivan. Honeycutt and Conn each admit that the influence of family genuinely enhances their arena-rock attitude.
“You can play a show for all these people who dig your stuff, they’re screaming and loving it and then you’ve got to come home you have the kids crying, you’re changing diapers, doin’ dishes,” Honeycutt says.
“Things never go according to plan,” Conn says. “It never fails on a show day, I’ve got a ton of stuff going on at home.”
“A lot of loose ends to tie up before we get to go out and have our fun,” Honeycutt says. “But that’s cool though, man. Adds a bit of responsibility to playing, I think. Makes you step up a notch as far as taking it seriously.”
Taking it seriously has led to the formulation of some serious goals.
“To dominate,” Conn says. “To dominate the heavy scene here in town, man.”
“It would be nice to be able to do what we love to do — which is play music and kick ass —and be able to support out families off of it,” Honeycutt says. “No day jobs. For me, that’s always been the only goal. I’ve never wanted a big mansion or the fine cars and all that. Just a comfortable living doing this would be nice.”
Conn and Honeycutt have been dedicated to realizing that goal together for close to 10 years. Having first played together in a band called Nobody’s Child, the pair went on to get the job done in Rattlecage, Soul Shrine and Dirt Monkey. Honeycutt, based in Indianapolis for a while, “spent about two weeks I think in about every band down there. Mama Sez, Snakeskin Cowboy, Street Lethal. I jammed with Steve De Long with Mike Hartman.”
Such diverse musical experiences have obviously contributed to Downbreed’s exceptional live show, an experience in professional hard rock performance. Ranking as one of Fort Wayne’s rawest acts, Downbreed’s influences often seem downright refined. Drummer Gary’s skills extend to guitar, piano and violin — and he digs Dokken. Guitar bully Vela draws inspiration from the likes of the melodically metallic Eddie Van Halen and George Lynch. Through his vocal delivery, Conn — the thin man with the meaty scream of a man 500 pounds heavier — has somehow inverted the influence of a legendary 500-pound king, Elvis Presley.
“Elvis is the best,” Conn says. “I’ve got Elvis stuff all over the house. Early Elvis, movie Elvis, the old, fat, drugged-out Elvis — it doesn’t matter. He’s so great because he’s always so intense on stage, no matter what.
“The best is the 1968 comeback TV special. The black leather outfit.”
“I think he sold that outfit to Rob Halford,” Honeycutt says.