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Players: Rose, bass, vocals, guitar; Janie, guitar, keys, vocals; Jerry, drums, percussion, vocals Set: ... a little off the beaten path ...

The Chronics
By Michele R. DeVinney (6/19/97)

Since they were featured in these pages almost 10 months ago, The Chronics have been busy building their following both within Fort Wayne and beyond, covering an ever-growing territory, a region they have every intention of expanding as 1997 continues.

Although The Chronics have been together in their current form for almost five years, the band's members -- bassist Rose Lazoff, guitarist Jane Palajac and drummer Jerry Miller -- have known each other personally for well over a decade. That partnership, and the resulting commitment to each other, has allowed the band to pursue their dream of making original music together.

Having been members of an 80s touring band, one that performed primarily covers of other people's material, the three determined upon their formation in 1992 that they weren't interested in repeating that grind, preferring instead to write and perform music together that reflected their own diverse musical tastes. The first product of that effort, their self-titled debut CD, was released in 1995.

Since then, the band has been busy performing through the Midwest, cultivating a devoted following and expanding upon a repertoire that will ultimately result in a follow-up CD. While The Chronics have had their share of successes in the past couple of years, one of the more interesting occurred last September when they found themselves opening for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at Piere's.

"That was a great experience," says Palajac. "Mostly being able to play with a really huge sound system and to be able to play in front of that many people was just really fun. We loved that. And, of course, meeting Joan was cool."

The band members have also found themselves being received well in front of crowds outside the Fort Wayne area, playing in Toledo, Bloomington and Madison, Wisconsin this past spring. All have provided them with satisfying experiences, but the recent show in Wisconsin seems to be the closest to their hearts.

"That was really fun," says Palajac. "It was fun to play in front of an audience that we did not know, but they were real open to original stuff, and we felt like they really liked us. We felt we did a good show, and we had a lot of fun. We're working on a return trip in the fall."

As a matter of fact, they're looking to revisit all of those places and more in the fall, hoping to expand their horizons in the process. But, while they will be playing some area dates this summer -- including an appearance on Saturday, June 21 in Auburn, a M.O.M.S. performance on July 1 at Columbia Street West and a possible appearance with Strut Train during the Three Rivers Festival -- on the whole, The Chronics are looking for some down time, allowing them to build their stamina for the later part of this year.

"People are just taking it easy," says Palajac. "We're hoping to enjoy the summer a little bit, have some vacation time, do a lot of jammin', just have some fun. And then we'll get ready for the fall, and then hit it really hard again."

Aside from their possible touring plans, The Chronics are working on material that will probably yield them their second CD, one that they're hoping to record in the near future.

"We're ready to start recording," says Palajac. "The problem, of course, comes down to money. If there are any eccentric millionaires out there who want to throw some money our way, they can contact us through WhatzUp or our P.O. box.

"But we're anxious to get that going. We have some new material that's been tested live for awhile as well as some that no one's heard."

Their studio work, while capturing their sound, doesn't always capture their spirit, which has led to talk of a possible live video or CD. The video is being discussed seriously, with a few aborted efforts already under their belts. The CD might also have to wait awhile.

"The live CD is still getting talked about," says Palajac, "just because we do a particular thing when we're live, that whole improvisational-jones is going on at that time, and a lot of people would like to hear that from us, we've been told. But I think we're probably going to stick to a studio recording instead of a live thing. But a live CD isn't out of the question."

After all of these years together, building a team that works on a personal level and a professional one, you might wonder what makes this partnership last, both onstage and off.

"That's a good question," says Palajac. "We're all so different. One thing is that we all get bored pretty easily so we all three are looking for things that excite us musically on a continual basis. People who come to hear us realize that a lot of the songs that we do, that maybe they've heard on the CD, we change them around. We love to jam and create as we go, so I think that's something that keeps us together.

"I think we just ... I don't know. I don't know what it is. You know somebody so long, you go through everything with them. We traveled on the road together in a road band, and you see everybody at their worst and at their very best. And so I guess if a problem arises, we know how to deal with it; we know how to let things go."

They also know how to maintain the commitment to each other, their friendship and their future as a band, As Palajac notes, aside from their families and friends, this is their most important endeavor.

"We're really dedicated. This is what the three of us like the most. This is our main focus. It's the thing we love the most, so we make it work.

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