By Gloria Diaz (10/14/99)
Carrying on an interview with Strut Train is, well, interesting. They're easy to talk to, but I find it a bit hard to believe that guitarist Dave Pagan went to find himself in the Galapagos Islands. No, that isn't why the group seemed to disappear for a while. I finally got the story out of Duane Alexander, Strut Train's drummer. It seems that Alexander simply wanted to do something different. But he missed the guys and came back.
End of story.
Those of you who have Edge Essentials Vol. I remember "Divine," Strut Train's funkadelic song that could fit right onto a best of the 70s funk compilation. That was a couple years ago. Today's Strut Train has only been together since January 11, when Matt Cashdollar, saxophone and flute master, joined. The rest of the group includes Ian Mosher, percussion and trumpet, and Tony Timms, bass.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Strut Train experience, Alexander describes it as, "simply hardcore tracks, not a new Jack swing. In case you don't get the drift, they are a party band, with a capital P.
Their gigs, they say, are like coming to a party.
"That's pretty much how it started," says Pagan. "We've been drinking and partying for a long time." Strut Train's story is similar to most bands: Alexander and Timms have known each other since childhood. Alexander hung out with musician friends and got into music when he was over at a friend's house one day. The band's drummer quit the day Alexander was there, and, whoomp, there he was.
"We have such a love for music," says Cashdollar, who is also a member of Always In The Fridge.
"We love to spread the good vibes," adds Timms.
"I just did it for the chicks," says Pagan.
Now that I can believe.
No one can say, "awww yeah," quite like Pagan can. During a show in August at Columbia Street West, he had the ladies up and moving to a medley of tunes which included "Rappers Delight," sung by dedicated Strut Train fan Christian Heritier to Grandma Imogene, who also comes to all of the group's shows, followed by "Another One Bites The Dust," continuing into the one of the most well-known "praise the ladies" songs, "Brickhouse."
"It's a can't-help-but-shake-your-booty kind of band," says Timms.
It's kinda hard not to, with a set list that includes songs like the theme from "Laverne and Shirley," "Hawaii 5-0," "Barney Miller," "Bad Boys" and "Hill Street Blues." Why all the television themes?
"Most of us are kids from the 70s," explains Alexander. "I always had those themes running through my head."
And they are genuinely catchy songs. Asked about the demise of cool television show themes, Alexander says, "It kinda goes along with the music industry. The 70s into the 80s was the last good decade on the radio."
So the band plays what they like. Alexander recalls someone telling him, "'You need to play more covers, blah, blah, blah,'" but he blows comments like that off.
"I don't care, either way," says Alexander. "I play what I like." But that doesn't mean a rerun of sitcom themes. They also play several originals, with thought-provoking titles like "Nom de Plumage," "This Is My Island," "Aggravated Man," "Get Off My Back" and "Chad Fry Guy."
The group is working on another CD. Their first effort, a live demo, is sometimes given out as a dance prize. A web site is also in the works, in addition to what is probably the first activity book ever created by a local band. It will include crossword puzzles and very possibly, Mad Libs.
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