ìWeíd like to thank everyone who voted,î says Strut Train trumpet player Ian Mosher. ìWeíre happy to be recognized. I definitely want to give a shout out to everyone who was nominated. Tons of great bands. Itís nice that itís something that was voted on by people in Fort Wayne. The majority of the crowd that we saw at (the awards ceremony) was musicians and itís nice to know that weíre accepted among other musicians as well as just other people in Fort Wayne.î

Just the same, the question remains: What makes Strut Train go?

ìWe are where we are today due to word of mouth,î says saxophonist Matt Cashdollar. ìWhen we first started playing, the people supporting us was mainly just a clique of our friends. They told some people, then they came to a show, liked what they saw and told some more people. Thatís what got us a fan base big enough for people to vote for us.î

Cashdollar admits that the band ó also including drummer Duane Alexander, bassist Tony Timms and guitarist/vocalist Dave Pagan ó engaged in a little bit of campaigning, which is perfectly legal. The band reminded fans about the 2000 Best of Readers Poll on some flyers and on their internet website (www.struttrain.com), the latter considered by Cashdollar to be the most effective form of promotion since itís ìthe fastest way to get your music worldwide.î MP3 downloads aside, the band has plenty of work to do on the local grass-roots level.

ìWe want to keep working as hard as we have been in Fort Wayne, but also to expand it as far as we can go,î Cashdollar says. ìWe look at it as sort of a spiral. Weíll play in cities close to Fort Wayne and then just spiral out.î

So far, Strut Train has ridden the spiral to clubs in Muncie, Richmond and Chicago. The band is a regular favorite at the legendary Blue Bird in Bloomington. Cashdollar says that the group hopes to utilize connections to line up shows in some New York and New Jersey nightclubs by the end of summer.

Though the club circuit has embraced the young funkmasters, Cashdollar says that Strut Train also is interested in reaching a younger demographic.

ìThe people who are probably the most excited about music, CDs and live shows are the people under 21,î Cashdollar says. ìPeople over 21 can go to clubs and see bands all the time. People under 21 canít do that so they go to concerts. When I was that age, going to a concert was a big deal. Whatever concert is was was the highlight of the month.

ìIn Fort Wayne there are lots of places to play, but not a lot of places to play to all ages. Thatís something Fort Wayne could grow on.î

Strut Train gives the town a pinch to grow an inch with an all-ages gig at Picassoís (part of the Piereís Entertainment Center in the Marketplace of Canterbury) on March 9 with Northern Kind and Chaotica. As a member of IPFWís Vocal Jazz Group and Symphonic Winds, Cashdollar is gearing up for a 10-day tour of Colorado to take place in March. The aforementioned ensembles ó plus the University Singers ó are scheduled to perform at Columbine High School.

ìWeíll be playing a composition by David Gillingham called ëAnd Can It Be,í î Cashdollar says. ìThe piece is based on a hymn and it uses the really beautiful melody of the hymn throughout the piece. Then your hear a bunch of stuff thatís ugly in the middle. The piece symbolizes the school ó which stands for everything good and pure ó and then the violence that disrupted it. By the end of the piece, you get the feeling that everythingís going to be all right. It should be a very emotional performance.î

Back in the Fort, however, the emotions exhibited by Strut Train are a bit less complicated. The band blasted into 2000 with a track on 96.3-FMís extremely popular Extreme Essentials 4 CD and wrapped it up as whatzupís Performer of the Year. Cashdollar and crew are sure to spread the love around, as the guys dig the local scene and make sure to make the rounds at shows performed by their local contemporaries.