Was Wilco singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy right when he claimed in Sam Jones' documentary, I am Trying to Break Your Heart, that a band needs a single leader? Does, as Tweedy said, a "circle need a center" after all? Makes sense, right? Art needs a clear direction, right? But wait, what about Sonic Youth? Doesn't their circle have, like, two and a half centers, maybe three? And aren't they, along with U2, a rock band that has remained artistically relevant for over a quarter century while maintaining the same lineup? Clearly, Tweedy's theory only works when convenient.

Fort Wayne-based rock trio The Chanticleer don't seem to have a center; in fact, they don't even seem to have a circle. They're too weird for such harmony, as individuals and as a unit – but in a good way. With a guitar sound reminiscent of Neil Young's melodic rawness and vocals that range from choirboy to goofball, The Chanticleer, again, don't seem like they should work. For example, most of their vocals tempt emo classification while their guitar work is precise, showy and rootsy in a Crazy Horse kind of way – a mix of attributes about as unlikely as they come. 

But, somehow, The Chanticleer works. They work despite the pure unlikeliness of their elements. 

Comprised of three longtime friends who were at one time in a high school drumline together, drummer Jon Manck, singer/bassist/guitarist Ian Pettit and singer/guitarist/bassist Remington Hart don't play by the rules. For starters, they have two members, Pettit and Hart, who play bass, contribute lead vocals and play guitar, switching duties back and forth throughout each set. The fact that Hart and Pettit have such different styles yet are still able to function as a seemingly concordant unit is the kicker. Maybe Manck is the center of the circle, holding it all together with his clean, framework drumming? Or maybe they're more of a triangle? Maybe, just maybe, they're the exception to Lord Tweedy's rule. Doesn't matter, they're good at what they do, and they know it. 

"We thought we could definitely compete with any band in Fort Wayne," said Hart when asked about his band's experience in 2007's whatzup Battle of the Bands. "We could compete with any band in the Midwest, and if we had all our friends and family come and vote for us, we would have won. But, really, we just did it to play for people." 

Whoa.

Talk about a grand statement chased by a humble disclaimer. To simply see Hart on stage (he seems quite passive, maybe even a bit detached), you wouldn't imagine him to be the type to wax hyperbolically about himself. But after hearing him play, well, let's just say that he can play the guitar. He can really play the guitar. And Pettit – known for his far from passive, even whimsical, stage persona – can tear apart an axe, too. Seeing Hart and Pettit switch back and forth, playing in completely different but equally masterful styles (not to mention tossing lead vocal duties back and forth, singing as if they're from different planets) and somehow making it work, that's the key. That's why Hart can get away with Tweedy-like grandness. 

Manck, who claims that the band entered the BotB competition because "we like free beer," says that the trio formed what would become The Chanticleer in early 2006 after performing under monikers like Horace Lutz and 7QS years earlier. This reunion happened seemingly because the three friends found themselves all living in the Fort Wayne again after Hart and Pettit left town briefly for Detroit and Bloomington, respectively.

"We all met in high school and played as Horace Lutz," explained Hart. "After the turn of the century I moved to Detroit, then came back four years later and we made The Chanticleer." 

The unlikely chemistry at the gut of The Chanticleer (a band who share their name with not only a coastal Carolina newspaper but also a science fiction fanzine, a rooster, a Glen Campbell film role and, most prominently, a popular male vocal ensemble) is the result of two things: the trio's familiarity with each other's musical preferences, directions and aspirations; and a shared long-running history with music that dates back even before high school. 

"Music has been my 'end all, be all' since I picked up a violin in second grade," said Pettit. "I played that for four years; then later on I used that [groundwork] to learn guitar and bass, which I have been playing for about 10 years now. I've also played drums for 13 years and sung for 13 years. I'm mostly self-taught, aside from a few lessons. And I studied voice at IU." 

Hart's history with music is just as extensive. "I'm mostly classically trained," he said. "I have been in a number of symphonic choirs and bands, and I took a lot of private lessons through the years. I've been learning music since pre-school, really." 

"I think we all share an appreciation of quality songwriting, good lyrics and stellar jams," said Pettit when asked about the band's development. "And though we all listen to everything from classical music to gangster rap, we each bring our own unique voice to the table when we create music together." 

Though they don't yet have any official recorded music to speak of, you can see the history, the ease and the familiarity of the three musicians on stage. While performing throughout the Battle of the Bands The Chanticleer were one of the least known acts to take the stage, but you'd never have known it. "I don't see any reason we wouldn't enter the Battle of the Bands again, especially since we did so well the first time around," said Pettit. "As of now we're still relatively under the radar, so we will be playing a few shows here and there, hopefully getting more fans along the way."

As this improbable (and still very young) trio of players continue to stretch their legs and find their niche, fans and future fans can expect recorded music of some sort in the not so distant future. "Our short-term goal is to finish up this home studio demo we've been working on," said Pettit. "Four of the songs will, of course, be on our MySpace page [found at www.myspace.com/thechanticleer]. Then maybe once we get some cash together we'll record an album. We definitely have enough songs to do so."

Be sure to keep an eye out for this all too talented trio of creative musicians in the year to come. They're working hard, and, as Iggy Pop would say, "the proof is in the pudding."

Copyright 2006 Ad Media Inc.