 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
|
MusicThe Polyphonic Spree: a musical and social experiment - 09/26/03BY PAULINE M. MILLARD Associated Press Writer  NEW
YORK (AP) _ When Tim DeLaughter first had the idea for the Polyphonic
Spree, he didn't consider the tour bus question. DeLaughter, former lead singer of the '90s rock group Tripping Daisy, knew he wanted a large band to play sunny pop music with layers of harmonies and instruments. Three years ago, his dream came to fruition. "It was also a sort of social experiment. I didn't know most of these people when they joined," DeLaughter said of his current 25-person, white-robed troupe, which released the album "The Beginning Stages of..." in June. "I was just looking for excellent musicians. Only one of the singers is actually trained, the rest were mostly just people who liked to sing in their cars," he said before a recent soundcheck at the Central Park Summer Stage in New York City. Today, the Polyphonic Spree has become successful enough to tour Japan, England and the United States, where they travel for three weeks at a time on an enormous bus equipped with 22 bunk beds, a bathroom - but no shower. Group members joke about the foibles of being on the road, such as sleep deprivation, keeping tabs on their food and "tour syndrome," which is feeling like you're asleep even when you're wide awake. Then there's "tour mouth." "That's when cursing goes up to 11," said trombone player James Rimer, a former computer programmer from Dallas area, where DeLaughter is from. Privacy becomes a premium on the road. Between venues, many members disappear behind headphones, while others simply wander away from everyone once they actually get off the bus. Others keep their energy fresh by making sure to hang out with different members of the band. "There's definitely a ying and a yang to it all," Rimer said. Behind it all, there's DeLaughter. "I really had no idea how we were going to interact as a band, exhaust our energy or how that would affect each other. I didn't put much emphasis on the personal interaction of the group. It kind of just worked itself out," he said. "The music was always there. It came from the very beginning. But then what came after that was beautiful and moving." And eclectic. The band includes a french horn, harp, flute, theremin and flugelhorn, among other instruments. "We've become such a guitar, bass, drum, keyboard-based world in the last 30 years," DeLaughter said. "We've kind of lost that there is a whole plethora of other instruments out there that you can still rock out with." Growing up, DeLaughter was heavily influenced by groups such as the Fifth Dimension and the Association, as well as Walt Disney storybook records. "You would have thought that the Fifth Dimension was a religious band but they weren't, they were just spirited. And it translated so well," he said. "I look back and it's all that kind of music that sounds like my band now." DeLaughter writes all the songs, but encourages members to improvise on their instruments. That method reaches its zenith at live shows. The energy created between the band and the audience mixes into a powerful wall of sound, especially during their flagship song, "Sun." The horns begin to improvise, the choir harmonizes, the flutist chirps. DeLaughter, soggy with sweat, leaps across the stage. It's hard to know where to look first - sometimes it seems like it may take several visits to several concerts to get the full effect of a Polyphonic Spree show. The impact is heightened by the white robes that have come to define the group's image. They were originally DeLaughter's idea as a simple way to make the group look unified on stage. However, some have come to think that the Spree is some sort of cult. "We haven't adopted any sort of religion, although I do think that we've adopted hope," DeLaughter said. "That's kind of where I'm coming from. And you've got to be hopeful to have a band like this." Polyphonic Spree tour dates Tour dates for the Polyphonic Spree: Sept. 25: Birmingham, Ala., WorkPlay Theatre Sept. 26: Asheville, N.C., The Orange Peel Sept. 28: Philadelphia, First Unitarian Church Sept. 29-30: Toronto, Ontario, Lee's Palace Oct. 2: Detroit, Shelter Oct. 3: Cleveland, The Grog Shop Oct. 5-6: Chicago, Empty Bottle Oct. 7: Chicago, Metro Nov. 10: Louisville Ky., Headliners Nov. 12-13: Lawrence, Kan., Liberty Hall Nov. 14: Boulder, Colo., Fox Theater Nov. 15: Englewood, Colo., Gothic Theater Nov. 17: Seattle, Graceland Nov. 18: Portland, Ore., Aladdin Theatre Nov. 19-20: San Francisco, Slim's Nov. 22: Los Angeles, Universal Amphitheatre Nov. 23-24: San Diego, The Scene Dec. 19: Dallas, Lakewood Theater |