Over the last couple years of intimate shows at the Woodshop Listening Room, Alex the Band developed a lovely repertoire of quiet ballads about intense subjects. And now they’re sick of playing them.
That’s why Alex Volz, frontman of Alex the Band, has officially declared that era of his band to be over. “Enough with all the sad songs,” he announced to a plate of reheated mozzarella sticks, “It’s time to rawk!”
Volz hopes that his stylized spelling of the word “rock” is a clear indication of his musical intent. “I want to get sweaty and loud and I want to rip some wicked guitar solos,” he said.
In the distant past, Volz was known for playing louder and more aggressive rock n’ roll. That may come as a surprise to anyone who’s seen Alex the Band perform recently. Songs about dying dogs, dying parents, and dying grandparents have dominated his sets. And the music has become so minimal that his concerts have started to feel more like spoken-word poetry readings.
But years ago, before he was a broken old man, Alex Volz was quite fond of rawking. “My band in LA had three guitars. We were a mix of Skynyrd and GNR, and I’d climb on top of bars and kick people’s drinks over and slam people into each other,” he said, wistfully gazing into his plate of air-fried cheese.
And while he hastens to add there will be no moshing or beer-kicking at his next Woodshop show, he’s promising a hearty rawk vibe that he described as, “a mix of Tom Petty, early DBT, and a lukewarm protein shake you find in the car when you’re late to work.”
The band features John Benjamin Davis on electrified fiddle, Cody Ray on baritone guitar, Ross Singer on fretless bass, and the incomparable Scott Keil on drums.
“I’ve probably written fifty rawk songs over the last year, and the band has jammed on about 20 of them,” Volz shared. “And from there, we’ve whittled it down to six or seven we really like.”
While Alex the Band plans to rawk, they don’t plan to abandon any of the lyrical ambition Volz developed over the last couple years in the singer/songwriter scene. “I hope to strike a balance between good time party riffs and lyrics that hit you in the heart. I’m really excited to share this music with folks.”
If you’d like to see this newest incarnation of Alex the Band, you can catch them at the Woodshop Listening Room on Thursday August 21st at 8pm. They will follow the Joel Forelines Soul and BBQ show that happens from 6pm-8pm.
Get more info at kickassconcerts.ticketspice.com/alextheband