Alex Stiff stuck his feet in the pool at his hotel on Fredericton’s north side. The bassist for The Re cord Company was a long way from the beaches of Los Angeles. He, along with lead singer and gui tarist Chris Vos and drummer Marc Carzorla, start ed recording the blues in sunny LA just hours after they started jamming less than a year ago. Already they’ve become a must-see act that had Harvest fans on their feet.
Stiff never expected all this to happen because he answered an ad in the music press. When Vos moved to LA from Wisconsin he put an ad online for a circle of musicians and that’s exactly what he found.
“We were friends. It sounds like I’m describ ing my relationship with my wife. We were friends before we started making music ya know, like friends before we dated. We hung out for about a year and got to know each other.”
Vos said he doesn’t know why they waited so long before they started to play music together. They spent many Friday and Saturday nights togeth er listening to records. They were spinning Jimmy Reid, Howlin’ Wolf and Chuck Berry before one of them suggested starting a band.
“I think I had a desire to play with those guys be fore we started talking about it. When we decided to do it, it was like click bang here we go.”
The band’s first performance, in January, was an impromptu set in their living room where they re corded their EP Superdead. Vos described the rela tionship between band members as “brotherlike.”
The recording was as natural as the friendship, says Chris Vos. “It just kind of started happening. When you play with people who are on the same wave length as you, I link it to random amazing con versation. Say you meet someone you just hit it off with because we really are speaking to each other, musically that is.”
And judging by the reactions of crowds at the Hoodoo tent, it was another amazing conversation Saturday. The band, which plays a rough-edged, rockin’ blues, have critics comparing them to the Black Keys.
New fan Steve Langille saw both sets Saturday. He had never heard of The Record Company be fore this week but this won’t be the last time he listens to them.
“Everybody that was around were freaking out because they were so good. Maceo Parker is like a legend and we came here to see The Record Com pany,” said Langille.
Langille comes to the city from Hampton every year to attend the festival.
Marc Cazorla plays the drums for the band and was scanning the crowd before their midnight show. He adjusted his skinny black tie and his eyes were darting around the tent.
“It’s starting to fill up in here,” Cazorla said. “We had an afternoon show full of families and children and Chris [Vos] charmed them. We got a standing ovation from a bunch of four year olds,” Cazorla smiled.
“Our goal in life as musicians is to enlist the spirit in people. You try and life your own spirit and you hope others come along with you. That’s really excit ing when that happens.” Said Vos. “When the crowd is participating with the band, something special happens and it’s a circular energy build. We don’t like to section ourselves off. I like to interact with people. Up arrow stuff. Point your finger up and that’s where we’re planning on taking you.”
