By Lee B. Roberts
lroberts@journaltimes.com | Posted: Thursday, June 11, 2009 12:00 am
One look at Mike Jarvis and the rest of the Lackloves and you can see that these bandmates haven't lived long enough to have experienced the 1960s. Yet the music of that era has had a strong influence on the Milwaukee-based power pop group which will play in Racine for the first time Saturday night, June 12, for the opening of Downtown's Summer Nights at the Square concert series.
With melodies and harmonies reminiscent of the British Invasion sound, the Lackloves are "dedicated to bringing you pure, catchy-as-all-get-out, genuine, unadulterated pop music that is uncompromised by 'Big Music' whatsoever," according to their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/lackloves). And much of that focus stems from singer/songwriter Jarvis. whose Waukesha home was filled with the sounds of the '60s and '70s while he was growing up.
The youngest of four boys, Jarvis says it was his oldest brother's Beatles album that first hooked him into the pop movement.
"My parents were also very musical and there was always plenty of rock and roll around, from Elvis and the Beatles to the Everly Brothers," Jarvis said.
While his siblings studied piano at an early age (Mom was a pianist), Jarvis skipped straight to the guitar.
"By the time they got around to me, my parents had softened," said the former co-leader of the Blow Pops.
And even before he could strum the strings, Jarvis was writing songs.
"Music would just pop into my head," he remembers. "I'd be running around playing Nerf basketball and singing these crazy little songs."
All of his singing and writing since has paid off for Jarvis and company as the Lackloves, which formed in 1996, have been getting a lot of airplay with their most recent release, "Cathedral Square Park" (2008), on radio stations in Milwaukee (88.9 FM) and elsewhere. College stations in Chicago, Boston and other northeastern cities have been giving it play, Jarvis said, as well as some more surprising locations such as Salt Lake City and the Bible Belt.
The Lackloves also took home two Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards this year, in the categories of Alternative Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, for "Hallmark Stars" (they were also nominated for Album of the Year). And, since signing with the New York office of Rainbow Quartz Records in 2001, they have toured throughout Europe and Japan, as well having performed at the Chicago International Pop Overthrow Festival. The band also had a track licensed by and featured on MTV's reality show "Made."
The Lackloves - also featuring Kevin Ponec on bass, Howard Ellis on guitar and Chris Lehmann on drums - are looking forward to their show in Racine, which will include both original work and cover songs, Jarvis said.
"You've got to give people a few songs they can sing along to," he said.
The rest of the Summer Nights at the Square season will feature:
July 11: Marvin & the Dogs Reunion Concert. One of the hottest original R&B bands in this region from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, Marvin & the Dogs still have a loyal following in Racine today.
Their Monument Square performance will be a rare opportunity to hear these musicians play together again. Since their split in 1985, each has gone on to other musical and business pursuits. Guitarist Marvin Dykhuis is now based in Austin, Texas, where he performs with Tish Hinojosa and does production and studio work.
Mark Paffrath, who plays drums and sings with the Dogs, is well known here for his work as a singer/songwriter and can be heard playing guitar, mandolin and more at various venues throughout the region. Richard Holly (harmonica, guitar, vocals) is still very involved with music, while having pursued a career in electronics and computer science. Racine native Randy Glines will play bass for the group's reunion, as the original bass player, John Redmann, died in a tragic accident in 2003.
Aug. 8: Kerri Sherwood. With 13 albums to her credit, the Wisconsin-based Sherwood write and plays instrumental piano pieces, as well as vocal works. Her repertoire ranges from passionate original songs that tell real-life stories, to retro tunes, hymns and lullabies.
In addition to her nationwide performances in theaters and intimate concert venues, Sherwood plays a number of benefits for various organizations and foundations, from the Lance Armstrong Tour of Hope to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation. For more, go to:
Sept. 12: Trigger Gospel. Hometown country mixed with rock and roll - with a strong dose of melodic pop thrown in. That's the sound of Trigger Gospel, a Chicago-based band that is led by Phillipine-born (and Wisconsin raised) Anna Fermin.
A guitarist, songwriter and vocalist all rolled into one, Fermin lists Nina Simone, Butch Hancock, Steve Earle, baroque music and her Dad among her influences. Together with her band mates, which include Paul Bivans on drums/percussion, Scott Ligon on guitar and keyboard and Michael Krayniak on stand-up bass, she has shared the stage with musicians ranging from Johnny Cash to Robbie Fulks, Delbert McClinton, The Jayhawks and more.
To listen to Trigger Gospel, go to: http://www.triggergospel.com
Hosted by the Downtown Racine Corp., Summer Nights at the Square is made possible by a grant from the Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, as well as media sponsorship from WRJN and Lite Rock 92.1 radio and The Journal Times.
If You Go
WHAT: Summer Nights at the Square featuring the Lackloves
WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Monument Square, corner of Sixth and Main streets. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors at Festival Park.
COST: Free
NOTE: Bring your own lawn chairs. Refreshments will be available for sale.
INFO: Go to http://www.racinedowntown.com or call (262) 634-6002.