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The Band
with No Name…Until Now
This is one hard-rocking trio, particularly effective when they play a song I’m actually familiar with, Jimi Hendrix’s Fire. My 21-year-old friend assures me that the guys do justice to the heavily-1990s modern rock that dominates their set list. “We like 311, Sublime, Opeth—they’re like a metal band that’s been around since the mid-‘90s,” Gordon tells me. I’m a little disappointed Gordon doesn’t know my favorite band from the last decade, Pavement, but at least this band works in some classic rock stuff from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. “We’ve been in bands together for four years,” Gordon says. “It’s good that it worked out with Will and Greg because they need the money, too. We’re really good friends with everyone at Helen Back.” I’m a little surprised at the turnout for an off-season Wednesday, but later discover it’s ladies night. “We have girls come up to us all the time, asking us ‘Do you want a girl singer in the band?’ But we’re doing just fine as a three piece.” Besides, when you’re a full-time working musician, the fewer personnel the better. “It’s all we do,” Gordon says. “We don’t have day jobs. We play music as much as we can—seven days a week if we could. But four gigs a week during the winter is pretty good. I’ve been a lot worse off.” So Gordon and his band mates keep playing. They keep busy making music. Mandel and Sloan are permanent members of the Fudpucker’s house band Black Eyed Blonde. Gordon was part of that group years ago. “I was looking at The Beachcomber…they had a picture of Black Eyed Blonde, and I was in the picture! I left that band in 2002.” Gordon’s current permanent gig is with Rumor Mill at Captain Fun’s in Pensacola. That band covers everything from classic Aerosmith to today’s modern rock alternative music. Gordon is also working on an original project with Mandel and Rumor Mill guitarist David Cox. “It’s called Majestic Terrace. A lot of people would say it’s ‘riffy’ like 311 or Incubus as guitar goes, but I like to add a lot of orchestration. I’m big inspired by Pink Floyd and the Beatles. Vocally, I incorporate a lot of Brian Wilson stuff.” You can check out some of the music this outfit has recorded—including collaborations with accomplished string musicians—at the Internet site, majesticterrace.com. In the meantime, this trio with no name continues to rattle the walls at Helen Back once a week. Actually, they do have a name now—Hot Phat. “We didn’t plan on coming up with a band name,” Gordon says, but the trio needed something going into an April gig at the Swamp. A couple other names were tossed around—the Kris Kristoffersons, the Sucks—but Hot Phat, suggested by the owner of Helen Back, is the one that stuck. I suggest they rename themselves Wyld Stallyns, the moniker used by Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in the Bill & Ted movies. A chord of familiarity is finally struck, as Gordon, Mandel, and Sloan play mock air guitar. So what if some of us old-timers don’t know all the songs—Hot Phat are bodacious and most non-heinous! WHO? Hot Phat
(for now): Lootinant Dan Gordon-vocals, bass; Greg Mandel-drums,
vocals; Willy D. Sloan-guitar, vocals. “We’re just
three guys goofing off and having fun,” Gordon says. |
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With
so many acoustic troubadours on the scene, it’s a treat
to find a band that is most defiantly plugged in and loud. With
so many jam bands floating around, it’s great to discover
a trio so tight. Longtime pals Lootinant Dan Gordon, Greg Mandel,
and Willy D. Sloan fuel the fire every Wednesday night at Okaloosa
Island hotspot Helen Back.Copyright © The Beachcomber, Inc. 2003 - 2008. All rights reserved.