music
What: Clint K Band
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Where: The Yacht Club, 530 Wis.
Ticket Information: 842-9445
Brothers gonna work it out Clint K Band invigorates Lawrence with strong 'Three Man Show'
THE CLINT K BAND just released its latest CD "Three Man Show." Band members, from left, are Clint Kueffer, Jason Green and Chet Kueffer.
Thad Allender/Journal-World Photo
By Geoff Harkness
gharkness@ljworld.com
One of rock's unspoken rules is that bands led by brothers (Oasis, The Black Crowes, Van Halen) tend to squabble once in a while.
"We're not that bad," Chet Kueffer, bassist for Clint K Band laughs. "But we have no problem with being honest to each other. There's a high amount of information exchanged, very rapidly and very loudly."
"We fight sometimes," his brother, vocalist/guitarist Clint Kueffer adds. "I mean, any brothers do. We're not perfect; we get along pretty well. We have our moments."
"I think it would be pretty funny if we videotaped a practice, arranging a song," Chet says. "Someone watching it would go, 'Man, they're gonna kill each other."
The members of Clint K Band (the Kueffer siblings and drummer Jason Green) probably won't be killing each other anytime soon. With a sparkling new CD ("Three Man Show") just released, gigs lined up months in advance and an ever-expanding fan base, the Lawrence-based trio is probably too busy these days to sweat the small stuff.
Early obstacles
Clint Kueffer debuted in 1997 with a solo effort "Clint K," where the singer/songwriter/guitarist was backed by an assortment of area musical pals. Though the effort offered mere traces of the Clint K Band sound, tracks like the running-to-stand-still bluster of "Send Daddy Home" showed the bandleader's burgeoning ability to match poppy hooks with lyrics that walk on the dark side.
With an album under his belt, stars in his eyes and a handful of new tunes in the works, Clint began searching for the perfect backing band. Former No One's Judge drummer Jason Green fit in nicely with Clint's pop rock vision,
adding rhythmic snap and weight in all the right places. Finding someone to hold down the low end proved even easier.
INSIDE
"He didn't have to look very long to find a bass player," Chet deadpans. "He never really looked. I just sort of stepped in. It was hard for a while because when we started, I was still in high school. I was in sports, and it was like I had a meet or Dave had a basketball game or there was a Valentine's dance. It was just a fun thing to do, but it sort of blossomed."
"It was gonna be Clint K and the whatever — Clint K and the Hot Rod Corn Pickers." Clint explains. "But we never really settled on that, it was a little too country for us. Clint K Band just stuck so we went with it."
Coming up with the right name for the newly formed outfit proved a more arduous task.
Clint K Band took to the
local music scene with determination and persistence, making sure it got a gig somehow, somewhere at least every few weeks. That strategy allowed the trio to hone its skills in a live setting, solidifying its sound with each new show. Within a couple of years denote the look of a "real"
— despite the lack of a real record — Clint K Band was showcasing at prestigious gigs like Kansas City's annual Spirit Fest and winning local battle-of-the-bands contests.
"It didn't really kick into high gear until 1998," Clint says. "We've been doing close to between 40 and 50 shows a year for a couple of years. When we first started, it was like a show a month. We've never missed a month since we started, we've had at least one show every month since August of '97."
in achieving musical success:
stage fright.
"I had very little (performing) experience prior to this," Clint says. "When we first got going, I was sick before every gig. I'd go to the bathroom and puke like six times. I used to be shaking."
Forty to 50 gigs a year might have semed daunting at one time for the group's frontman, who was forced early on to overcome the biggest obstacle
"Just like anything in life the more you do something the longer you do it, you're gonna see signs of improvement," Chet adds.
'Go'in pop
When Clint K Band entered Mercy Studios last year to record its debut proper, the previous months of rehearsals and gigs paid huge dividends. Recorded in one week of 10 hour days,"Here We Go" announced the presence of a rock solid unit with a style and flair all its own. From the opening notes of the first track, "Angels Met," it was clear that Clint and company
PLEASE SEE Clint K, PAGE 4
Cover Ham radio
The creators behind KJHK's "Queer Radio" add a comedic spin to Lawrence airwaves.
page 6
Cover photo by Melissa Lacey
Featuring Joydrop
Premieres at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Thursday, with replays at 9:30 p.m.Friday and Monday-Wednesday and 10 a.m.Sunday on Sunflower Channel 6.
Sunday's Arts
Winning exhibitors at the Lawrence Indian Arts Show meld materials and images to make strong cultural statements.
The Mag is a weekly arts and entertainment guide published on Thursdays by the Lawrence Journal-World, 609 N.H., Lawrence 60644.
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2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2001
THE MAG/LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD