NOTICE
Shake-ya-boogie with SELLOUT!
Behind the scenes with a local cover band
by Nina Libby nlibby@kansan.com
If you want to get down to the sounds of Journey, Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin, then SELLOUT! is the cover band for you. The Lawrence-based band is made up of eight ordinary people who transform into their favorite icons to play pop classics. Gene Simmons, Elvis Presley, Wonder Woman and Marilyn Monroe are just some of the faces you'll recognize on stage at SELLOUT! shows as the musicians play smash hits to get the crowd movin' on the dance floor.
Steve Ozark, SELLOUT! bassist and Gene Simmons look-alike, started the band eight years ago with guitarist Nick Kounas. Ozark says the band prefers covering pop songs rather than producing their own songs.
"We didn't name the band SELLOUT! meaning selling out venues. We named it meaning we've sold out completely—what we like to call cheese with extra cheese." Ozark says.
SELLOUT! plays over-the-top hits from the past 40 years, and focuses on '70s disco and '80s pop tunes.
"I go to all the SELLOUT! shows at the Jaz-
zhaus because I can dance to the music they cover," says Rachel Stelmach, Overland Park senior and SELLOUT! fan.
Steven Kurutz, author of the book Like A Rolling Stone: The Strange Life of A Tribute Band, explains the appeal of bands covering pop classics.
"Think about going out to a club on a Friday night. Do you want to hear songs you've never heard of or songs that you can dance to and have fun to?" Kurutz says. "Cover bands will get an immediate reaction from the audience when they play songs that the crowd is familiar with."
SELLOUT! is by no means a full-time job.The band performs on weekends at venues like the Bottleneck, the Jazzhaus and occasionally at weddings. When they're not performing, the members of SELLOUT! are working 9-to-5 jobs.
For the members of SELLOUT!,performing is a time to release and relax.
"Playing in SELLOUT! is both a passion and hobby for me," Ozark says. "Playing bass keeps my hands in shape, keeps me young, kills me early and as long as we're learning new songs it's exciting.'
Here's a look at the people of SELLOUT! as both performers and professionals.
photos by Alex Bonham-Carter
SELLOUT! poses at The Jazzbaz before playing for a packed crowd on October 4. The band impersonates characters of American history, fictional and non-fictional. The usual set of SELLOUT! is "jukebox covers from the past and present," with an emphasis on requests from the audience.
Jenny Smith — Singer
Smith was recruited for SELLOUT! after a former member of the band saw her perform at a Renaissance festival four years ago.
During the week, Smith is a distributor for Mel-O-Cream International, Inc., a business that makes bakery products for supermarkets.
Before SELLOUTI, Smith was a lounge singer at Harrah's Casino in Kansas City, Mo.
"I consider myself an entertainer; not a musician," Smith says. "After performing with SELLOUT! I realized that no other gig is as fun as this one."
"I started as Cyndi Lauper, but we had a personality conflict with that costume," Smith says. "Joan Jet was way too racy because I was about 40 pounds heavier at that time."
Smith says she picked Marilyn Monroe as her stage personality after a number of failed costumes.
Nick Kounas — Guitarist
On stage he is Jim Morrison,but during the week, Kounas is busy running two businesses.
Kounas started Splash Placement, an advertising agency in Lawrence four years ago. He also owns six rental properties in Lawrence.
He graduated from the University of Kansas 10 years ago with degrees in business and advertising.
Kounas acts as a "hype man" at SELLOUT! shows. He sometimes stops the vocalists to get the audience to sing along, or he'll jump off stage and play his guitar on the dance floor.
"SELLOUT! is a revolving door for a musician," Kounas says. "I've performed with nine different female singers, seven drummers, four horn players, five guitarists and two keyboardists."
Kounas has seen members leave and return and some that never come back.
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October 23,2008