|
Big Wu to woo SCSU campus
By Drew Sandholm
Live at the Atwood Memorial Center's (AMC) ballroom, nationally renowned jam band the Big Wu is scheduled to play this Sunday. The show kicks off at 7p.m., doors open at 6p.m.
Presented by the University Program Board (UPB), Sunday's concert is anticipated to be a huge success.
"I think we're going to have a good turnout," second year SCSU marketing major and UPB Concerts Coordinator Ryan Meints said. "We can never predict sales, but we all have a good feeling about this. They seem to have a good fan base."
Based in Minneapolis, The Big Wu's roots are distinctly Midwestern. The Big Wu formed when its members were attending school at Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.
The band is based around the nucleus of vocals/guitarist Chris Castino, guitarist Jason Fladager and percussion/vocals Terry VanDeWalker. Bassist Andy Miller joined in 1995 and keyboardist Al Oikari a year later.
Starting by playing small bars and clubs in and around the Northfield campus, the band quickly evolved into a local music powerhouse, combining a wide variety of musical tastes and genres from classic to funk, to bluegrass.
In 2000 The Big Wu released "Folktales" on Rising Phoenix Records. A reissue of the band's debut "Tracking Buffalo through the bathtub" is also available.
Terry Van De Walker, percussion/vocals of the Big Wu, recently sat down with the University Chronicle to discuss the band, influences, and music in general.
University Chronicle: Do you think critics get what you try to do?
Walker: Critics generally mean people who don't like the band. That's what they are there for. I don't really mind if people dislike the Big Wu because I think I'm like most people. I like music too, but don't like all types of music. You know, I am like a lot of other people. I don't take it offensively. For every person who 'doesn't like the Big Wu,' I'd like to think there is a person who does. There is a world of people out there. But when it comes to the albums, I care what people say. That's just like every other band, you know? There are people who say good things and people who are a little harder to win over.
University Chronicle: Who did you listen to in your formative years?
Walker: I'm a lot like everybody else in the Big Wu. I mean we grew up listening to all the music that was prevalent in the 70s and 80s. Pretty much anything though. I mean, pretty much anything that was on the radio in the 70s, 80s and 90s, you know? I was into Guns 'n Roses and Van Halen. For me, drummer-wise Van Halen came out in the 70s, just at the right age for me to really get 'rock.' That's when I first realized 'power drum' and a lot of that stuff. My parents were church goers, like every week. So we'd listen to a lot of church or gospel music growing up. Kind of boring stuff, so I needed to get out of that rut. I busted out when I got my first Columbia House 13 albums and found Van Halen and Def Leppard "Pyromania."
University Chronicle: How was it like before the band got signed?
Walker: Life before we signed with Phoenix was just a lot of playing and a lot of practicing. We played at the Terminal for a year, at the Caboose two years, every week. You know, so it was a lot of playing. Then Phoenix came and wanted to sign us and that was a big boost for us.
University Chronicle: Does the band have any goal or mission statement?
Walker: I guess underlying. That's a good question too. I mean, we didn't really talk about it, but we still all have the same moral fabric, I suppose, underlying. We're good people and we treat people fair. I suppose we wanted to be a band to have fun and not to have the storybook ending of every other band which is they start to hate each other and break away. So I guess our goal was just the music. We were potentially a bar band. We're here to have fun. Our mission statement, casually speaking for me, would be to play good music and not screw anything up. We just want to have fun and not wreck the opportunity.
University Chronicle: What do you love love about your job?
Walker: For a living, I got to admit being a drummer. I mean, it's hard for me to believe sometimes that I make a living playing drums because, you know, I'm not the best drummer in the world. Ultimately, I am the drummer of the Big Wu. My first show, it was my first show at a bar, and just the lights, smoke and people. I remember thinking: 'Wow, this is amazing. People are going crazy and we're only playing cover songs.' I really got addicted.
University Chronicle: The Big Wu sold out the Paramount Theatre last year, how do you feel about coming back to St. Cloud?
Walker: Oh man, I love Saint Cloud. We've had a relationship with that town for a long time. It's kind of our brother to the west. We played Minneapolis and Saint Cloud a lot. We played a lot of Red Carpet shows. I remember playing in the dead of winter; everybody was having a really good time. Everyone would get back from the SCSU hockey game and come and see us play afterwards. It was a good time for us and still is.
Tickets are available at the Atwood Information Desk and at the Electric Fetus. Student ticket prices are $10, while public tickets run just $15. Student rates are only available at Atwood. Big Wu tickets can also be charged by phone at 320-255-4081. For more information, contact UPB at 320-255-2205.
|
|
|
|
Privacy Policy Network Advertising Article Syndication
|
|
