Artist Information
Biography
Living by their motto, "Putting the FU in FUN", this "circus rock" band has been all over the country. Performing in the smallest of dungeon-like local dive bars all the way up to big the stages like the Chicago House of Blues and the Van's Warped Tour 3 years and running, The Banana Convention is like a naked clown car in your ears.
Leading the pack on vocals is the extremely talented, and equally as beautiful, Shar "The Mighty Afrodytee" Molina. She can belt out her lead vocals with all the power and soul of the greatest singers of any genre. Her vocal range and energy keep the audience engaged and focused on her and on her every sultry move.
Percussionist Monte Nothelfer shakes the meanest tambourine this side of Davy Jones, while backing up Afrodytee with his unique vocal style. Bassist Sean Drysdale keeps the funky flow while drummer Chris Howard's punk-like beats provide the high octane fuel that rocket the band into the stratosphere. Jake Voisine on guitar has been banned in several non-smoking establishments because his licks come so fast and furious that his guitar neck has been known to catch flame.
Describing the band as sounding like "No Doubt jello wrestling with Weezer", The BC's musical extravagnaza will keep audiences of all ages entertained, dancing, smiling, laughing, and just plain old having a great time. Feet tap, hearts pound, and bodies move, all from the exuberance and intoxication brought upon them by The Banana Convention. It's only a matter of time before they're on to bigger stages and venues, so catch 'em now while they're still "underground"
The Banana Convention has been lucky to have been a part of the following:
Motor City Music Conference 2005
Opening for The Bay City Rollers
Opening for ? and the Mysterians
Opening for Foreigner - Bay City River Roar
Opening for All Time Low - House of Blues, Chicago
Detroit Metro Times Blowout 2005-2008
Midpoint Music Festival 2008 - Cincinnati
Girls Rock and Girls Rule Music Tour 2008 - Cincinnati
Kevin Says Stage at the 2008 Warped Tour - Pittsburgh
Ernie Ball Stage at the 2009 Warped Tour - Detroit
Kevin Says Stage at the 2010 Warped Tour - Detroit
Milwaukee PrideFest 2010
Rock Your Way To The Top Runners-Up 2010
Slurpee/7-11 Battle of the Bands Finalist
Instrumentation
Shar Molina - Lead Vocals
Monte Nothelfer - Percussion, & Vocals
Chris Howard - Drummer, & Vocals
Sean Drysdale - Bass
Jacob Voisine - Lead Guitar.
Discography
The Basement EP
SplashZooka
The Ghetto Diamond(s)
Dirty Negatives
Freeze Dried Eclectic Singles
Free Lap Dances Vol. 4 Compilation CD
Live @ White's Bar
Free Lap Dances Vol. 5 Compliation CD
Taking Back The Fun
Links
Video
Press
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Banana Convention Rocked the Hidden Camel!
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Some of the most talented musicians and performing artists are from right here in Michigan. From Mot...Some of the most talented musicians and performing artists are from right here in Michigan. From Motown to Madonna and Eminem, Michigan has cultivated some of the biggest industry-changing artists. The up-and-coming band from Saginaw, Banana Convention, is one to be sure to remember. They played for their first time in Lansing at Oade’s Hidden Camel in Reo Town. Banana Convention has performed all over the country, and played on the Van’s Warped Tour for three years. Consisting of five members, they have powerful energy on stage and play with youthful enthusiasm. They say they are a mix of No Doubt, B-52’s, and the Presidents of the United State of America, and I would have to agree with them. Their set was a mix of originals, and popular cover songs.
Over the years, Banana Convention has stayed consistent with their goal of featuring the best talents of all of their members, with Shar Molina, current lead vocalist, being the 40th unique member of the band. Their polished, professional and strong sound made me feel like I wasn’t listening to just an ordinary, out-of-tune band. The vocals were prominent, the instruments crisp, making Banana Convention a class-act. During sound check they made the proper adjustments quickly but not being satisfied until it was perfect.
I’m glad Monte Nothelfer, the percussionist, invited Lansing Rocks out to see them perform. I have never seen anyone shake a tambourine with such volcanic style as Monte. I could watch him for days. He even gave me some cowbell! Lead vocalist Shar Molina is absolutely stunning. Warm, with a vibrant personality, her vocals are amazing. She has an incredible range. Her energy is electric, jumping and dancing around the stage with each song. You have no choice but to just be in the moment, enjoying every single note put out by the band. Jake Voisine had me laughing from the moment I said hello to him. He’s got a great sense of humor, and his guitar skills are incredible. Sean Drysdale is a talented bassist, with some of the quickest fingers I’ve ever seen. It was mind-blowing to watch him play with such wild abandonment. Chris Howard had the whole crowd dancing to his complex beats on the drums.
When you go to see The Banana Convention, be sure to get their banana-shaped thumb drive with their four albums on it! There are live recordings on there as well! It’s a great way to keep the party going long after the final set is over.
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The Banana Convention: Six Years of Songs and Fun
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On Saturday, February 27th, the Banana Convention will take the stage at Bay City's Arlington, the s...On Saturday, February 27th, the Banana Convention will take the stage at Bay City's Arlington, the same stage where they played their first show six years ago. The anniversary has given original member Monte Nothelfer the opportunity to reflect on all the band has faced, from a changing cast of band members to an East Coast tour to CD releases. In fact, he has recently taken to write a "History of the Banana Convention," which will tell the complete story in four parts, three of which are already written and available online.
Among his favorite moments, Nothelfer cites winning the Westown Battle of the Bands and getting to open for Foreigner at the Bay City River Roar in front of 10,000 people in 2005. He also mentions the two years they played on Warped Tour, in Pittsburgh in 2008 and in Detroit in 2009, plus their recent East Coast tour where they played Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and NYC. He sums up his favorite times as "any time we go on the road," but quickly adds, "Really, just the fact that we still get to do this on a regular basis and that people still come out to watch us play is amazing."
The Banana Convention dates further back than their first show at the Arlington in February of 2004. In 1993, Nothelfer began playing in a band under the same moniker. "The band name came from an episode of The Brady Bunch," he explains. "It was the name of a band that Greg Brady joined in the 'smoking is bad' episode. It originally started as a gimmick, a complete joke, really. We were doing the '60s/'70s bubblegum pop thing in punk rock clubs in a sort of Andy Kaufman-esque bit. We did cover songs by bands like The Monkees, Ohio Express, and The Archies." Chris Howard, who plays drums and sings in the current band, was also a member of this original incarnation which lasted about a year.
In 2003, Nothelfer and Howard began discussing the possibility of doing a reunion show. Joining Nothelfer and Howard for the reunion shows were Bil Barrett on vocals, Jeff Cottrell on bass, Drew Sampson on guitar, and Aaron Haefele on keys. After playing three shows, the band broke up that December. However, the Banana Convention then came together as a whole new band with Nothelfer and Howard remaining, but now Josh Jekel was on guitar, Melissa May and Shar Molina shared vocals, and Matt Harvey was on bass. While still trying to stay true to the '70s bubblegum vibe, the band began to write their own songs. "Over time, the gimmick washed away," explains Nothelfer. "We did more and more originals, and we became a 'real' band."
The band has seen members come and go, and Nothelfer claims they've had 39 different members during the course of their entire existence, though he admits the number is a bit inflated since it includes a few people who just joined them on a single occasion to fill-in. When Jekel and May left the band in 2007, the Banana Convention made the conscious decision to move away from bubblegum pop and re-invent themselves as more of a rock outfit. However, it was important that the band maintain the fun and energy of what they had been doing for the previous three years. Anyone who has attended a Banana Convention show knows what kind of a high energy performance the band delivers.
The current line-up of the band has Sean Drysdale on bass and Jake Voisine on lead guitar joining Nothelfer, Howard, and Molina. Joe Balbaugh is a part-time member who joins the band on trombone and guitar from time to time. The band usually arrives dressed in all black and sporting bright yellow neckties. The stage show seems campily choreographed, with Nothelfer and Molina in constant motion, marching and bouncing around the stage. The shows are upbeat and polished. Covers of The Monkees and Ohio Express have been traded for covers of The Cure and Talking Heads, though the band does mostly original material now.
In 2005, the Banana Convention recorded a five track EP, Ghetto Diamonds. Then in 2007, shortly after guitarist Ray Torres joined the band, the Banana Convention recorded their first full-length album, Dirty Negatives, which they quickly followed up with Freeze Dried Eclectic Singles, a seven track EP. They also recorded a live album at White's Bar for Ray Torres' final show with the band, as he left to pursue his other projects and focus on his family. Once Voisine joined the band, they recorded Taking Back the Fun, which has sold out, but the other albums are available for sale through CD Baby, Amazon, and the band's website.
While the band is looking forward to returning to the Arlington and looking back at the past six years, they still have their sights on the future. This spring they will enter a studio to record a new album to be released this summer. "Once that's out, we will be focusing on a huge push of that and of us, trying anything we can to make that next step beyond a local/regional band and into a more national touring back. The American Dream, and all that," says Nothelfer. The main plans are to "continue to get out there and play, trying to get in front of as many new people as possible and get out music out there." -
"We Finally Got It Right"
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Five years after it regrouped for a reunion, 39 members later, The Banana Convention is, well, the t...Five years after it regrouped for a reunion, 39 members later, The Banana Convention is, well, the top banana in its game, said bassist Sean Drysdale.
Catch Drysdale and bandmates -- percussionist Monte Nothelfer, drummer Chris Howard, singer Shar Molina and guitarist Jake Voisine -- in action Saturday, April 4, in an all-ages show at Old Town Saginaw's Hancock Theatre. You also can give them a listen Saturday, April 11, at the Saginaw On Stage Music Festival at the Apple Mountain Resort.
Saturday, they play Bemo's in Bay City, and they return Friday, April 10, to an old haunt, White's Bar in Saginaw, for the release of their live album.
"We finally got it right," Nothelfer said of the recording, "mixed and ready and a lot of fun."
That's because no matter how much things change, he said, The Banana Convention always is about fun.
"We're not always playing the '60s bubble-gum music anymore, and it's not always a pop sound," Nothelfer said. "But we've evolved; we have a more mature sound now."
Despite the sudden spate of local dates, The Banana Convention stands on the brink of bigger things in its live performances, too. Playing on the musical network developed around the country, the band will head out this summer on a 10-day tour of 10 major cities along the East Coast. And they are waiting to hear if they have a spot again this year on the national Vans Warped Tour, hopefully in Detroit this time around.
Of the many bands that come to Saginaw at their invitation -- and host them in cities as diverse as Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. -- "We try to treat them well and hope they do the same in return," Nothelfer said, "We play with anybody, even if they're not exactly like what we do"
"I don't think that's possible," said Howard, who first joined forces with Nothelfer in 1993. On a more serious note, he added, "it's tough in this area. You have your metal bands, your punk bands, your acoustic bands -- it's all over the page ..."
But it is the '80s nostalgia bands finding most of the work, Drysdale said. That's why places such as Hancock Theatre and its openness is a welcome addition to the scene, Nothelfer said.
"Like Madonna, or Michael Jackson, we keep changing our faces," Molina said, and former band members such as Ray Torres leave their mark on the music The Banana Convention makes. Actually, Nothelfer said, many come back to join them for old time's sake.
"We're lucky to find the people we have as we turn a new page," he said. "Our focus today is more on areas outside of Saginaw, and recording our studio album."
"We want to be a national act," Molina said. "Who knows? It's not where we are now -- we've had our ups and downs -- but we keep coming back for more. We weren't so serious before, our music was not solid, but we developed a following that really digs us."
"Now we're just honing our craft. We're ready to make the personal sacrifices, and hope for a little luck."
Then there is Nothelfer's three-piece banana-yellow zoot suit, and Drysdale's Captain Morgan stance and Howard's ever-present lollipops as he kicks the smoking habit.
"People notice us for all of those reasons, and they come back to see what's happening," Molina said. "There's always at least one small group that shows up out of curiosity, and we grab a few new faces."
"We're a lot more approachable now. We know how to communicate. We're still here."
Sue White covers entertainment for The Saginaw News. You may reach her at 776-9601 or e-mail her at swhite@thesaginawnews.com. -
Mighty Meet You In Utmost Surprise
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The Banana Convention has defied all odds by shaking off its bubblegum image to become one of the mo...The Banana Convention has defied all odds by shaking off its bubblegum image to become one of the most intriguing rock hard bands in mid-Michigan. Never mind the pretense of the un-hip, these cats are evolving anti-bourgeois bohemian warriors that create music that transcends three chords and 2/4 beat.
Led by ringmaster Monte Nothelfer, the BC sound is now enveloped by Shar Molina's soul-stirring vocals and Ray Torres iconic guitar work. You have to believe your eyes and ears. This band will take a hold of you and squeeze all the juice outta the juke joint and leave you beggin' for more. The motion in their music rocks you into cozy daisy chain of good vibes and hot lovin' that you can't resist…don't even try.
The Banana Convention is touring the region and are readying an outdoor Summer Fest A Go-Go scheduled for 2pm at White's Bar on June 21st. The show is a 12-hour marathon of the best original music in mid-Michigan featuring a diverse set of artists including Gust, The Cartridge Family, Debbie & the Formfitters, Appearance & Reality, Holy Gun, The Honky Tonk Zeros, Smiley Face, the Mongrels and the unbelievable Bazooka Jones – featuring Viagra and Bullethead Jones, the most alluring and talented rock couple since Jack and Meg White did the hokey pokey and left Robert Bradley on the dance floor with his whole self in at the Eastern Market.
The Banana Convention open and close the show and will feature songs from their new EP, "Freeze Dried Eclectic Singles".
It marks a detour around the predictable and features some unexpected treasures, such as the thunderous metal rocker "She Makes It Easy" (sung so well by resident genius Chris Howard), the white lightning machine gun heat of "Fabrication", as well as the quiet introspection of Shar Molina's "Great Divide", where she channels Janis Ian through Alanis Morrisette in a most delightful way.
"Grand Illusion" is an all-out group effort that sends out a relentless rockin' kiss-off to all the pop star pretensions from the Mick Jagger School of androgynous stage poses and spastic dance steps. They honed and fretted and toyed with the song for about 8 months and their live performance will no doubt offer a unique arrangement with fresh thematic variations.
Resident guitar genius Ray Torres switched gears when he wrote "Eugene" and has been playing it for several years with a number of different bands. The BC version is absolutely astonishing, a beautiful ballad with elusive lyrics that hint at an underlying message of redemption.
"Ooo La La" was written back in 2003 and is one of my personal favorites. It possesses a cool B 52's vibe with great energy and an upbeat caterwauling instrumental backdrop that recalls the best of the early sixties girl groups. It wins me over every time.
Molina wrote "Crush" as a joke but it's more than just a sugary pop confection 'cos it dives straight into the hot excitement of all that boy/girl stuff when the promise of love is new and mysterious.
Monte Nothelfer, the grand wizard of ID, indulges his interest in Speilberg science fiction with "I Wanna Be Han Solo", a rockin' tour-de-force that is an absolute gas and a hoot of the highest degree.
This is a document of a band becoming itself, bidding farewell to the past and embracing the future while celebrating and accepting all of its triumphs and occasional sorrows.
Don't miss their heat when BC unleashes the best music in mid-Michigan at the Summer Fest A Go-Go June 21st, in the year of our cultural renaissance.
Peace
Bo White -
A little different, but still The Banana Convention
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Oily McBride Jr. can't hide his excitement. Known as Monte Nothelfer when he's not chumming with ...Oily McBride Jr. can't hide his excitement.
Known as Monte Nothelfer when he's not chumming with The Banana Convention, his eyes grow wide when he starts naming the cities they've played, the songs they've written, and the element of rock new guitarist Ray Torres brings to the mix.
They nearly pop out of his head when he looks ahead to Friday's live recording session at White's Bar, a night open to Banana-Fannas everywhere. An Nothelfer not only promises fun, but a surprise for those who haven't caught the group in recent months.
"It was a concsious decision we made, to change our sound and to get our name out there a little more," he said. "We still aim for fun, that's the key to our whole scene, but we're evolving, too."
That doesn't mean you're not going to hear "The Telephone Song" Or "Ooo La La" when Nothelfer and band mates Sean "Groovy Palm O'Poodertoot" Drysdale, Shar "Mighty Afrodytee" Molina, Chris "Fletch Bohanski" Howard, Joe "Trinidad Jones" Balbaugh, and Ray Torres hit the stage.
"Cool Bus," a staple of the band's travels, is memoralized in song, too, and the long gone gorilla may even make an appearance, he teased.
But Molina, now handling lead vocals alone, has "broken free and come out of her shell," Nothelfer said. "She's a great performer, out there and on her own."
Of course, she has a lot of support, musicall and occasionally on vocals, from the guys in the band. They've caught it all on an album, recorded in Nothelfer's living room, and an extended-play recorded at Central Michigan University, available on the band's web site, www.thebananaconvention.com.
"This is something we wanted to do for a long time," he said of the recordings, which will total three in the past year after Friday's live session.
And they are getting rave reviews wherever they perform, from Manhattan and Boston, to Dayton and Chicago. The Banana Convention plays Detroit at least once a month these days, and it scaled back Saginaw shows to once every six week as well, "so when we do play, it's an event," he said.
Openin Friday's show is Bazooka Jones, a Detroit band Nothelfer calls their "musical soulmates."
"They do the same things we do, bubble-gum pop with a female lead," he said. "And they have fun, too. Having all of us on one stage is going to be crazy."
Of course, that's business as usual for a group named after Greg Brady's garage band on "The Brady Bunch."
"It was the cigarette episode, though, of course, the cigarettes weren't really his," Nothelfer said, leaning foward in his chair. "Chris, Bil Barrett, and my brothers Matthew and Marty - the original Oily McBride - started that band in the early 1990s."
Nothelfer joined in, too, but they only played a handful of shows before going seperate ways. Then, in 2003, the Olde James Towne Hall decided to gather up it's veteran bands for a one-time reunion.
Something clicked that night, and it's only grown stronger since, even through personnel changes and a refocusing of style.
"We'd love a recording deal - that's the goal of any band - but even more, we just want to get out there more and keep playing," Nothelfer said. "We've been on Myspace since it started, networking with other bands, and we're swapping shows around the country, playing clubs and bringing bands back to Saginaw with us."
"It's fun to go on the road and hang out with our 'band friends'. It's fun to get out of town. It's all still fun."
A visit to Japan may even loom ahead as brother Matthew - "Thumbs Harvey" - makes connections there. Now producing the band when he's in the country, he's offered to set up shows if his former band mates can find the funds to make the trip.
"He said it wouldn't be that hard to get some shows going," Nothelfer said. "Things just keep opening up for us. Who knows what will come next?"
--Sue White -
Dirty Negatives Review
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The Banana Convention’s been happening for awhile now and they have weathered more poundings than a ...The Banana Convention’s been happening for awhile now and they have weathered more poundings than a catholic girl’s camel toe at high school band camp – it’s more than music being laid down in them woods, mother…
“No one will see us, c’mon over here…under the tree
But…ah…do you have any protection?
Umm…ah …no - but I’ll be careful
You sure?
I promise –I just need to be with you…I…ah…I loooove you
You do?
Ouch, put down yer flute, will ya
Ohh, I’m sorry…ok
Move your elbow
Ouch, that hurts!
How do you unbuckle that damn razzamfraszzzam
Here let me…
Ohh baby…
ohh baby…yes, oh YES
Oh baby…babybabybaby…OH YES…OOOOHHH - oops, sorry.
But the natural state of reality is change and BC has evolved with a series of events that unfolded and brought a welcome new energy into the band. Sometimes things get stale and this quality of stasis becomes a signal to another crossroad - an opportunity to let go and open up to the moment. It’s a state of mind that doesn’t disparage the past or idealize the future. Dirty Negatives is part of a dialectic of creativity and change. The music is edgier and rocks hard and heavy at points yet still retains elements of that early 60’s girl group sound that enamored so many of Banana Convention’s early fans.
The addition of one of Ray Torres, one Saginaw’s most innovative guitarists, no doubt boosted their musical capital and between Shar Molina’s husky soulful vocals, Monte Nothelfer’s excellent songwriting, the multiple talents of drummer Chris Howard and the surprisingly fluid and powerful basslines of Sean Drysdale the Banana Convention has a tight stripped down lineup that is ready to rock. The musical focus is no longer bubblegum – though that is always a worthy goal – it is an updated amalgam of styles and approaches that range from Motown to classic rock and experimental sounds. This is a time of possibilities…
The disc opens with Creed, a piece of ambient sound and fury that developed from a cool Sean Drysdale bass line and some heavy metal guitar slinging from inimitable Ray Torres. It recalls the tonal landscape of 7 O’Clock News/Silent Night, a mid-sixties effort by Simon & Garfunkel - though it seems closer aligned to Revolution #9, a Beatles’ experimental montage engineered by John Lennon. In the final analysis Creed is unlike either of its famous cousins, in that it speaks to BC’s self-doubting musical humility and its courage to observe itself as a good set-up band that can get the crowd moist and ready for the next act.
Cool Bus is a punked-up road trip song with a strangled lost-key vocal by Monte - and it’s just sloppy enough to make it real…Perfect! This is BC fulfilling the prophecy of the late/great B-52’s with just a touch of inspiration from the mods and rockers of the early-to-mid-sixties.
Friday is one of my favorites ‘cos it takes me back to the early days of rock n’ roll when I was listening to my mother’s Ronettes records. It hearkens back to a more innocent time that wasn’t innocent at all…it was just hidden - and every once in awhile when I heard Ronnie Spector moan ooh, oh, oh…I wanted to know more. Fridays’ updated girl group sound is sure to get people on the dance floor doin’ the bend it and shakin their groove thing. Shar Molina’s earthy singing takes the soda shop and varsity sweater to a more emotionally vulnerable hue and cry due to a lyrical theme of unrequited love. She sounds like a funkier Madonna circa Say a Little Prayer and has the pluck and pipes to make it real and break your heart..
Sugar Buzz combines a soulful Motown musical backdrop with red hot bubblegum leeeric that holds the lovin’ promise of Yummy Yummy. The buzz is more than just sexual release….it’s about love. And it’s irresistible.
The Telephone Song is a phenomenal 50’s style romp that recalls the theme of Billy J. Kramer’s modest hit, Little Children, that bemoans the presence of your best girl’s siblings ‘cos sometimes they’re in the way but if you play it smart and treat ‘em nice you just might win her heart and fulfill your wildest and sickest dreams. Every bubblegum song has a Sheila in it, right? But this one has a Danny too. There is a fine line between bubblegum and the West Side Story lovelorn juvenile delinquents. I love the verse - short and to the point- nothing else needs to be said:
“Danny let me talk to Sheila
Put your sister on the Line”
For Your Love is pure pop confection crafted by Graham Gouldman (of 10CC fame) back when he was just a wisp of a lad and it caught the ear of famed producer Giorgio Gomelsky who was working with the Yardbirds at the time. He took them kicking and screaming into the studio to record their first and most lackluster hit of their career. The Yardbirds hit version of the tune gave it legendary status as the reason Eric Clapton quit the band and created the musical impetus for him to form Cream. The rest is history…though Clapton would resurface years later with a version of I Shot the Sheriff so bereft of the energy and conviction of the original that it makes For Your Love sound like screamin’ EMO. The BC version gives it a new lease on life and a renewed sense of purpose. Shar and the boys take For Your Love from a place of shame to a rock n’ roll redemption. Molina’s soulful vocal anchors a sensual charm and gives it a warmed up groove that far surpasses the original.
She Makes it Easy is a rockin’ still-the-one love song that speaks to the everyday life of coffee and small conflicts that can rip at the seams of a long term relationship. You may get on each other’s nerves but you still hang on – there’s so many shared memories and deep affection and you still give it to each other. Licorice Whip begins with a pulsating bass riff, grinds up to breakneck speed-of-light rocker. This is raw and raucous bubblegum at its best like Alex Chilton doing a heavy metal take on Sugar Sugar - gives it a whole new meaning!
Prognosis is musically complex and has a minor chord vibe that is quite ominous. This is a difficult pill to swallow. The doctor lyric is somewhat of a cliché that serves to ease the raw pain and bitterness that’s underneath. The lyric may have been more authentic with a dose of misogyny and a whole lot of bad words.
Replan is a Ray Torres original. It’s a mid-tempo dance friendly arrangement belies the dark message in the song though Torres’ blistering guitar work underscores the cry of confusion and despair in the lyrics. The protagonist is in deep trouble, a downward spiral from which he feels no escape. He is immersed in misery and doesn’t know that the only way out of hell is acceptance. The chorus “Maybe I’ll pull up a chair and spin it through my replan” is a pre-contemplative stage that could prove hopeful or fatal depending on the level of denial - a heavy theme for BC and a signal of its deeper musical convictions.
Rust Belt Mama is a straight ahead up-tempo rocker with a marvelous bassline. The slowed-up 12 bar blues coda seems a fitting musical accompaniment to the metaphorical jab at the sad state of our community.
Anyway is a stone masterpiece that is both emotionally layered and lyrically complex. It’s an acoustic folk tune that tells a story about making peace with those things that you cannot change and finding meaning in suffering. Is it possible to let go? Shar’s mature vocal colors the lyrics in nuanced sepia tones reminiscent of Christine (Perfect) McVie prior to her soiree with Fleetwood Mac. This could be a college radio hit – that’s where the best music is heard.
On their first full elpee of tunes the Banana Convention reached deep and creates a body of music with emotional depth and maturity. It’s like 1910 Fruitgum Company in a 1969 concert at Mt. Holly promoting their final LP Hard Ride…heavy guitar, horn section, long jams…and then 1,2 3 Red Light . I loved every minute of it then and I love it now. Hats off to BC!
Peace,
Bo White
I loved every minute of it then and I love it now. Hats off to BC.
- Bo White
Setlist
We tend to stick to our original music, but on nights where we play all night long, our set usually consists of about a 50/50 mix covers to originals.
Our catalog of 20+ original songs range in style from funk to ska to sugary sweet bubblegum pop to old school punk to straight forward rock-n-roll. However, all songs are served on a platter of high energy along side a heaping helping of good times.
Our covers are ones that are typically rare to hear a live band performing, yet songs people are surprised and excited to be hearing; or they are some obscure gem that your Average Joe may not realize is a cover. We are not a "Brown Eyed Girl" or "867-5309" type of band.
Here's a small sample of some of the covers we currently perform:
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
Groove Is In The Heart - Dee Lite
Why Can't I Be You - The Cure
Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
Rio - Duran Duran
Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet
Excuse Me Mister - No Doubt
Hash Pipe - Weezer
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Sleep To Dream - Fiona Apple
Basic Requirements
Calendar
There are no upcoming dates at this time.

