Capt'n Groovy
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Capt'n Groovy

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"Dancing Machine"

Syncopated and dated: That's the way - uh-huh, uh-huh - Capt'n Groovy likes it

There's really no other way for us to say this, so here goes: C.W. Goetz is a disco-dancing farm boy. "We rehearse this disco music in a barn," said Goetz, 43, whose 1970s tribute band Capt'n Groovy rehearses in a barn near his farm in Ladd.

Wait, really?

"Yep, a barn. B-A-R-N," he continued with a chuckle. "It doesn't have cows in it or anything, but it's still a barn."

With more the a dozen members, Capt'n Groovy can play all kinds of Me Decade hits, including rock, funk, pop, soul, and yes, disco. So expect a wide variety of tunes when the band performs at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Peoria riverfront's CEFCU stage.

Before then, we lured Goetz out of the barn for a hip shakin' version of Cue & A.



Let's hear it: favorite captain of all time?
Probably Captain from Captain & Tennille. And the only reason was the guy was a very good keyboard player, I always thought.



I Would have gone with Cap'n Crunch, except that his cereal tears up the roof of my mouth.
(Laughs)Me, too! That's true, it tears up the roof of your mouth. ... Quite honestly, without the "captain" attached, Joe Namath. I mean, he was the leader and the coolest back in the '70s.



Why '70s Music?
Growing up in the '70's, I lived through this and always loved this kind of music. And quite honestly, the biggest thing is that this sort of music brings back memories of being a kid, of high school and being a teenager-good times. Most of us had good times back then, when we lacked all the stress and responsibilities that we have now.



How did you start the band?
For people my age, there...was nothing for us to go out and see and do that really appealed to me. Now, you can do that with certain tribute bands, like Beatle bands...or a Van Halen tribute band. But there was nothing with, like, disco and the Top 40, per se. There was never really a band that was, "Let's go play all the stuff that was on the radio." So I thought, you know, there would be the way to go. If I had something like that, I'd go see those guys every opportunity. So, that's where the idea developed from -- in part.



In part? What else happened?
The weird, funny part is, I started this group a little over two years ago. We were just a little three-piece thing, doing, like, Grand Funk and Aerosmith and the harder stuff like that. People loved it, but back then when we were doing that, people weren't dancing. ... I said (to my girlfriend),"What if there was a band that played all the stuff from the '70s that was on the radio?" I said, "Would you go see it?" And she said,"God, yeah, of course I'd go see it. Everybody would love that!" ... The whole idea really started from yours truly, idiot that I am, trying to impress my girlfriend.(Laughs.)

With so many members, is it impossible to keep track of everyone?
It was at one time, I think. It was, like, "You know, the guy we have on percussion."(Laughs.) But I think when you spend any amount of time with anyone...you get to know them after a while, on a first-name basis, and you actually become pretty good friends with them.
- Peoria Journal Star (07-09-07)


"That 70's Band"

Capt'n Groovy's retro show delivers disco, pop, and funk from the past


Among the members are trombone player Ron "Ronny Mack" Makeever, of Ottawa; trumpet player John "Bravo" Armstrong, of Utica; violinist Katie "Kat" Roy, of Ottawa; saxophonist Chad "Saxman" Taylor, of Ottawa; and Roy "Rev" Backus, of Utica. There are also several others from Peru, Dalzell, Princeton, and Malden.

The reason for so many members is arranging for the songs to be performed the same way they were originally in the '70s, Goetz said. A Capt'n Groovy performance includes a horn section, keyboards, strobe lights, fog machines and choreographed dance moves - and, of course, appropriately tie-dyed and dazzling disco attire to complete that '70s look.


The group made its debut performance Saturday at Celebrations 150 in LaSalle, cruising seamlessly through '70s-era pop classics like Sly & and the Family Stone's "Everyday People," ABBA's "Dancing Queen," the O'Jays' "Love Train" and KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight."

"I think it went off without a hitch. The show went very smoothly considering this was our debut," Goetz said.

"Everyone was in a great mood," he said. "It worked out pretty well, despite first-show jitters." Now that the group's first performance is out of the way, Goetz said he'll concentrate on lining up more shows throughout the Midwest. Because band members live throughout northern Illinois, he expects they will only be able to get together for a maximum of two shows per month.

The next performance on their schedule will be at a venue near the Illinois River in Peoria on Saturday, April 21.

Prospective fans also can check out eight of the band's musical performances at www.youtube.com.


- The Times (04-12-07)


"Lottery Taste Stage at Taste of Chicago on Sunday, June 28, 2009"

Capt'n Groovy saxophonist Chad Taylor of Ottawa, Ill., entertains the crowd gathered at the Illinois - Chicago Tribune (07-28-08)


"Ladd music group brings back 'groovy' sounds of the 1970's"

Ladd - Get ready to dig out the platform shoes and leisure suits. Retro-Mania II is coming to LaSalle. For the second year, Celebrations 150 will be the site of the '70s themed dance party.

Featuring music by Capt'n Groovy and special guest The Crowd, soul, funk, and disco fans of all ages will be able to shake their groove things at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 22.

Capt'n Groovy, who practice in the 'disco barn' just outside of Ladd, are perhaps the only 17-piece pop orchestra touring today, says C.W. "The Capt'n" Goetz, drummer and de facto leader for the group.

"We have a horn section and a string section, there's nobody that does that in rock and roll - at least not in the area," Goetz said.

Along with nearly three hours of music, a lucky costumed man and woman will boogie away with prizes from the 'best threads' contest, for wearing the most popular '70s outfits as decided by three judges.

Tickets are $15 in advance, through March 18, and $18 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Hummer Insurance, LaSalle; The Book Mouse, Ottawa; Johnny Ray's Bar & Grill, Mendota; and Austin Parker Naturals, Princeton.
- News Tribune (03-17-08)


"Disco: Back from the Brink"

Twenty-eight years after famed 'Disco Demolition,'Illinois Valley man tries to put disco pieces together

In between gigs playing AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, drummer C.W. Goetz decided to let his musician friends in on a dirty little secret: he liked disco and he liked to make people dance.
Was anybody, he asked them, interested in forming a disco band with him? Everyone wished Goetz lots of luck.

"I got snickers and I got laughs," shrugged the 43-year-old as he smoked a cigarette in his rural Arlington studio. "Disco got a bad rap on the '70s and I'm not quite sure why that was."

Convinced there were others who shared his love of the Partridge Family, Goetz spent much of 2006 scouring referral services and tapping his extensive network of musician friends for people who thought it'd be fun to play live disco. This Saturday, Goetz's talent search finally bears fruit: Capt'n Groovy, his 15-piece disco and funk band, takes the stage at Celebrations 150 in LaSalle.

Goetz will lead a crew of professional and semi-professional musicians through a song list that includes such '70s nuggets as "Dancing Queen," "I Will Survive," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Rock the Boat," "Car Wash," and "Disco Inferno."

And if the music weren't enough of a throwback, check out the band's stage act. Performing under a mirror ball, Capt'n Groovy features men wearing sequined white vest suits and women wearing fringed, psychedelic dresses that hearken back to TV's Laugh-In.

"I'm probably one of the cheesiest guys in the world," Goetz said unapologetically. "I listen to the Bay City Rollers and I listen to the Monkees."

"I've never slammed disco," Goetz emphasized. "I just never advertised the fact that I like it."

For all the ribbing Goetz endured, he takes this disco venture seriously and notes that disco is a challenging genre. Many songs are written and performed in complex time signatures and employ horn and string sections that make disco off-limits to small pickup bands.

Goetz needed serious, dedicated musicians and cast a wide net for players from Bureau County to the Wisconsin state line. He screened his players his players not only for proficiency but for professionalism, compatability, and, not least, for people who had a day job and didn't need Capt'n Groovy to make ends meet.

"You'd be surprised at how many people are phenomenal musicians but don't have a dime in their pocket and couldn't afford a ride," he said. "I can't tell you how many times I heard, 'Oh, you're too far from me.'"

Fortunately, there was no shortage of area musicians who liked disco and had no trouble admitting it.

John Armstrong of Utica, who plays trumpet for Capt'n Groovy under the stage name "Bravo," grew up in the 1970s and frequented disco clubs. Even in that era, he recalled, live disco was something of a rare commodity, and he couldn't resist the opportunity to essay his old favorites.

"It was something new and refreshing for me," said Armstong, who played 20 years with the Johnny Kaye Orchestra and now heads a brass quintet called the Monarch Brass. "And being that I grew up in that era, I thought it would be fun to do disco and funk - that was stuff I listened to."


Capt'n Groovy has a tight, disciplined sound, Armstrong said, but a sense of humor is definitely required of the performers, in no small part because of the wardrobe.

Initially, the band scoured the thrift stores in search of old leisure suits, but Armstong looked for a way to give the band some flash and uniformity. To the rescue came Mr. Penguin, an Ottawa clothier that sold them used white tuxedos for $50 a pop. An in0-house seamstress widened the trouser legs and sewed in rhinestone flourishes. Under the vests the men wear shirts in subtle colors as lime green, electric blue, and liquid fuchsia.

Look closely at Capt'n Groovy's promotional video and notice that one of the Travolta look-alikes is the Rev. Dr. Roy Backus, pastor of Waltham Presbyterian Church. In his spare time, Backus plays saxophone and jumped at the chance to dust off his boogie shoes.

"I love the music and the great riffs," said Backus, stage name "Rev." "C.W. is a great drummer and he's really committed to making the music tight and authentic."

Backus, however, is a backup musician who will not perform at Saturday's inaugural show.

"Holy Saturday is a difficult time for me to get away," he quipped.

Tickets to see Capt'n Groovy and special guest the BBC, a Beatles tribute band, are $12.50. Food will be available and there is no minimum age. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Goetz said he's encouraged by the public feedback but said he won't be disappointed if the show fails to draw a huge crowd.

"The whole reason I put this together was to just have fun," Goetz said. "I could get together with these guys two times a month for rehearsal and that would do it for me. It's about making people happy. It's not about being cool."
- News Tribune (04-05-08)


"Capt'n Groovy keeps playing that funky music"

Malden - On a quiet side road not far from Malden, sits a barn ... a barn similar in appearance to other barns, but very unique in its use. From this barn comes not the sound of cows mooing or the barn cats meowing. From this barn comes the sound of music, a Capt'n Groovy disco kind of music.

Capt'n Groovy is a 18-member band formed two years ago by C.W. Goetz of rural Malden. The band plays the music of the 1970s, some disco, some pop, and some funk music Goetz said. The music is upbeat and fun, he said.

"I enjoymusic that makes me feel good," Goetz said. "Our music is about smiling and making other people smile. This is what I love to do."

Goetz, a 1982 Malden High School graduate, said Capt'n Groovy is a diverse group of musicians, African-American and Caucasian, men and women, ranging in age from 24 to mid-50s. The come from rural Bureau County, the Illinois River Valley Area, DeKalb, Chicago and its suburbs.

Band members are also diverse in their careers, Goetz said. Some are public school teachers and band directors, another works in data processing, another manages a golf course. Goetz works for the Illinois Department of Transportation and another band member works with the Federal Aviation Administration. ne woman recently received her master's degree in violin performance. One of the men pastors a church in Utica.

Capt'n Groovy is also unique because it's more of an orchestra than a band, Goetz said. The "band" has horns, strings, percussion, keyboard, vocalists, guitars, bass guitar, and, most recently, two dancers. The band performs in 70s-style costumes designed by Alisa Hall of Princeton.

The common denominator for the band members is their love of music and the fun they have rehearsing and performing, Goetz said.

In April, the group performed before nearly 500 people at Celebrations 150 in Utica. They will also perform at htis year's Mendota Sweet Corn Festival and on July 21 at the River Front Concerts in Peoria. They are also booked to perform, in coming months, in Grand Rapids, Mich., and on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas. Three weeks ago, the group was signed by Best in Entertainment to handle bookings.

For him, the love of music, especially drumming, goes back quite a ways, Goetz said.

"I was the little kid who was always banging on the Tupperware or anything else I could find," Goetz said. "I can't remember a time when I wasn't mesmerized by drummers."

Goetz has played in a lot of different bands through the years. He joined his first band when he was a high school freshman. After high school, he drummed with a band called Advance, whose video was chosen in 1993 for the MTV show Basement Bands feature.

In his 20s, Goetz also opened a drum shop from his home, where he built drums for the Jay Leno and David Letterman shows. In time, Goetz decided his drum shop wasn't consistently making the money he wanted, so he gave up his music and opened a woodworking business, which he ran for 10 years before going to IDOT.

Looking down the road a few years, Goetz said he still expects music and Capt'n Groovy to be an important part of his life.

"For me, Capt'n Groovy isn't just about music," Goetz said. "It's about the good memories those songs bring back to me. That's what so special about the music. It's really the memories."
- The Republican (07-03-07)


Discography

Video, photos, reviews can be viewed at www.captngroovy.org

Photos

Bio

Capt'n Groovy is one of the most popular 70's & 80's Party Bands in the Midwest !! Their show is a completely high energy, dance party that includes amazing duplication of the songs along with all of the trendy outfits from that era.

Incorporated into the show, are "Time-line" segues with facts about world events, inventions, movies, music, sports, cost of living, as well as the styles and trends all from the 70’s & 80's.

What's more, members of the band venture out into the audience to interact with them durring the show thereby creating one of the most exciting shows around!

There's something for everyone at a Capt'n Groovy Show!