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It was hot at Comfest this year, without being crazy hot, creating just the right conditions for the best sort of Comfest gathering. By mid-afternoon on Saturday the buzz was on, infusing the dancing crowds with the good kind of sweaty delirium, the kind that encourages slow-but-steady drinking and occasional bursts of semi-naked flailing. As late afternoon drifted into early evening, the laid-back picnickers and wanderers began to give way to the night crowd, and the pace kicked up a notch.
Local funk rockers Clyde had the 5:00 pm slot on the Main Stage, straddling the cusp to play to a happy mix of day and night Comfesters. These boys clearly want you to dance, and as soon as they began to crank out the first set of driving beats, a crowd formed at the base of the stage to shake it out. Leading the pack was a scrawny, half-naked geezer doing a spastic Mick Jagger strut, twitching madly and fixing those nearby with a wide-eyed stare. His name may not be widely known, but he’s a familiar Comfest figure - one of the premier ‘bum dancers’.
(Bum dancing, sometimes referred to as the Moonshine Shuffle, is not as easy as it looks. It’s not good enough to just be drunk. The accomplished bum dancer has an unmistakable air of supreme confidence paired with a look of utter confusion, as if his body were actually possessed. His every movement reflects the unrestrained exuberance and desire to perform of a long-time village idiot. A bum dancer does not come to Comfest. Comfest comes to the bum dancer. That’s why they always look so pleased – for some unknown reason, once a year, a party erupts around them.)
Clyde was recently formed from the still-twitching remains of Sugar Pill and Sister Flow, and their brand of hard-hitting blues and funk will be familiar to those who have followed their previous outfits. The new name was chosen as a tip of the hat to New York Knicks hero and legendary King of Cool, Walt “Clyde the Glide” Frasier. On this showing, it’s clear that while the vibe remains the same the playing has jumped up a level, giving a tighter, crisper sound with some driving guitar work keeping things moving.
Particularly in evidence at this live performance was Miquel Stubbs’ flamboyant bass-slapping, a lightning-fast funky strum reminiscent of Level 42’s Mark King, coupled with a pumped-up onstage persona that brings to mind the sax player from the opening of The Lost Boys. Along with much original material, such as new single Chances, a few covers were thrown in for good measure. Most notable was a sweet burst of When Doves Cry, impressively handled by lead vocalist Matt Derrick. At the end of a satisfying set, copies of the band’s CD were offered up for sale and were snapped up in moments.
-Steve Russell 6/05 from Alliance Monthly
- Alliance Monthly
Discography
Clyde (EP) Released 2005
Singles:
Chances - Released 2005
Hand on my Back - Released 2005
Singles received airplay on 90.5 WCBE Columbus, OH
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Clyde is a six-piece orginal rock band hailing from Columbus, Ohio. The band was formed in December '03 by former Sugar Pill members Miquel Alann Stubbs, Brian Schaeffer and Matt Derrick. Within a month of the bands inception, composition and rehearsal had begun and the trio found that a unique original sound was beginning to take shape. By the turn of the year, the trio was encouraged with the direction the band was taking, but knew that no funky sound would be complete without a funky lead guitarist.
In February '04 the band welcomed ex-Sister Flow axman Tim Hartshorn. The addition of Hartshorn not only brought a funky, tooth and nail guitar rock sound, but also added another strong voice. Hartshorn's edgy, yet melodic voice brought a new dynamic to the band while serving as a fresh compliment to Derrick's vocals.
In March 04, Stubbs and Derrick happened to stumble into 'Detrick Studio', a local studio which was named after its owner and chief engineer, Jim Detrick. In addition to his studio talents, Detrick happened to be an accomplished keyboardist. After one brief jam session, Detrick was added to the band as the band's "Swiss Army Knife." Detrick's fusion background and array of various keyboard sounds (funky clav, gospel organ, rock piano and lead synth) provided another instrumental voice which helped continue the expansion of the band's musical palette.
The final piece to the puzzle was the addition of local scene veteran, Nate Joseph on percussion. Familiar to Derrick, Schaeffer and Stubbs though previous collaborations, Joseph's tasteful playing and use of hand drums, timbales, other domestic and exotic instruments proved to be a natural fit for the band.
In short time, Clyde has performed on various stages throughout the midwest ranging from a featured slot in the 2004 Quazar Rock and Hip-Hop Gathering at the Newport Music Hall to a recent Main Stage peformance at the 2005 Community Festival in Columbus. The "Comfest" event is widely recognized as one of the premier non-profit/non-sponsored music events in the country.
Blending unique original material with covers ranging from classic artists such as Spencer Davis Group, Curtis Mayfield, Led Zeppelin and Bill Withers, and more modern day artists such as Maroon 5, Jamiroquai, Citizen Cope and G. Love and Special Sauce; Clyde has managed to fuse high powered three/four part harmonies and passionate stage energy with subtle musical control to wield an impressive live concert experience.
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