Greg Talmage

By Kellie Johnson

Great music is constantly coming out of Louisiana, and there is another great band that has produced an album right here in Baton Rouge.

The Greg Talmage Band is a talented group with ever-increasing popularity and success. Their newly released album The Way It Goes is truly one that music lovers in this good city and all over should grab hold of. They have produced a highly energetic album with sounds ranging from rock to softer ballads which can be more than just pleasing to any listener.

The Way It Goes tracks can evoke an individual’s entire spectrum of emotions through both heart-pumping sounds and creative lyrical content. There are several love songs that purposefully show all the sides of love. The fifth song on the album, entitled “The Other Side,” displays passionate lyrics with a rock feel that give listeners the feeling of satisfaction only gotten once realizing how amazing it feels to get rid of a person who has brought them down.

Lyrics include the painful yet inspiring words, “I know that you won't miss me, never seeing me again/ But the thought that persists in me, is that I probably feel the same.” Instead of being another love song with a happy ending, the lyrics include a worthwhile twist.

On the other hand, those who love the upside of romance will appreciate the eighth song on the album, “60 Years.” This is a very sweet song with a subtle sensual vibe. The lyrics “Follow me, I’ll never let you go/ I feel you running through my veins/ You can have all of me, I give my life to show you what forever means to me.”

This song includes a great instrumental bit in which the band continuously fuses their musical talent with their creativity in writing.

The first song of the album, “Undress,” will definitely grab the listener’s attention. It is provocative and has a strong bass sound with staying power. The simplicity of some songs is what makes them the strongest songs of the album.

Such a song, the ninth song of the album titled “Girls That Play Games are Stupid,” includes great wordplay reminiscent of Jason Mraz and a great jam toward the end of the song. This track has a much funkier sound in relation to the softer ballads and rock songs on the album, with lyrics “And if you say that you miss me, I've got something you can kiss/ Two rosey cheeks livin' in a no-regret bliss”. This song will definitely appeal to individuals who love funk music or who just want something to dance to.

The Way It Goes is an album that includes songs with lyrics that anyone can relate to or learn from, and it is an album that includes sounds that will make listeners move your body, or at least their minds. It is a great listen for newcomers or fans of The Greg Talmage Band.

Originally Published: Issue 596 - February 13, 2008 - TigerWeekly

The line-up of musicians for Groovin’ on the Grounds, organized by LSU student organization Students on Target, becomes longer and more diversified every year. With The Greg Talmage Band beginning at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and Wyclef Jean continuing until past 10 at night, students had multiple hours of free live music to entertain them. Greg Talmage was a great start to the day.

Michelle Helmstetter, finance senior, said that “Greg has a great voice which makes him really easy to listen to.”

Talmage and the band are the 2007 winners of the Battle of the Bands and are increasing in popularity around the Baton Rouge area. The band was very engaging with the crowd, and Talmage made it feel like he was having a conversation with the crowd. The Greg Talmage Band’s upbeat songs and smooth sound fit in perfectly with the chill crowd and sunny weather.

Talmage said, “I am excited about the number of people who showed up and am thankful for the great weather.”

When asked about the mission of Students on Target to provide “a good time not wasted,” Talmage responded that “alcohol abuse has the potential to negatively effect people” and Groovin’ on the Grounds “gives people an opportunity to enjoy themselves completely sober.”

Fans can catch Greg Talmage Band again at 307 in Lafayette on April 19.

Ingram Hill was next in line. Bassist of Greg Talmage Band, Nick Spano, said that he “looked forward to seeing Ingram Hill because Greg Talmage Band played with them before and they are really personable guys.”

They started with a few songs from their new album Cold in California, and then performed a few older songs such as “Chicago” and covers such as Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels.”

Justin Moore, lead singer of Ingram Hill, said, “It is always fun to be in Baton Rouge.” He also stated that the mission of Students on Target is “a good mission” and that they are making the “right move.”

Justin said he was looking forward to seeing Wyclef Jean because he had never seen him perform before, and “I don’t know if I ever will.”

Students on Target provided students and entertainers alike with exposure to artists they may not have been able to see before or see again.

“My favorite new song by Ingram Hill is ‘Why Don’t You’ and my favorite older song is ‘Never Be The Same,’” said Meghan Furlow, pre-vet senior. Ingram Hill provided fans and newcomers with a great performance.

Matt Wertz, Chamillionaire and Wyclef Jean were the last three performers. As students poured onto the parade grounds, the event was becoming more and more of a success.

Matt Wertz commented that “LSU has beautiful trees, congratulations.”

Artists such as Matt Wertz and Justin Moore were as excited to be back in Baton Rouge as students were to have them perform. All of the artists for the night appealed to the crowd and were refreshingly humorous and entertaining.

Matt Wertz was a great addition to the line-up.

Kyle Allen, construction management senior, said, “I like the line-up; I had never heard of Matt Wertz but I like him.”

When asked if the line-up was diverse he replied, “I would love to see a country artist perform in the future.”

He also added, “Students on Target does a great job of organizing this event and does a good job putting their information out there in between performances.”

Many students such as Nick Spano, member of Greg Talmage Band and construction management senior, believe that “Groovin’ on the Grounds has come a long way from years past” and that “Students on Target has been pretty successful thus far.”

Groovin’ on the Grounds was a great success and will inevitably grow with exposure of its mission and the increasing popularity of the performing artists. - Tiger Weekly

Many aspiring musicians compete to be crowned winner of the Battle of the Bands each fall. But only one band, Greg Talmage, captured the hearts of the audience and votes of the judges.

Students on Target hosted its annual Battle of the Bands on Friday night at the University's Greek Theatre, despite rain delays.

Seven local bands showcased their talent, including Leaving Brightside, Lacie Thibodeaux, Passing Japan, Ethylene, Benjamin Moore and the Bouncers, Acreus and Greg Talmage. Each band was allowed to play a set of four songs.

Performers had the opportunity to win the opening performance spot at the University's 2008 Groovin' on the Grounds as well as two 10-hour days in a recording studio, one mastering session and 50 thermo-print CDs provided by Sockit Studio.

Rain significantly pushed the concert more than two hours behind schedule, moving the concert time to 9:30 p.m. Students and bands were told to hold tight and wait patiently while the stage was set up for the event.

Marketing senior Emily Mabry, co-public relations and sponsorship chair of Students on Target, said getting stage lighting situated was an important step to attract a crowd.

"With any outdoor event, when it rains, it will affect turnout," Mabry said.

Although some students decided to leave, many waited around to watch the bands compete. Two University students had been waiting more than an hour to see rock band Passing Japan.

Mass communication freshman Austin Fitzgerald and electrical engineering freshman Matthew Albright said they were willing to wait as long as it takes to see the band.

"[Passing Japan is] edgy, and they don't have that pop sound like everyone else you hear on the radio," Albright said.

Fitzgerald said many bands who compete at the Battle of the Bands usually gain more popularity around the Baton Rouge area.

"We want to be able to say we saw them back then," he said. "Passing Japan, I can see them go global."

The concert kicked off with a performance from local power pop/rock band Leaving Brightside, who said they were hoping to showcase their music to Baton Rouge and gain exposure.

"We understand who we are and never try to portray anything else," bass guitar player Aaron Kelly said. "We're just hoping to create a fun environment for the fans."

The winner of the night, local rock band Greg Talmage, really encouraged audience participation during its performance.

"I know that there's a lot of popular bands in Baton Rouge. So [to] even be chosen to be in Battle of the Bands is really an honor," said Greg Talmage, rhythm guitarist and lead singer. "The fact that we could be called a winner out of bands that we were really impressed by is really amazing."

The band is comprised of four members, one of whom is a student here at the University.

Nick Spano, construction management junior and base guitarist, said the key to balancing school with performing is setting priorities.

"We have band practice pretty much on a regular basis. So it's pretty easy to schedule around it," Spano said. "I only go to school on Tuesday and Thursday so that helps, but definitely it is [important] to have both [school and performing] and to succeed in both."

Talmage said the group was apprehensive before the performance because of fatigue from rain delay, but he thought they pulled it together to offer the audience a good performance.

"If you want it to count, you have to just go for it no matter how tired you are," Talmage said.

A board of five judges including three University students and reporters from The Daily Reveille were responsible for the important decision of who would be named winner of the competition.

This year, Students on Target held an open drawing, giving University students a chance to judge at the competition.

Joshua Ogunyemi, kinesiology freshman, was one of the students chosen to participate.

"It was a lot of fun," Ogunyemi said. "I love music. So this was a good experience for me."

Rachel Rodriguez, studio art sophomore, said she enjoyed the event and wished more students attended.

"Everyday at LSU is a new experience," Rodriguez said. "More people should have come to this event because you get to experience different genres of music." - LSU Dailly Reveille

They won the battle. Now they must try to win the war.

The Greg Talmage band will perform Nov. 1 at The Roux House after performing at a benefit concert in Lafayette this Saturday.

The band proved worthy at Student On Target's Battle of the Bands earlier this month. The group won the contest and the prize package, which included two 10-hour recording sessions at a studio and one master session. It will also perform at Groovin' on the Grounds, a free concert held in April.

The Greg Talmage band consists of four members: frontman Greg Talmage, bassist Nick Spano, lead guitarist Brandon Bagby and drummer Zach Ingram.

The band opened under the name Greg Talmage and the Marco Polo's but changes its name every show.

"We think it's funny," he said. "We have been called Greg Talmage and the Lazy Eyed Gentlemen, Greg Talmage and the Suicidal Tacos."

Bagby said the name additions are used only for shows.

Spano, construction management junior, said the band members' friendship contributed to their success.

"We are a cohesive band; we are comfortable with each other," Spano said. "We aren't just four guys playing on stage."

Talmage, University alumnus, said one reason he entered the contest was to meet local musicians.

"We were all looking forward to meeting other bands," he said. "All I wanted to do was hang out and talk with them before we played. Just because of that, it didn't matter if we won."

Bagby said he was in "complete shock" when they won.

The band's new album "The Way it Goes" will be released in early November.

"We finished recording our album a while ago, and it is being mastered in New York," Spano said. "But if we use the [Battle of the Band's] prize package, we may do an acoustic album and release it on iTunes. If not, there are several local bands we like a lot so we may give it to them."

Spano said the band entered Battle primarily to play at Groovin' on the Grounds.

"I'm ecstatic about playing at Groovin'," Talmage said. "It is such a big event, and we get to open for a big band."

Additional information for Groovin' on the Grounds will be released at a later date.

The band formed about a year ago in a quick assembly.

"I was brainstorming with Brandon at The Chimes for members to a band," Talmage said. "I had a show the next week and needed a complete band."

He said he and Bagby made a few phone calls for a practice session.

"We wrote eight songs in two days," Bagby said. "After the show, we had such a good time we continued to write and perform together." Talmage said he still does some solo acoustic shows.

The band has big upcoming plans and goals, apart from releasing a debut full-length album.

"We will apply to play at Jazz Fest next year, as well as Austin City Limits," Talmage said. "However, our main goal is to find a booking manager."

Talmage said he wants to play music for a living.

"I graduated in family, child and consumer sciences," he said. "Music is the only reason I'm not pursuing a job in that area. If this doesn't work out, I may go to grad school."

Spano said the band has great potential.

"Well, every band thinks they are the best ever," he said. "But if you aren't enthusiastic about your music, you shouldn't be doing this."

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Contact Ashley Norsworthy at anorsworthy@lsureveille.com - LSU Daily Reveille