INQ

Give me a tight solid rock band with longevity and talent under their belt, and I’ll give you one good reason to get up, and get out. Although such a find is hard indeed; one local band proved their stay by making their mark and putting it in INQ.

The power-quartet INQ, formerly known as Baby, emits an original sound that draws from a deep pool of influences; including David Bowie, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Jane’s Addiction, Black Sabbath, the Verve and Rush.

Innovatively classic in their sound, dedication paired with an admirable lust for life has attributed to a notable and award winning past in collaborations such as Creamsickle, Squeeze the Dog, Your Precious You, Shovelhead, and Slidetackle.

Comprised of Cole Berggren (drums), Kevin Cole (bass), Chris Landon (vocals), and Dave Pousho (guitar), this clan is established and well reputed with their roots deeply planted in the scene. They’ve rocked the stages of Cactus Club, the Usual, Waves Smokehouse, Paradise Lounge, Johnny V’s, Hotel Utah and the memorable and favorable, BlackDoor.

Currently putting the finishing touches on their first full length record, INQ’s rousing debut, Life Assurance, (Winter 2004) combines aural sophistication, raw power, and simple beauty, with a rock and roll heart.

Check out INQ: inq.xbuild.com

Jusine Ortiz - AM+PM Magazine

I had the pleasure of first seeing INQ perform live about a week before hearing their debut album “Life Assurance.” I already knew that they were all talented musicians and artists but it is still a nice treat to see bands, like INQ, that come out. You can see the one thing they are about is the music and they have a genuine passion for it which shines through when they perform. I was hoping that energy they put off on stage would come across on their album and I was happy to hear that it did.”
“INQ’s new release Life Assurance is a unique experience that draws you in and connects you with the music, I liked it. Their music is full of life, it’s fun and it is energetic. I recommend that you pick up a copy of “Life Assurance” and check out this new band with classic rock appeal. If you can’t find “Life Assurance” at your local music shop check out www.cdbaby.com/inq. They have been playing San Francisco and San Jose non stop lately so go see these guys and I assure you it will be good times.

Danielle Ratliff - September 2005
- Zero Magazine

Described as “One of San Jose’s most promising bands!” by the San Jose Mercury News, the only place that INQ can go is up. Having already shared the stage with such famous bands as Better Than Ezra, Bowling For Soup and the Phenomenauts, INQ is kicking up some major rock n’ roll dust throughout the Bay Area. Veterans of the Northern California music scene, they didn’t wait around to be noticed and decided to take matters into their own hands. The product? A full length album entitled Life Assurance, which justified the band’s solid sound and pushed them even further into the spotlight. Inspired by David Bowie, Jane’s Addiction, Jimi Hendrix and the Verve, you never know what to expect at their live shows. They’ll slice it, dice it, and serve you up a heaping plate of alternative rock with a side dish of 70s. And who could refuse that? INQ have succeeded at making a dynamic voice and brining back a classic rock sound with a modern approach to guitar playing and have effectively reminded us what good music is as well as what good music should be. If it weren’t for INQ, all faith in music may have been lost. Definitely make it a point to see them live on October 27 at the Cherry Bar in San Francisco. They’ll cut with confidence, and kill with conviction.
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/inq

Patrisha Wysopal - October 2005 - Zero Magazine

“One of San Jose’s most promising bands,” lauds the San Jose Mercury News. INQ’s debut Life Assurance evokes the sounds of the Toadies (pre-disappearance) and Queens of the Stone Age with 70s glam rock flair. This music won’t make you dance, but writhing in a mosh pit like a hopped up jock on Androstene (baseball’s choice drink pre-Balco) makes for good fun. Case and point: “King of the Gods” and “Lift Off.” Classic examples of hard rock loaded with cutting riffs, melodic bass lines and crashing cymbals, complemented by vocalist Chris Landon’s part Buckley part Danzig tone.

from www.theowlmag.com - Jason Jurgens - The Owl Mag

Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, INQ plays music that is bound to make any lover of catchy hooks quiver with delight. With influences that are as random as can be, INQ members are inspired individually by artists like Bjork, Tool, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Buckley, Sonic Youth, and many more.
With a brand of rock that is sometimes reminiscent of Canadian band Sloan and sometimes of the Smashing Pumpkins, INQ is music for any alternative rock lover of any age, without sounding corny. Please visit their website at http://www.inqrocks.com.

Vivian Hua - November 2005 - Redefine Magazine

"San Jose’s INQ’s first full-length could have just as easily been called Live Assurance. It bears the same high-energy their live shows are known for coupled with the benefits of studio enrichment. It also showcases where they shine in their ability to fuse classic-rock with modern rock elements. "The opener Look Inside (power-pop ala Cheap Trick) invokes a positive, never-say-die attitude that is just as much about determination as it is about self-awareness. King of the Gods both honors and celebrates the blues-heaviness of its Seventies predecessors, while Out on the Town includes tongue-in-cheek lyrics and purely Eighties guitar at the chorus. The most epic piece of music on this record, Lift Off, is evocative of the Major Tom theme with a twist. Haunting and anticipatory, it brings darkness and light into perfect balance and closes with the ideal ending."
Daniela Cleveland - www.immagazine.com - December 2005 - Independent Musician Magazine

"INQ's self-released LIFE ASSURANCE showcases the band's classic-rock influenced sound, and its impressive musical range. The band is at times straight-up cock rock (no pun intended), while at other times prog and operatic, as on the anthemic "Lift Off", which recalls Queen, Bowie, and even Yes. The band's harmonized vocals on "Look Inside" make you forget that these guys are a new band, and not actually from the '70s. That song also features thick guitars with punk rock riffs, although it recalls Boston more than, say, the Sex Pistols. Definitely for those not afraid of unabashedly retro rock, LIFE ASSURANCE is an excellent release from this San Jose band."
Paul Linblad - MESH magazine - www.meshsf.com - Nov./Dec. 2005 - Mesh Magazine

Zoë, San Jose

I don't usually make these articles all about me, but tonight I feel the need to drag everyone down memory lane with me. Anybody with a history in Downtown San Jose might recognize 417 South First Street as the address formerly known as The Cactus Club. I personally spent the better part of my early 20s in that club. It was a dark, dank home away from home where a girl could hang out for hours without a thought about anything other than the music.

For a few bucks, it was often possible to see more than eight bands if you got there early and felt the need to stay late enough. There was no better spot in town for all-ages shows (if there even was another venue, I didn't know about it when I first started going there). I was extremely disappointed when it shut down. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for local bands to lose that spot; a spot where they helped
Inq helping to warming up the stage for the night's headliners
bring something interesting to an otherwise boring downtown.

It was with a mix of excitement and apprehension that I headed back to that club on Sunday night for a Channel 104.9 Cheap Ticket Show. Excitement to see some of our local boys back in their old haunt, but apprehension that Zoë might be the type of place to kick me out for not taking a shower. The inside of the club was unrecognizable, with the exception that the stage and the bar were still in the same locations. The floor had been redone, the rickety tables and chairs replaced, the bar rebuilt, the half-wall torn down, and the row of pinball machines traded in for a plush booth-like bench.

In addition to redoing the old stuff, there was a whole new bonus room back beyond the bathrooms (the bathrooms, by the way, were decked out with auto flushing toilets, auto faucets, and candy). The new back room was complete with couches, pool tables, a big screen to showcase the stage up front, two bars, a small secondary stage, and an outdoor patio. Where The Cactus Club may have felt like a small dive, Zoë was somehow a huge nightclub. As if to personify my return to the past, I ran into a girlfriend I hadn't seen since my days at SJSU. Another friend I had lost track of was drumming in the first band (Cole Berggren, previously of Creamsicle).

The first band to take the back stage was Inq. In a time when many bands just glom on to trends, it's good to have a local band like Inq that's been true to a time-honored rock sound during their past four years together. The foursome pulled from a variety of influences to keep their set diverse, while staying within the comfort zone of the general population. They were obviously having a good time on Sunday, from guitar licks punctuated with karate kicks, to vocalist Chris with a red flashing police light on his head, to a Thin Lizzy cover of "Jailbreak."

They were able to attract a fairly large crowd, despite being around the block from the main stage. Folks were swaying and dancing to songs like "Look Inside," which is rare for an opening act in downtown San Jose. Their debut recording "Life Assurance" is due for release in late April or early May. Inq's next gig is scheduled for May 28 at The Claran Lounge in Santa Clara.

Ones and Zeros were up next. They kicked it
Ones and Zeros all dressed up at Zoë
off strong with "I Can't Feel" and got the crowd to swarm up closer to the stage. Fans weren't just mouthing the words to the choruses, but singing along to entire songs. When Jesse yelled out, "hands up," a small sea of fists started pumping along with the beat.

As they handed out CDs and shirts throughout the set, more people crammed up toward the front to grab at the loot. It was clear that Ones and Zeros were playing in their element (in terms of fan-base; not in terms of the strangely small stage, the odd sound system, the set time change, and being asked to play some "filler" between set changes).

With their special effects already programmed in for the night, OAZ tore back into the same set with even more intensity when asked to play again between Strata and Crossfade. The fans didn't mind at all, and many flocked to the back stage to hear them again. There was enough interest that they could have continued to play the entire set, but they graciously stepped down when Crossfade was ready to take the main stage.

Jesse later said, "We were very happy that 104.9 and Zoë continue to work with OAZ, and know that no matter what kind of show it is, we give it all we got to make sure you are entertained." Their next show is currently scheduled for May 6 at Club Underground in Reno.

When I made my way to the front of the building for the Strata set, the place was already so packed that I couldn't really see anything at all. What I did see were the guys at the 104.9 table rocking out in a big way, and the guy next to me in the "831 Crew" shirt singing along to only the last word of any line that ended in an extended v - www.powerslave.com