polyester pimpstrap

Meet the band: Polyester Pimpstrap straddles musical styles

By Mary Leslie
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Known for filling dance halls with glow-stick swingin' fans, balloons, black lights and crazy stage antics, Polyester Pimpstrap needs no lesson on throwing a raging party.

Guitarist Dante Soriano, bassist Bill Lewis, drummer Scott Grudman, keyboarder Ryan Way and sax/flute player Adrian Crutchfield play a spacey blend of rock, funk, jazz, electronica, hip-hop and Latin music that's been rockin' the town since 2003.

The band's shared the stage with some major players, according to Lewis.

"We've had the honor of opening for acts such as Mofro, Perpetual Groove, Yellowman and Particle," he said.

It's rumored that Polyester Pimpstrap has an album on the way, scheduled for a late summer release.

Catch the 'strap playing two sets tonight at 10:30 at Yianni's Nightclub, 658 W. Tennessee St. Cover is $5 for ages 18 and older. Call 681-9565 for info.

Lewis filled out our questionnaire.

If you could open for any band, which one would it be?

Umphrey's Mcgee. Those guys are amazing.

How'd you come up with your band name?

Desperation and a deranged sense of humor.

If you could perform anywhere, where would it be?

Japan.

Where was your first gig?

Our first gig as Polyester Pimpstrap was performed at the Warehouse with improv comedy troupe Oncoming Traffic back in the fall of 2003. The band has changed a lot since then, and the lineup is almost entirely different.

What did you believe when you were a kid?

That life was long.
What was the last thing you ate?

Sushi.

Whom do you consider to be your musical inspiration?

Everyone in the band is influenced by different artists, and it tends to give us a very eclectic sound. We really like to hop from genre to genre.

What's in your iPod?

Ween's “12 Golden Country Greats."

Does the band have any weird traditions?

We all like to get really drunk after the show and try to injure our drummer Scotty. (It is always provoked.)

In chronological order, what's the soundtrack of your life?

Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Wilson Phillips, Steely Dan, Nirvana, Metallica, Green Day, Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie, Dave Matthews Band, PHISH!, MMW, Umphrey's McGee and Ween.

What's your favorite Tallahassee venue to play?

The Warehouse, hands down. We like to think of it as our home court. If we were in some sort of video game and you had to travel to battle us, our home stage would be the Warehouse. - Tallahassee Democrat 6/15/07

By Maria Arroyave
March 24, 2005

When Dante Soriano and Bill Lewis met at the tender age of 9, they knew that they had found in each other a perfect musical match. After several years of jamming together, they began to broaden their horizons and search beyond duo status.

Approximately two and a half years ago, the decision was made to expand into a quartet and Polyester Pimpstrap was formed. Within that period, the band operated on the swinging door policy -- one band member leaves and another comes right in, swapping keyboard for saxophone, a bassist for a guitarist, and other instrumental changes that alter the sound, but not the passion, behind the music. With the recent addition of a fifth band member, the group now features two guitarists, one bassist, one drummer and one saxophonist.

Since they came together under one common name, the members of the alliterative Polyester Pimpstrap have gained fame and notoriety for playing local parties. Their intense style and on stage antics earned them a large and loyal fan base and their raucous "funky jam rock" gave them the nickname "the cop magnets."

While they admit that playing on the house shows at backyard keggers was rewarding for a start, the band members are now looking to bigger and better things. With a new production manager, the former percussionist for the local jam band Glass, Polyester Pimpstrap has been setting their sights higher and moving onto larger venues.

"We used to play a lot of parties around the area -- college kids' parties, and that's how we built our fan base. Now were getting bigger so we can play bigger shows and productions," bassist/vocalist Lewis said. "The kind of music we play could best be fit into the jam band category with styles including funk, rock, reggae, latin, hip-hop and trance. We play a little bit of everything."

Often mixing things up a bit, Polyester Pimpstrap is known for its high energy stage presence and originality, as well as throwing in funky renditions of Phish and Michael Jackson songs.

The band's desire for larger venues is not a selfish one.

"We're trying to make an experience beyond the music" guitarist/vocalist Soriano said.

The problem with playing a backyard party is not with the smaller crowd who will all undoubtedly be devoted fans; the problem is that these locales offer a display of only half of what the band has to offer.

In order to ensure the full Polyester Pimpstrap experience, the band is set to invade the Warehouse this Friday for The Polyester Pimpstrap Intetrgalactic Extravaganza to mark the recent completion of its first demo. With 500 glow sticks, 600 balloons, black lights and strobe lights, the band is "turning a bar into a theater and making a production."

Each member of Polyester Pimpstrap truly aims to please, always looking for another opportunity to add another fan to their rapidly growing collection. If modesty is a virtue, then the members of Polyester Pimpstrap are as righteous as they come -- just some good ol' boys playing their hearts out. - FSView

By Maria Arroyave
March 24, 2005

When Dante Soriano and Bill Lewis met at the tender age of 9, they knew that they had found in each other a perfect musical match. After several years of jamming together, they began to broaden their horizons and search beyond duo status.

Approximately two and a half years ago, the decision was made to expand into a quartet and Polyester Pimpstrap was formed. Within that period, the band operated on the swinging door policy -- one band member leaves and another comes right in, swapping keyboard for saxophone, a bassist for a guitarist, and other instrumental changes that alter the sound, but not the passion, behind the music. With the recent addition of a fifth band member, the group now features two guitarists, one bassist, one drummer and one saxophonist.

Since they came together under one common name, the members of the alliterative Polyester Pimpstrap have gained fame and notoriety for playing local parties. Their intense style and on stage antics earned them a large and loyal fan base and their raucous "funky jam rock" gave them the nickname "the cop magnets."

While they admit that playing on the house shows at backyard keggers was rewarding for a start, the band members are now looking to bigger and better things. With a new production manager, the former percussionist for the local jam band Glass, Polyester Pimpstrap has been setting their sights higher and moving onto larger venues.

"We used to play a lot of parties around the area -- college kids' parties, and that's how we built our fan base. Now were getting bigger so we can play bigger shows and productions," bassist/vocalist Lewis said. "The kind of music we play could best be fit into the jam band category with styles including funk, rock, reggae, latin, hip-hop and trance. We play a little bit of everything."

Often mixing things up a bit, Polyester Pimpstrap is known for its high energy stage presence and originality, as well as throwing in funky renditions of Phish and Michael Jackson songs.

The band's desire for larger venues is not a selfish one.

"We're trying to make an experience beyond the music" guitarist/vocalist Soriano said.

The problem with playing a backyard party is not with the smaller crowd who will all undoubtedly be devoted fans; the problem is that these locales offer a display of only half of what the band has to offer.

In order to ensure the full Polyester Pimpstrap experience, the band is set to invade the Warehouse this Friday for The Polyester Pimpstrap Intetrgalactic Extravaganza to mark the recent completion of its first demo. With 500 glow sticks, 600 balloons, black lights and strobe lights, the band is "turning a bar into a theater and making a production."

Each member of Polyester Pimpstrap truly aims to please, always looking for another opportunity to add another fan to their rapidly growing collection. If modesty is a virtue, then the members of Polyester Pimpstrap are as righteous as they come -- just some good ol' boys playing their hearts out. - FSView