Satchel Grande
Gig Seeker Pro

Satchel Grande

Band Pop Funk

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Satchel Grande"

Satchel Grande doesn't sound like an Omaha band. The group is independent-minded, no doubt, but not in the en vogue indie sense. Indie like George Clinton used to be (and still is at times). And on the bands latest self-released set, "Plus One", P-Funk and several other 70s/80s flavored influences come pouring out. From piano fueled pop-rock songs in the vein of Joe Jackson or Ben Folds to party grooves nodding to the Commodores and Kool & the Gang, funk can be a hypnotic form of music, and Satchel Grande definitely dabbles in seductive funk. Ideally placed synthesizers, able harmonies, heavy thumbed bass lines and horns lines carry the original songs. Satchel Grande's non intimidating sound is worth checking out. The tight arrangements are largely impressive, and the sounds and affects they get from their instruments, which carry a vintage trait, are noteworthy.

-The Omaha City Weekly
- -The Omaha City Weekly


"The Impending Funk"


The last time funk maestros Satchel Grande took the stage at The Goofy Foot Lodge the air was electric. The eight-piece outfit has developed a notable following and several concertgoers I spoke with knew the band’s repertoire intimately and promised a memorable performance. No one was disappointed. The band jammed in and out of easy-listening grooves with an efficiency and ease rarely heard.
“You know, we’ve been playing there since July 16,” band leader Chris Klemmensen offered. “Forrest [Hughes, owner of The Goofy Foot] got a copy of the CD and wanted us to kind of take over for The Jazzwholes who had moved out west to Shag. We’ve only got about an hour’s worth of music so I thought every weekend would be a bit much. Having eight people in the band makes it really tough to line up everybody’s schedule, too.”
Klemmensen, who also plays percussion in Maxine, recorded the Satchel Grande debut disc over a six-month period in late 2004 and early 2005. Working with a 16-track recorder in his basement and a plethora of musical instruments, Klemmensen handled the instrumentation and vocals himself, laying down everything from bass and drums to guitar and keyboards. Maxine axe-man Adam Johnsen donated a couple of shorter guitar runs. Entitled Plus One, the disc is extremely enjoyable and also original in its scope and direction. Light funk grooves mix effortlessly with heavier ones and the vocals fit perfectly.
“I have a 16-track in my basement and sometimes I would go in with an idea and other times I would just build off the drums,” Klemmensen said. “You really have to keep it kind of simple if you’re using all 16 tracks — there’s not a lot of room for showmanship. But basically I played and wrote everything on it.”
When prodded further about where the album and band’s influences lie, Klemmensen was quick with an answer. “I was like a grunge kid in early high school and junior high, and I remember my freshman year I got a copy of [Parliament’s legendary funk opus] The Mothership Connection on vinyl and that was it.”
One of the album’s standout cuts, the old-time-soul “Ooh Child” shows glimpses of what the band is capable of live. The progressions aren’t overly complicated by any means, but the involuntary toe-tapping and head-bobbing it fosters is infectious. The song does a decent job of setting up shop in the back of your cranium. You’ll be singing about “drinking Old Style in the rain” for weeks to come.
When it came time for Klemmensen to fill out the CD with a live band, his good friends and bandmates from Maxine, the majority of which perform live with Satchel Grande, fit the bill. Featuring Klemmensen on vocals and keys (lately he’s been drumming as well); Johnsen on guitars, keys and percussion; Andy Kammerer on keys, vocals and percussion; John Klemmensen on guitar, vocals and trumpet; Ben Zinn on guitar and percussion; Bob Rasgorshek on bass; and Matt Mclarney on vocals and percussion, the band has come to fruition and the Satchel sound is catching ears around town.
“I wanted to put the music into a live situation,” Klemmensen said, “and I had just gotten out of Microphone Jones and was really focused on the writing. I play cards with Johnsen and those guys and they are all really leaps and bounds ahead of me in terms of reading music and things like that. So I wanted to learn from those guys and started playing with Maxine. I basically went from being a front guy to being the sixth guy off the bench for Maxine.”
“Primarily everyone in the band is friends,” he continued. “We all hang out, so when I was looking at putting something together it was definitely going to be those guys.”
One listen to Plus One and it becomes more than obvious that Klemmensen and crew are headed for bigger things. The grooves are just too damn homey and good for these guys not to take this thing somewhere. And while the band members are all extremely proficient and most can easily play a slew of instruments, the sound never becomes too full or overly distracted. Satchel Grande may just be the live entertainment option you’ve been searching for. Strap on your dancing shoes.

- Jesse Stanek (The Reader 10/26/06)


Discography

Satchel Grande - "Plus One"

"Plus One" has received airplay on 89.7 The River. The songs in rotation are "Ooh Child", "Under Your Skin" and "Pedro's Last Stand". Satchel Grande has also been streaming online on Cosmic Goof Radio, an online funk station. The songs in rotation are "Check Mate" and "The World".

Photos

Bio

Satchel Grande is the brainchild of Christopher Klemmensen, a veteran Omaha musician for the last 10 years. The album, “Plus One”, titled about the birth of Klemmensen’s first daughter, was recorded primarily during the time she spent in the womb. In mid 2006, Klemmensen recruited an all-star cast of Omaha talent and formed a live band. Adam Johnsen (guitar, keys, percussion), Andy Kammerer (keys, vocals, percussion), John Klemmensen (guitar, trumpet, percussion, vocals), Matt McLarney (vocals, percussion, trumpet), Ben Zinn (guitar, keys, percussion), Bob Rasgorshek (Bass), and Mike Daegas (drums) anchor the tight live performances. Satchel Grande has been playing together for a short time, but have gained a legion of faithful fans. They have become a regular favorite at The Goofy Foot Lodge in Omaha, NE. In addition, they have had the opportunity to play in front of thousands at Ribfest and have been nominated for an Omaha Entertainment Award (Funk/R&B). With every passing performance they are taking the Omaha music scene by storm with their jam-packed beats and soulful harmonies. The emo kids even dance. Seriously.