The Old Main

More than a year after recording the thing, local Rod Lacy, formerly of Weldon, pulled together a band (The Old Main) to release a disc of lilt, twang and alt.country/folk juice. He handles all the instruments on the CD, though he says he didn't know how to play any of them until he started fiddling around in the studio. Textures figure heavily into the first couple of tracks, with ambient noise invited in for a spell. Clearly a solid songwriter and guitar player, it's the rest of the instruments, a little wild in their newness, that really work for me. --Marissa Demarco - Weekly Alibi

Sound is very diverse, a mixture of blues sadness, southern country rock, with a kick of strong guitar riffs. Overall very mellow with lyrics that are real without the overused commercial phrases that spells everything out for you.
- Zoey

The Old Main Delivers A Dose Of Reality
CD review: The Old Main, self-titled (Self-released)

By Rachel Heiser


Albuquerque, NM, is birthplace of a shocking number of bands. Don't believe it? Head Downtown on any given night and count how many local bands are gracing stages. It's truly amazing considering it's a pretty tiny city. The Old Main is one of 'Burque's newly established rock/country bands (having started about a year ago), and with the release of their self-titled debut album, have secured their place on stages all over the city, from the South Valley to the Heights.

The songs on the self-titled album were written and originally recorded by Rod Lacy (guitars, vocals, organ) as demos initially called "Blacklung" while in a cabin in the woods of Ruidoso, NM. Lacy's Thoreau-esque, mind-clearing time out was nothing if not productive and creative. Upon his return to Albuquerque, Lacy, Mojo Atzberger (drums) and Zoltan Szekely (bass, guitars, banjo) came together, and within two or three months after their first jam session recorded the recently released album.

The honesty that has poured into the lyrics is shocking. From the irritated rants of the bluesy "Young Faith Healer" to the out-pouring of emotion on the lazy-day twang of "Feeling Fine," there's no taboo concept or topic here. What's more, the vocals are specifically suited for each number and expressive as all hell. Take, for example, the rockabilly "Image Adjust," on which Lacy goes from a smarmy verse into a downright incensed chorus. Another interesting thing is how songs like "Remnants of Gibson" have a mellow, introspective singer/songwriter feel to them, while, instead of sticking to simple acoustic guitars, they've used distorted electric guitars, which adds a whole different dimension and layer of contrast.

The Old Main is the best of both worlds: reflective lyrics and potent music. These guys have taken the most candid ideas and turned them into a complete and well-delivered package. Music should always be this real.


- Rachel Heisler for pitchperfectreviews.com

The Old Main
By Marisa Demarco
Rod Lacy's trip back to music

Rod Lacy knows how to spin a yarn, and like any born storyteller, he knows what's important about his own story.

Lacy has four kids. He's been married nine years. He worked as a refrigeration mechanic, a trade he first picked up in the Navy, for 10 years. Those are the vital stats on a longtime musician who decided to give the music thing a go about a year ago with his down and dirty alt.country band, The Old Main.

He'd wake up in the morning, aching and hurting. He'd work all day until 6 or 7 p.m. "I’d get to the practice space dog-ass tired and try to pump out some good music with all my emotion, my whole mind." Before he knew what happened, he turned 30. "All of a sudden, I'm like, "Oh crap. I didn't do anything. I didn't make it. I'm not making music for a living." So he quit his job. Just like that. For the second time.

The first time Lacy quit his job, years before his motivation took hold, he didn't show up one day to fix refrigerators and, instead, moved to Ruidoso with his family. This was 2004. He also quit his band, Weldon, and left without telling anyone where he was going. He wasn't trying to make music. He just wanted to hide.

And then ... "I bought a keyboard for 90 bucks at Wal-Mart," he says. "I went there for sundries, diapers for the kids. I was living in this little cabin." Lacy's a huge Tori Amos fan and found the keyboard cured his writer's block in ways a guitar couldn't. "I'm probably the only person in the world that chews Copenhagen and listens to Tori Amos," he laughs.

He got snowed in that cabin one weekend with that keyboard. His family was visiting his in-laws down the mountain and couldn't come home. So he wrote a few songs. Then a few more. Before he knew it, Lacy had an album—one he wrote, recorded and played all the instruments on himself.

Lacy moved back home. He hooked up with Zoltan Szekely, formerly of Rakes of Mallow, and Mojo Atzberger of Atomic Love Medicine. And he got a job at the Metropolitan Detention Center fixing the jail's kitchen equipment, which spurred the idea for his band's name. The Old Main is a building at the New Mexico State Penitentiary where the riots took place in 1980. He talked to plenty of down-and-out inmates while he worked at the jail. "Hearing all these stories and seeing all these people—those guys ain't shy to tell you about what they did. It reminded me a lot of my own stories, how close I've always been to getting into real deep shit."

The son of a coal miner, Lacy's trying to prove to his dad that he can feed his family with music, that he can make a living with The Old Main accompanied, for now, by some light refrigeration repair work on the side.

Lacy's never been an in-it-to-win-it kind of competitor, but now he has to be. "All I need to do is get some recognition for being a songwriter, being a performer. Because if I didn't, my entire life would just be worthless." - Marisa Demarco for the Alibi--Nucity Publications 2007

‘Old Main’ is filled with history
Friday, 02 November 2007

BY JIM PHILLIPS
“Here at The Rock, we have two rules. The first rule is: Obey all rules. The second rule is: Do not write on the walls, as it is very hard to get writing off
of walls.”
— Barney Fife

Albuquerque roots act The Old Main is poised to release their debut studio recording, a collection of songs they accurately and eloquently describe as “dirt-road anthems.” Frontman Rod Lacy recently took some time to chat with Local iQ about how the trio, which also includes Mojo Atzberger and Zoltan Szekely, came to be; who influenced their songwriting and the story behind the band’s name.
Local iQ: What’s the story behind origin of the band’s name?

Rod Lacy: The Old Main building at the New Mexico State Pen where the infamous riots took place in 1980. A couple of years ago I left Albuquerque in a fervor and I wrote material for what became The Old Main’s debut in a cabin in Ruidoso. When I returned a year and a half later, I went to Las Vegas, Nev., with two friends. While nursing a hangover, I watched a television program featuring the State Pen riots. I was working in Santa Fe a lot then and I passed The Old Main regularly. It’s very ominous and dark even in the light of day. The name stuck in my head. Just like The Old Main, much of my music is a correctional facility — an institution for the stories and ideals of the outcast element of society. Naturally, I equate our live shows to conjugal visits.


iQ: How did you first get together?


RL: About five years ago, Zoltan Szekely was in a band called Rakes of Mallow, Mojo Atzberger was in Atomic Love Medicine and I was in Weldon. I happened to catch Rakes of Mallow one night at the Atomic Cantina and liked them so much that I asked if they wanted to (perform at) Weldon’s CD release party.

After my return from Ruidoso last October, I got a message on MySpace from Mojo. He had been jamming with Zoltan trying to get something going after their bands broke up while I was away. We booked our first show six weeks later and were in the studio in three months. It all happened really fast.

iQ: How did you conceive of, and how would you describe, The Old Main’s sound?


RL: My family set the stage for me ... from birth. I listened to music all day long, always. My grandma and grandpa Lacy had Hank Williams (Sr. and Jr.), George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and my dad and uncle Alan had Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and KISS. And my mom had George Strait, Fleetwood Mac, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry. I listened to everything. When I was writing material I (subsequently) recorded with The Old Main, I was thinking about all of these elements of my youth. I looked deep enough and thought hard enough about the hardships and the heartaches growing up in a poor trailer park in New Mexico and how hopeless a lot of kids that are there now must feel. The Old Main sound is a reflection of all the aunts, uncles and cousins that never could get things right. Some give up and some keep on trying. To simply describe us, I always say that The Old Main is old school rock ’n roll flavor with a smooth country finish.


iQ: What other bands in town do you enjoy playing on the same bill with and/or seeing live?


RL: Some of my favorites are Fast Heart Mart, Ya Ya Boom Project, Unit 7 Drain, Trilobite, Sleestaks and Zoltan & His Intergalactic Levitating Gypsy Band. Polaroid Pornography is cool. We’ve been playing quite a bit with a couple of newer Native bands called Saving Damsels and Red White and Black.


iQ: How do you feel the Albuquerque music scene compares to music scenes in other cities?

RL: The way I see it is that we are all doing our part to construct a great scene. We’re all putting the wheels on this scene in motion, one show at a time. It’s great to have friends and rivals playing on the same night at Burt’s (Tiki Lounge) and the Atomic (Cantina) — healthy competition to constantly prove who can rock harder, who is more inspired or who is more out of control. Everyone has to keep working to make Albuquerque’s music scene better and better. It is a continuously ongoing effort. The music scene anywhere is a living, breathing entity that is capable of dying. I’d like for everyone to think about that.


- by Jim Phillips for Local IQ--a Sakura, Inc. Publication

The Random Live Music Review
by Michael L. Nielsen


The Old Main

There are two things that I think are truly lacking from the Albuquerque scene: Bars that support actual bands (not DJs and shitty Hip-Hop crap) and the much needed Jazz performers.

The Old Main is a step closer to solving this problem. They are rockabilly. They are jazz. They are somewhere in between while still being true to a somewhat hardcore root. They are fantastic. Strangely, on MySpace, they describe themselves as Rock/Alternative/Americana. I disagree so intently with that except for, perhaps, Americana in a way...but, hey, it's not my band I guess.

Before I get too far, let me explain right now that what this band does so well is to make you move around. Hell, they accomplish this even if you don't want to. This is a big thing to me since I go to every show thinking about how I am going to review them, not how I am going to jump around. Yeah, I know, that sounds really lame but I am entirely serious about my writings and therefore am generally a little focused and boring at most shows.

The members of this band have so many things going for them that I find it difficult to formulate them in any order, so let's have a little bulleted fun and make a quirky little list to follow along with:

* They play impeccably while remaining animated and intense all the way through their lengthy set. I would love to give individual props to either Rod, Zoltan or Mojo, but I can't. They are equally fanatic and just absolutely bleed energy on stage.

* Their entire set is well written, played and thought out. If you don't believe me than go ahead and head to their myspace and you can hear a great deal of their set. This music is awesome and has been sorely missed in this scene.

* They love their crowd. I was a little worried at times that they would jump down and make out with one of us. Really...they were in constant eye contact and making every effort to involve us in the experience. I'm pretty sure that is what music shows are supposed to accomplish, but unfortunately it's rare these days to have a band actually do so.

* Um...Zoltan is straight up fucking crazy. Yes, this is a good thing. Just go to their show. You'll understand.

I don't have a whole lot more to say. I could easily write two to three more paragraphs gushing all over these guys, but I see no reason. They are good. They are worth your time and if there is ever a door charge, than they are worth your money. Visit their site, go to their shows and buy their shit if you have any spare cash. They deserve your support.

<< theoldmain.com // myspace.com/theoldmain >>

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So there you go true believers, another Butcher music review in the books. I hope it leads you all out to the bars to support some of these folks. I look forward to the comments, hate mail, death threats, etc...

Until next time,



-The Butcher.

[[ Michael L. Nielsen -- blog.myspace.com/miketheunited ]]

- Michael L. Nielsen Myspace Blogspot