Music
Press
Zac Martin
Fourth Estate News Paper
September 12, 2008
Alumni jam in Phoenix Club
New Union reunited with old friends
Campus greets local celebrity
Zachary Martin
Fourth Estate
MTVs ‘A Shot at Love II’ participant and UW-Green Bay alumni Scotty Dickert opens up the fall semester with a bang. He and his band Uakari rock the new Union’s Phoenix Club on Wednesday night.
In a scene that easily could have been mistaken as a happening downtown nightclub, students bobbed their heads and bounced around to an eclectic vibe and funky vocals most of them had never heard before. Many stuck around longer than expected or bought CD’s they hadn’t planned to. Students crowded around tables and at times even seemed to spill into neighboring rooms. There was curiosity in the air.
Uakari has been in Green Bay before. In fact, the band was originally formed here in 2003. They released their first album, a nine-song compilation “Where the Fuakawi” in 2007 and are currently working on a nearly finished project tentatively entitled “Sunday Songs”. The band hopes to record the already written album shortly and looks forward to beginning the project in Tallahassee, Florida as soon as they work out the details. They expect it to have a more structured vibe than their first album, which has the definite jam band influences of Jack Johnson, Jimmy Buffet, and maybe even Rusted Root. Fans looking to stay on top of Uakari’s releases may also want to keep an eye on their website, www.uakarimusic.com and their myspace, http://www.myspace/uakariband.com.
The newest member of the group, and bass player Patrick Bauer, who was sporting the always-appropriate barefoot overall look, was also asked about the progress of new material. He said, “It’s good. Real good. We have a bunch of new songs. We’ve learned a lot of new stuff for this show, in fact.”
He also said, “We’ve got a two hour allotment tonight and we’ll easily fill the whole slot. It’s about twenty-five songs or so.”
Twenty-five songs may seem like a rather long night, but Uakari tackled it like old pros. Lead by Dickert on vocals and band co-founder Tucker Ramsey Butch on lead guitar, they hammered out one jam after another. Adam Snippen on the drums and Ben Moore who manned, not only the keyboard, but also some bongos from time to time matched Bauer’s bass lines note for note. The five men all appeared to be appreciative of the chance to perform for UW-Green Bay. They wore bright smiles that couldn’t be missed. There was dancing on stage. They interacted with their audience and they even poked fun of one another from time to time. All and all, they looked on top of the world.
The band hopes to use Dickert’s participation with ‘A Shot at Love’ as a springboard to bigger and better things. They opened for headliner Ryan Cabrera at the Rave in Milwaukee last December. A new album may afford them similar opportunities in the future.
“It’s all happening real quick ” said Dickert when asked of the bands plans for the future.
The sudden spotlight that came with appearing on MTV’s ‘A Shot at Love II, with Tila Tequila’ has opened many doors for Dickert. He is hoping the popularity of the show continues to offer opportunity. Even TV and movie deals appear to be on the horizon for this member of our UW-Green Bay family. He hinted at a possible big screen reunion with fellow MTV cast member George. And when asked about his experiences on “A Shot at Love’, his reply was simple. “I have no regrets. I’ve met some really cool people and we’ve been given some amazing opportunities.”
- Zac Martin (Fourth Estate News Paper)
Discography
Uakari- Where the Fuakawi?? (2007)
Uakari- The Sunday Songs (Summer 2008)
Uakari- A Warm Winter Day (Coming Summer 2009)
Photos
Bio
uakari
ua¡¤ka¡¤ri [wah-kahr-ee]
What would life be like without music? Music can act as a theme song to any situation or event in the life that each person lives. For Scott J.R. Dickert and Tucker Ramsey Burch, co-founders of the band Uakari, music is the center of what they love in this amazing world we live in. It not only brings together people of all ages, races, and gender, but it brings their band and its members together as one cohesive unit. They enjoy being part of such a big movement and knowing that they play a role in bringing people together and making their lives happier.
Uakari’s music comes from several different places. Two very apparent influences are the musicians’ life experiences and their own personalities. Dickert draws his lyrics from what he is feeling and situations he or the world is dealing with, and then molds them with his own vision of how wonderful life can be as seen in a dream or imagined in a fantasy. Similarly, Burch plays guitar starting with emotion and instinctive feeling as raw material, but then carefully analyzes and refines his work in an effort to synthesize a thoughtful, cohesive, and positive finished product. Indeed, Uakari believes that optimism is a useful quality to possess, and that some good can always be found – even in negative situations. Even when their music starts in a cold dark place, addressing intense emotions such as those associated with death or war, it never fails to elevate spirits and show the light that we all can find. Their songs are an emotional journey through stories that audiences can easily relate to in their own ways. Some reference real-life current events and often require an attentive ear to understand the meaning behind the up-beat, feel-good music. Others come from the idea that in life, everybody needs an escape once in a while. In fact, escapism and fantasy are vivid themes throughout Uakari’s work along with an element of the unknown, the unexpected, and the unpredictable. You don’t go about each day knowing exactly what will happen next, and in Uakari’s vision, a song should be no different.
Though they dislike the idea of being categorized and feel that they have a truly unique sound, Uakari believes that music is never created in a void. Feeling compelled to expand on the type of music that they love, the band pays respect stylistically to those that came before them and the tradition that they play in and pass on. Some of Burch’s and Dickert’s influences are shared. Vocals and guitar parts alike are influenced by Jack Johnson, Dispatch, Dave Matthews, and Ben Harper. However, unshared influences are just as important to the band’s sound. While Dickert draws vocal inspiration from Coldplay, Cat Stevens, and Bob Marley, Burch borrows stylistically from O.A.R. and Jimi Hendrix. Even the likes of Blink 182 have had an important impact on Burch’s guitar playing, while Jimmy Buffet provides the lyrical inspiration for much of Uakari’s themes of escapism and fantasy.
In a way, Uakari’s music reflects on the members’ relationships with one another. It not only brought them together, but it continues to be a profound expression of their shared attitude towards life and vision of the world. Through meeting and working with Burch, Dickert finally found a home for his musical ability and creative energy; in turn, Burch drew from that contagious energy to find a revived love of music that renewed and re-centered his identity after having gone through a period of emotional and creative emptiness. Always feeding off one another’s energy, the two musicians feel that their skills and styles complete each other, and the shared knowledge of this mutual sentiment allows for a stress-free and joyful sound to resonate in the form of music. Whatever success comes their way, the band is determined that it will be used to make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the people around them.
Individual Band Members
Scott (Scotty) J.R. Dickert (Age 25)
Dickert started singing at a very young age and began writing music when he was 16. He has a natural ear for melody, stemming from his family’s vast musical background. After performing and being crowned Miss Milwaukee Summerfest, his mother sang in the Miss America pageant and went on to become a professional singer. His uncle was a professional pianist who traveled and performed with the infamous Lawrence Welk Show. Dickert's life in the music world was solidified when he reached college where he played bars, clubs, restaurants, and university events.
In April of 2008, Dickert was selected to participate on the popular MTV music television show, "A Shot at Love 2: with Tila Tequila." Dickert gained national recognition, staying on the show for seven weeks, and Uakari's music was featured along with him. Now, Dickert will be starrin
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