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January 2016 - The Outer Vibe
Surf Disco Rides the Wave from GR
Story by LCC Radio Reporter Sarah Spohn
While
Grand Rapids is often known for its cold weather, lake effect snow showers and
vibrant beer scene, The Outer Vibe is working tirelessly to provide a source of
vitamin D in the form of sun-soaked tunes. Delivering surf disco tunes, with
sixties similarities in a tasty musical colada, The Outer Vibe serves up their
sounds complete with a colorful paper umbrella.
Composed of Sean Zee (lead vocals, guitar), Nick Hosford (lead guitar, vocals),
Lisa Kacos (trumpet, keyboards, vocals), Andrew ‘Wonder’ Dornoff (Bass, vocals),
and Noah Savage Snyder (drums, vocals), the band has been around in some sorts
for over a decade. Previous sounds were more rock from highschoolers Nick and
Sean, but today’s bright, energetic hooks remind listeners of beaches, the
desert, and fun in the sun.
Their latest album release, “Full Circle” embodies the band’s weathered journey,
depicting the places and headspaces they’ve visited whilst on tour. The album
delivers clever nostalgic lyrics referencing pina coladas, rose colored shades,
retro motorcycles and southwest exploration. “Full Circle” provides an instant
musical vacation to listeners.
Lead vocalist Sean Zee discusses the band’s sound. “Obviously we have arpeggios
and drum kits and all that mumbo jumbo, but… if it took five people to procreate
one child, this is what our musical, diaper-dirtying, nipple-sucking baby would
sound like.”
If you can’t tell from that quote alone, this band knows how to have fun, and in
fact, it’s one of their goals. While spending so much time together, performing
a whopping 100 shows in 2015 alone could could certainly be testy, the band
members truly enjoy spending time together.
Lisa Kacos spoke about their unique family-like bond. “We get along remarkably
well considering how many weeks we spend together riding around in the van ( his
name is Vanny DeVito),” she said. “We’re like siblings. On off days, we find
tennis courts and play tennis (poorly) together or we find a mountain to climb
or a water park to invade.”
Working with talented producers and engineers, Brad Dollar (Grateful Dead, Keb
Mo, The National) and Joe LaPorta (The Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, Vampire
Weekend), The Outer Vibe utilized mainly vintage gear to help create a nostalgic
Beach Boys, sixties surf sound on “Full Circle.”
The
band spoke about their instrument collection. “We set many limitations on sound
by using a set group of instruments such as vintage Fender amplifiers, a vintage
Ludwig drum kit, and Hammond model M organ and Leslie speakers. A lot of classic
gear,” they said.
To top off the classic gear, The Outer Vibe is often decked in movie-set-worthy
outfits complete with bell bottoms, fringe vests and cool shades to rival the
best-dressed seventies celebrities.
Lisa spoke about the band’s nostalgic sense of fashion. “Finding threads to wear
onstage is like a treasure hunt,” she said. “Name a town, we’ve probably found a
thrift shop. We honestly just wear what we want, and somehow we most often end
up looking like a 1970’s camping ad, which is fine with us.”
With diverse individual influences, the band members bring varying backgrounds
and musical memories including The Ghostbusters theme song on jukeboxes, playing
the piano at a young age, the Pirates of the Caribbean music at Disney World,
the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and listening to Elvis on a Sony Walkman.
Just as their influences and backgrounds are abundant, so are the friends of the
music, fans-turned-family they’ve coined as “the VibeTribe.”
Sean spoke about the people the band has met on the road.
“We’ve performed in cities such as Rapid City, South Dakota or Idaho Falls,
Idaho and the audiences have been very supportive and friendly,” he said. “Over
the years, we have made many friends on the road. We love the concerts that let
us have a reunion with our pseudo family members.”
These pseudo family members are scattered all throughout the country, as The
Outer Vibe has been known to tour Coast-to-Coast, with plenty of live shows,
gigs and festival performances. This past summer, they performed at The Fashion
Meets Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio- a highlight for the fashion-forward ( or
backwards in the case of vintage getups) band.
Not
only does The Outer Vibe keep busy with an impressive touring schedule, they
also operate a recording studio called Pharaoh’s House Recording. Here, they’ve
helped record and produce other bands including American WiFi, The Zannies,
Lipstick Jodi, Assume Nothing, Deadlight Holiday and more. Also teaming up with
the MSU community music school for “Rock Camp,” The Outer Vibe helps assist in a
day-long music camp for teens and the Grand Rapids St. Cecilia Music Center each
year in June.
Next for these sun-kissed, tambourine-holders is a four-month national tour from
Seattle to Fort Lauderdale. Having just finished recording an intense session of
20 songs in eight days, keep hangin’ ten for some more vacation-in-a-bottle surf
tunes from The Outer Vibe.
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