Sam Norton
A&E Editor
You can see it in their expression, in the way they play the instrument, and in the way they pronounce each word of their lyrics; it’s clear that music is their passion.
For local bands TheColorOrange, Jake McKelvie and the Countertops, and the Calerpittars, music is more than just an opportunity to perform; it’s a way for the groups to bond.
On Thursday, Oct. 4, at Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza, these three bands performed and showcased their passion for music of all genres. For TheColorOrange it was all about finding the right mix. Lead vocalist and guitarist of TheColorOrange, John Remmetter, said, “I got out of school and the old band that I was a singer in broke up and I was writing songs again. I was looking for a band all year and decided to stop looking for a band because I couldn’t find anyone I mixed with.”
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TheColorOrange, also consisting of Eric Walker on bass and Zac Johnson on drums, formed during the spring of 2012.
From then on the band started to write their own songs that suited their musical tastes—Say Anything, Blink-182, and Alkaline Trio being their main sources of inspiration.
Four years ago, Blink-182 inspired Johnson to start playing the drums, he said. However, for Remmetter, music was an ongoing component to his life. He grew up watching his dad play music, which sparked his interest in learning how to play the guitar.
It wasn’t until third grade that Remmetter decided to learn how to play guitar seriously, he said. But for TheColorOrange, playing together is more than just an opportunity to play music that they love, it’s a chance for them to get others involved in their passion. “It’s [music] a good way to get everybody together,” Johnson said. This includes getting the opportunity to perform with other local bands they have developed a strong friendship with, like Jake McKelvie and the Countertops.
Jake McKelvie leads the Countertops on vocals and guitar, Nick Votruba is the band’s bassist, and Jeff Hall is the band’s drummer. McKelvie and Votruba attended high school together, started to play at the age of 15, and five years later would use their talents to create a true representation of who they are as a musical group.
This alternative folk band formed during September 2011 and has been playing music ever since. Artists such as Bill Callahan, Pavement, Grandaddy, the Weakerthans, Sonic Youth and Butthole Surfers, are McKelvie’s and Votruba’s main sources of inspiration.
McKelvie, who mainly writes the lyrics, enlists the help of Votruba to help bring his lyrics to life. “They [lyrics] tend to work themselves out over a matter of weeks,” McKelvie said. But for this group of artists, performing is more than just letting their music be heard, it’s an opportunity to experience something greater—they thrive in performing in front of a live audience.
For local band the Calerpittars, the thrill of performing in front of a live audience is one of the main reasons why they perform. Andrew Reynolds, who plays guitar and bass, and sings, said, “Even if they hate the song with a passion that’s awesome—that’s means we put effort into it and you took it the way you did.”
The Calerpittars, along with Reynolds is composed of Dan Kuhn on vocals and guitar, and Joey Mintel on bass. The band is known for their individuality when it comes to their music style.
“I’m really more of the pop feel, Joey is more of the funky progressive feel, and Andrew really balances us out,” Kuhn said, “This is a big part of who we are.” Kuhn, Reynolds, and Mintel all collaborate on the lyrics and songs the band creates. “I don’t feel like we write it; it presents itself to us,” Kuhn said, “The song already exists; we are the ones who are just trying to make it happen.” And what they are trying to make happen is creating music that is as unique as the name of their band is.
“In this old house we had a friend who was an artist and she had discussed painting a mural for us and the discussion was all about a fantasyland and we talked about the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland,” Reynolds said. That painting helped spark an idea for the band—and idea that would later result in their identity. Part of their identity is incorporating all of their musical inspirations—Reynolds’ love for the Beatles, Mintel’s appreciation for Jamiroquai, and Kuhn’s influence of Fun.—into one cohesive sound.
“We have a very similar ear. When we hear what’s right we all know its right,” Reynolds said, “When we click like that and we all know it, that is what inspires us.
“We have all had influence over the music. Joey is a music major at Keene State so he is very well voiced in the guitar so he has written a few songs that I have written the lyrics for. Andrew and I, our thing is, we will sit down with each other and bounce ideas off of one another,” Kuhn said.
However, their appreciation for all music types is only one element that bonds this group together.
Mintel said, “There is an incredible connection between all of us. There’s nothing like it. It’s being in a conversation that keeps getting better and better and you start talking faster and you start getting more ideas and it’s just a really exciting thing to be a part of. Seeing other people who are having as much fun as we are always brings it to a new level.”
Sam Norton can be contacted at
snorton@keene-equinox.com