The High Freqs are a new band of familiar faces that are poised to make an impact on the local scene. You may have heard them debuting their single “Norfolk Way” during the Sept. 15 Homegrown Showcase on ALT 99.5FM/102.3FM
The psychedelic folk rock act is comprised of Topher Beyer on vocals/guitar, Adam Baker on guitar, Chris Olry on bass, Amy Laatsch on keys, and Isaiah Laatsch on drums.
“We got together after various members of the band would fill in for each other’s other bands, and we realized just how well we all work together. It just made too much sense,” Beyer said. “I am playing guitar and singing, but Amy, Adam, and I are pretty much taking an equal share of singing with this band.”
“Norfolk Way” hits all streaming platforms Thursday, Sept. 14. They plan to release one more single before turning their focus on a full-length album.
Their first show will be at O’Sullivans on Friday, Sept. 15, at 10 p.m. with Joel Gragg & The Filaments, a funk influenced blues rock act from Springfield, Illinois.
Be on the lookout for The High Freqs. They are about to make some noise.
Drifting back onto scene
James & The Drifters are back!
With the announced departure of Andy Scheer and Anthony Giraldi in June 2022, the Drifter camp has been pretty quiet. That was until the band announced they will perform at The Brass Rail on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 9:30 p.m.
The current lineup consists of Kyle Jackson on vocals/rhythm guitar, Scheeron backing vocals/lead guitar, Ryan Hart on bass, and Dan Willig on drums.
As you can see, Scheer is still a part of the band. After a few conversations following his and Giraldi’s farewell show, the band decided to reconfigure how they were going to go about things, and he decided to stick around.
“This isn’t a one-off,” Jackson said the show at The Rail. “We spent the past year going through some life adjustments and getting our new bassist up to speed with our songs.
“We’re hoping to play out locally more often in the coming months and hoping to eventually play in other Midwestern cities as well and do some light touring down the road.”
In addition to their show at The Rail, James & The Drifters will be one of the bands performing at the Art This Way Art Crawl: Alley Bash on Friday, Sept 22.
Paying tribute to iconic bands
Guitar virtuoso Joey O has an exciting new project: Mick Bowie & The Rolling Spiders.
“Our main focus is playing Rolling Stones and Davis Bowie tunes, but we also throw in a few other gems from that era like Santana, The Allman Brothers, and The Doors,” he said. “A tribute like no other!”
Joining Joey O in the group are Jeremy Miller on vocals, Steve Sahagun on bass, and Dave Lemish on drums.
They recently made their debut at Howie’s in Hamilton and plan to roll out more dates soon.
According to Joey, big things are coming. Stay tuned!
The 906 Band going through changes
A lot of the time, a lineup change can be a good thing for a band.
No matter the circumstances, fresh blood and a fresh start is all it takes to light that fire in their pants.
With the recent departure of vocalist Mindy Burke, The 906 Band had to make such adjustments.
Chris Hambrick will step away from the drum kit and take on keyboard and vocal duties while newcomers Joe Flores will play drums and Sherry Leeman will be the new vocalist. Guitarist Wade Mellon and bassist Jimi Marks will continue their duties.
There may be an occasion or two when Hambrick will get behind the drums again due to Flores’ scheduling.
“The 906 Band has gone through many changes throughout the years and will continue on with all of the passion you’ve come to know from us,” the band said in a statement. “There will be new updates to the setlist and many of the crowd pleasers you all love. We ask you to continue believing in us like you did before. We are excited for our continued growth as we adapt and we have one more announcement to make soon.”
That announcement will be that the band is going to rebrand with a new name, so be on the lookout.
Until then, you can catch The 906 Band at the K-ville Pub in Kendallville on Sept. 22 and Moose Lodge 242 in Bluffton the following night.
Phil Schurger making moves
Phil Schurger has been busy as of late with an array of gigs, a new album, and another band.
First up, Schurger recently started his Wrigley Field Bar & Grill residency doing Phil Plays Dead every Tuesday from 7:30-10:30 p.m. This is an addition to the jazz jam he does every Thursday at The Ruin from 8-11 p.m.
He’s also working on an album with The Sungate that he hopes to share with fans soon.
“The record is finally mixed, and I am incredibly excited to begin sharing that with the world sometime in the next couple months,” he said. “It is for me a perfect album, and I don’t say that lightly.”
In addition to this man’s busy schedule, Schurger has found time to join Pink Droyd as a guitarist. You can witness this firsthand when Droyd closes out the Sweetwater Performance Pavilion season on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m.
