Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 4/16/01 Section: Et cetera

James Sibley, keyboard player from Colorado, intoxicated the crowd with his jazzy piano/organ style. Katy Batdorff - CM LIFE [Click to enlarge]

Corey Chupp, CMU graduate, sat in with Smokestack for their last song of the evening. Katy Batdorff - CM LIFE [Click to enlarge]

Many CMU students took time out of their busy schedules to see the Ann Arbor band Smokestack Wednesday night at Rubbles. Katy Batdorff - CM LIFE [Click to enlarge]

Smokestack, a band from Ann Arbor comprised of a bass and electric guitarist, keyboardist and drummer, put on a fabulously upbeat show last Wednesday night at Rubbles. Apparently they were one of Mount Pleasant’s best kept secrets because the turnout was much smaller than their talent. Those who were lucky enough to be at Rubbles were not too shy to dance, the music making it impossible to stay seated and the dancing didn’t stop until the band did.
In an interview before the show, the Smokestack shared their dedication and confidence in playing together as a career. Guitarist Chuck Newsome firmly believes that “to make it as an artist takes heart and back-up plans aren’t realistic, they are a cop-out. He went on to say that “this is what we want to do and I believe we have the line-up and the commitment to make it work.”
They are in the process of recording their first full-length album in a studio in Ann Arbor. Smokestack feels that this album is a major step in establishing a name for themselves along with the numerous shows that they have put on in Lower Michigan and Ohio. They all agreed that someone has to take chances in order to pursue their dreams or else this would be a world without artists.
The band was opposed to putting a label on their sound. Keyboardist James Sibley groaned when he said that “this is the hardest question to answer” and bassist Thom McNeil jokingly said that they were “dance music for house wives and hippies.” Drummer Brian Williams feels that labels put restrictions on their versatility. Eventually the consensus was that their music could not fit neatly into any category. They agreed that their grooves, the majority of which they have written, cover a wide range of genres such as funk, Latin, jazz and blue-grass. Smokestack’s incredible improvisational skills should not automatically classify them as a typical jam band. Although their jam sessions are powerful, their unique ability to transition and blend one style with another deserves recognition.
Let’s put it this way, they are smooth like Marvin Gaye and funky like Taj MaHal, keeping everyone on their toes — literally! In fact, for the finale when the crowd screamed for more, they were delightfully surprised with “Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles.
Smokestack hopes to make an appearance at Rubbles again some time this summer and will definitely be back next fall, don’t miss them while they are still in Michigan!

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