1. Hello Ed Collignon and welcome to Kickacts. Tell us a little bit about
yourself and your band.

Hello Chuck and “Hello” to all of the Kickacts readers. First off, I’d like to say just how much I’ve enjoyed Kickacts magazine. It’s been a real treat and I’ve been going online to read past issues too!
To tell you a bit about the band, my partner Dan Beyl and I have been playing music collectively for well over 60 years. While we’ve both been played in tri-state bands for years, we’ve never played together in any bands other than an occasional gig to temporarily fill-in for an absent band member. I’ve always enjoyed Dan’s playing and his approach to music. He is quite the professional in all aspects and it’s such fun to work with him. We’ve often mentioned the possibility of playing music together someday but our timing has just never lent to it. It seemed that we were never “un-busy” at the same time! Early in 2009, I contacted Dan to see what he was doing musically and he indicated that he might be free to do something soon. He asked what I had in mind and I talked about my interest in taking an acoustic approach to music. I probably didn’t tell him that the “acoustic approach” also SCARED the hell out of me too! I’ve always been an electric guitar player and playing an acoustic guitar is a whole different approach to a gig. I’m so used to being part of an ensemble that the thought of being just two acoustic guitars/two voices was pretty new to me. I have a great amount of respect for musicians who do it with just one person. I take my hat off to all of them! While Dan has primarily been a bass player in previous bands, he has always been quite the closet guitarist. He often downplays his abilities on guitar but he is a very solid guitar player with a tasty technique. Please don’t tell him I said that! Anyway, we got together and ran through a bunch of song charts that I had been accumulating. It felt really natural to us and fun too. So, we started learning tunes and weeding out the less favorite ones. Thus, Strolling Tones was born. This has been the most fun I’ve had musically in a very long time.

2. You guys play everything, from the Beatles to ColdPlay. Do you have a
favorite type of music?

You know, we actually like ALL kinds of music. Now, I realize that sort of
statement sounds pretty cliché but it’s really so true. Pop, rock, reggae, metal,
country, jazz, eastern… there is usually something to appreciate and enjoy in any
genre. Some types of music just seem to offer a bit more to me than others. “To
each his own”.
My particular favorite type of music would be the blues. I found my love of the
blues through Eric Clapton when I was barely a teenager. Obviously, the blues was a
big influence to Clapton and he has performed many blues covers throughout his
career. Whenever I would encounter one of these covers on his albums, I’d go check
out the original artist and subsequently found that I liked what I heard! Through
Clapton, I gained a deep appreciation of Elmore James, Albert King and Freddie King
and others. The blues is such a huge part of American music. Music today would be
MUCH different and almost unrecognizable without it.
Now, Dan is a bonafide Beatle-maniac. Like me, he enjoys so many styles of music
but the Beatles have clearly been a big part of his musical upbringing. Seriously,
the following statement is true. Dan has a room decorated in “early Beatle”!! If
any of your readers get a chance, approach Dan at one of our gigs and ask about his
Beatle wig and boots. Yep, he has them! If the Beatles brand offered Underoos, Dan
would have those as well.

3. You guys have been in some really cool and popular bands over the
years. Care to fill us on some of them?

Well, Dan has been in Evansville for more years than me and has been in countless
bands. Probably, some of his more recent bands have been Open Road and Flashback.
He was a founding member of both bands. Dan was in Flashback for years and they
played EVERYWHERE. They were always playing at local clubs, private parties, and
festivals. Flashback is still playing.
I’ve played in a few local bands but had the good fortune of playing in M.B. & The
Flips for many years. We were the house band at the old Casa Gallardo (now Hacienda
east) for years and we played all over the Tri-State area. Anyone remember D.C.’s
Lounge? We played there a bunch. If we weren’t playing in your favorite club, you
just needed to wait a day or two and we would probably be there.

4. What is your “best gig” ever memory?

Personally, my favorite gig of all time would probably be a night with M.B. & The
Flips at the Executive Inn Showroom Lounge here in Evansville. We were playing for
a large national organization of women representing the oil industry. The room was
packed and very lively. These ladies came to party and didn’t bring their men
folk. I have never seen such revelers. The late former Texas Governor Ann Richards
was the event’s keynote speaker. I got to hang out with her that night at an after
party and she was a hoot. Quite an interesting lady!

5. And in the same frame, how bout the worst horror gig ever?

You know, I’ve been blessed with some pretty sweet gigs and audiences in my
lifetime. However, years ago there was a wedding reception where the bride’s father
had way too much to drink, became thoroughly obnoxious and wanted to fight one of my
fellow band members over some songs we had played. No kidding!! I’m not making
that up. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. The guy kept
threatening him. I really thought that we were going to come to blows. I’m
thankful that it didn’t come to that. Luckily, some of his family members were able
to get him out of there.

6. Do you guys do any original music too?

Dan and I both write music but we hadn’t begun writing any “Strolling Tunes” until
recently. We’re currently working on a few tunes and hope to debut them soon!

7. You guys are really talented. What inspired you to play in the first place?

I’ve always been deeply moved by music and particularly live music. Dan is much the
same. My mother’s family was very musical. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play
with them much at all due to age and geographical distances. I can remember the
very first time that I heard some people playing music together. The hair on my
neck stood straight up. So, you know that if hair was involved with me… it must
have been a very long time ago!
Dan had a very musical family and an uncle who was pretty inspirational to him. The
uncle cut him a sweet deal on a brand new Fender Jazz bass and Fender Bassman amp.
It was very cool gear for a young man and gave Dan an extra push into his musical
future.

8. Hypothetical situation. Your stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get
to hook up with only one the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell
and why?

“Only ONE”??? Well, I had a major crush on Mary Ann when I was a boy. Since I’ve
gotten older, I see things from a different perspective. Mrs. Howell or “Lovey”, as
she was so affectionately referred to by Thurston, obviously made the old boy pretty
happy. Being rich and famous, I’m sure that beautiful women were constantly
throwing themselves at him. But, he was crazy about HER. A woman of experience for
sure!

9.Where can find you on the web at?

We don’t have a dedicated webpage but you can find us on Facebook. “Like” us,
please!!. It’s always kept up-to-date with gigs, etc. Also, some demo covers and
our schedule are listed on the Evansville Courier & Press webpage too…
www.courierpress.com/bands/Strolling-Tones/
Both of these places are great places to find us but Facebook allows for more
interaction and such.

10.# 10 is called “SHOUT IT LOUD”. It’s where you get to say whatever you
want to say…So go ahead Ed, and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!!

Okay, here’s a rare moment of seriousness for me… Any future isn’t a realistic
promise. At best, it’s simply a hope and a dream. Let’s be careful in each moment
we live. Treat others and our environment with courtesy and respect. We may not
survive today but waves of our essence can go on as our legacy. Make it a powerful
and good force!

1. Tell the readers a little bit about yourself and your musical background.

Well, I’ve been playing guitar since I was ten. That’s enough to say that I’ve been playing a LONG time…HA! I grew up around country and gospel, but, that all changed when dad bought me my first KISS record… “Destroyer”, if memory serves. From that point on, it was all about the “ROCK”! (no, not the wrestler…)

2. How did you come up with the band name?

I was in a band many years ago where the guy whose house we practiced at had this little dog named “Gonzo”. It used to leave chew toys all over the practice area and one day, in frustration, I just blurted out “Gonzo needs a toy box…” and that was it. I thought it was a cool name. The rest of the band didn’t agree and shot it down. That project never made it out of the basement, but, the name stuck with me over the next several years till GT was born.

3. Who are the members of the band and who plays which instrument?

I play guitar and backup vocals. Mark Goines is our lead singer and, along with myself, is the only other founding member left. Glen Foust is on drums and backup vocals. He was our sixth drummer in two years, but, has been with the band since 2003, I believe. Stuart Martin on bass and Ed Sein on lead guitar have both been with us for just over two years now. They came aboard during a time of upheaval and uncertainty in the band and really gave us the kick in the ass we needed to move forward. We really have become like a family and when we’re on stage together, it’s best to just stand back, cuz we’re gonna bring it!

4. What kind of gear does each of you use?

Ed uses Bogner amps with Mesa Boogie cabinets, and plays Gibson, Godin, and PRS guitars. Stuart and I both use Mesa Boogie amps and cabs exclusively. He plays Music Man and Carvin basses. I play a Gibson Les Paul and have recently been playing a brand of guitars called “Flaxwood” which are made in Finland and are just incredible instruments. To be honest, I’m not really sure what kind of drums Glen plays…all I know is they sound great miked up. I think we all use Shure microphones. Mark tends to go through a lot of mics. He’ll deny it, but, he’s always blowing them up somehow.

5. Do you do cover tunes, original tunes, or both?

We all write in this band and there are a few “Gonzo’s” originals floating around somewhere. However, there’s not much of a market for original music in this area, which is a shame because are a lot of great local artists out there. Our stock in trade has been playing covers, but, we try to do them in a way that is uniquely ours. We get told a lot by fans that they like our versions of certain songs better than the original artist’s…which always makes us feel great!

6. Who are some of your influences, musical or otherwise?

Wow! There are so many, it’d be impossible to even narrow it down. Although, I tend to gravitate away from what’s popular or trendy. I like artists who aren’t afraid to show who they are and what they’re about to the world. I’m also very impressed with great musicianship and thoughtful lyric writing. A great song is just a great song and will reach out and grab you no matter how it’s presented.

7. Tell us about some of the greatest and worst gigs you’ve experienced.

Playing the Freedom Festival in 2007 was off the hook! So was the Friday Concert Series in Owensboro before they tore down the the old Executive Inn. We miss that gig. The Haubstadt Bierstube is always a good time, as well. New Year’s at the old Woody’s was a great show as is nearly every New Year’s gig we’ve ever played. As for the worst, I really can’t think of any that stand out. The way I see it, the worst night of gigging is better than the best day of work!

8. Tell us about your impressions of the local music scene. What do you think could be done to improve it?

Well, I think that new clubs need to do a little more market research before sinking too much time and money into a concept that doesn’t have much shelf life. I’ve seen a lot of venues come and go because they try to come in and change the way people want to party. New ideas are great, but, know the limits and listen to what people want…and that means more than just a select few. Also, I’d love to see the local radio and television stations do more to promote homegrown artists. New music scenes pop up in the strangest places sometimes. Who would have thought Seattle would explode the way it did when Grunge came in?

9. What do the members of this band do when they’re not rehearsing or gigging?

We all have families and jobs. That, combined with band business and rehearsal, doesn’t leave time for much else, unfortunately…

10. This one really isn’t a question. This is the part of the interview where we ask you to say what’s on your mind or to give a shout out to whomever you want.

I would just urge musicians to stay true to themselves and maintain direction. It’s so easy to get caught up in what goes on around a little bit of success. There is nothing like buying into your own hype to bring down everything you’ve worked for. Most of all, remember this: the band you’re talking shit about today, may be the band you’re auditioning for tomorrow…this is especially true in our little neck of the woods. Aside from that, I just want to say “Thank you” from the bottom of our hearts for all the support and continued success that we in GT have been blessed with! May we be worthy! See y’all at the show!

1. Hello Kenny Bird, welcome to KICKACTS.Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Born and raised along highway 60 west in a town called Corydon Ky, 3 brothers and 1 sister,my father started ( Brantleys Pest Control ) in 1969 an is still working in it today at the age of 80.  My friends, family and roots come from that little town and I’ll never forget the good times I had growing up there.

2. You perform a very popular weekly show at En El Rio’s. Tell us about that and how it all got started.

I had a couple friends who learned to play guitar when they where only like 13 and they liked for me to sing ( Only Make Believe ) by Conway Twitty, and from then on my name became Kenway Birdy. I knew from a early age I could make people laugh and enjoy themselves when they heard me sing. En El Rio let’s me do it any way I want to and believe me , I don’t like rules when it comes to being a entertainer. Anything goes, it’s always the peoples show and the people make the show. I’m just there to say it out loud and entertain. Always do your best to read the crowd and keep them smiling and laughing and you’ll always have a good show.

3. Who are your musical hero’s?

 Conway Twitty, Randy Travis , Hank Williams , David Allen Cole , Merle Haggard , Travis Tritt, Waylon Jennings . Willie Nelson, George Jones and of course the king Elvis Presley.

4. Any advice for someone just starting out in the music business?

I think to be a big player in the business you must put on the kind of show that is fun for everyone there. The kind of show that they tell others about and sing the songs the people can relate to. Remember their looking for something different and entertaining. Always and I mean Always bring your ‘A” game. Never stop once you start a song , no matter what, your best times can happen by accident .

5. You’re a natural born entertainer but do you have any other hobbies too?

I’ve been traveling the roads on a Harley since 1995 with good friends. I collect guitars, ride horses, enjoy making music and helping others learn to play guitar .

6. Do you remember your first real time performing in front of an audience?

The first time I ever played live was so great, people who knew me all my life was surprised to see what the kid could do. I was probably around 17 or 18 on my first gig and there were only like 12 people there that night but we all knew each other. Believe me Chuck, I gave them all I had and they loved it. So we got to go  back in like 2 weeks, and the house was packed.  That was a big deal because the owner couldn’t serve the drinks fast enough and hired a waitress which was the first time we ever saw that, because he never had one. Entertainment just got very interesting for me, I did’nt realize the power I had to keep a crowd entertained until that night. What A Night It Was.

7.Tell us about the first concert you went to.

I think it was a Bob Seger concert in the late 70s I always feel like there’s so much more I should do on stage after watching a great show like Bob Segers.

8. What can the people expect at “Kenny Bird’s Big Show” at En El Rio’s?

 I’ve always said , When you come to see a Kenny Bird Show, you’ve come to see a guy who loves to entertain and he never leaves home without his “A” game. It’s always the peoples show. What ever makes them laugh, what ever makes them remember something about the show. What ever it takes to make them want more. I respect the people and I listen to what they want to hear, so I’ll do what ever I can to see they get their fix. I guess my answer to your question would be, One heck of a good show.

9. If you could perform with one entertainer, wether they are alive or deceased… who would it be and why?

I would have loved to be on stage with Elvis Presley. He’s always been a favorite of mine.  He got away with anything on stage. he was a great entertainer and the crowd cheered him on until he couldn’t sing another note. Who wouldn’t dream of being apart of something that great? He invented a style of singing, moves, and his clothes, which will be around til the end of time. He said once that if his singing sucked, at least he looked good in his outfit. I believe that to be what helped set him apart from other musicians. I love to dress up when I go on stage, I know the people like it , cause they ask where I got my clothes at. Dressing up for a show  shows people you came to have a good time, and believe me, I do.

10. Is called “shout it out Loud”. It’s where you get to talk about what ever you want to talk about. So go ahead Kenny and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”.

Thanks for tha interview Chuck, I really can’t  think of much to add to what I’ve already talked about. Hope your magazine is a big success and if there’s anything else I can do just ask.

Thanks
Kenny Bird!