Tune In, Turn On
Quick pop music quiz:What does the year 1987 have in common with Blues Traveler, the Spin Doctors and the Gin Blossoms – all of whom will perform together in one cool show this Saturday night, July 19, at Ocean Casino Resort’s Ovation Hall?
That’s the year all three bands first formed (full confession: the Spin Doctors actually formed in 1988, not 1987, but the lead here was too good not to use).
Tune In Turn On sat down with the band’s longtime vocalist, Chris Barron, with whom I worked in a publicity capacity during his solo tour last year.
Barron, fellow founding members Eric Schenkman (guitarist) and Aaron Comess (drummer), and new bassist Jack Daley started a 43-city tour in April in Niagara Falls, ending Sept. 26 in Ocean City, Md.
Spin Doctors, probably best known for their catchy 1990s hits, “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” are touring in support of “Face Full of Cake,” recorded at bassist Daley’s Asbury Park studio, and released in April on Capitol Records.
Here’s my interview with Chris Barron:
DD: Let’s talk about your band’s new album, “Face Full of Cake,” and how it came to fruition.
CB: This record actually started out as demo recordings. We recorded at Jack Daley’s studio, Dug Deep Productions in Asbury Park, New Jersey. We were having a ball and the process took on this easy breezy yet super heavy vibe, and we kind of turned around and realized these tracks were too good to be demos.
DD: How did the Spin Doctors end up releasing “Face Full of Cake” on Capitol Records?
CB: What can I say? Capitol Records loves us. We got the intro through our publishing company, Primary Wave. They loved the record and the deal went through.
DD: Did the band change their music style in any way from the ‘old’ Spin Doctors’ sound on the new album?
CB: The addition of Jack Daley in the lineup brings a super musical, melodic feel to the rhythm section. I think this record is a call-back to everything that’s terrific about the band with the addition of all of our experience in the decades we’ve been together. It’s a happy, heavy, aggressive, super-entertaining record.
DD: What did all the band members do, music-wise, in the time Spin Doctors weren’t touring or recording?
CB: We’ve been together touring and recording this whole time.
DD: Talk about the current tour with Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms. How’s that going?
CB: I’m out there having the time of my life. I went to high school with Blues Traveler and we’ve known the Gin Blossoms since 1990 so it’s a bunch of old friends sitting in with each other’s bands and having a ball. When you’re in a band you don’t get to see other bands that much because you’re always playing when they’re playing, so it’s nice to be able to hang out and watch the other guys’ sets and hear all these songs that I remember so well played live by my old friends.
DD: Where do you see Spin Doctors being, career-wise, five years from now?
CB: Doing what we’ve always done: rocking out, playing our asses off, enjoying each other, and giving the people what they want.
Tickets/info: theoceanac.com
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug also hàs experience writing for the one time shore-based weekly publication, Whoot! He also was a team member with Chip Braymes Advertising. Doug loves bicycling and aspires to bring the Blues to Atlantic City. He can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com and www.facebook.com/dougdeutschpublicity.
