The Kris Orlowski Band played The Spar in Tacoma’s historic north end on Saturday, October 17th, and as the only band on the bill, they played for an impressive 2½ hours. The set opened with selections from their first CD, “Architects”.
Orlowski was capably backed by bassist Jason Stiles and drummer Tim Rummerfield. Orlowski’s voice has the same qualities as Train lead singer Pat Monahan or John Mayer, and is well suited to the wide variety of song styles the band demonstrated. Slow, ballad-y tunes like “Jesse” and more moderately paced melodies (“Follow” and “Architects of Heaven”) all benefitted from innovative percussion arrangements, keeping the songs original and enjoyable. New selections like the lovely “Sweet Little Girl” showcased Orlowski’s vocal talents, and it is the choice for a new music video due out in the spring. I asked the band for a short interview before their show, which they graciously granted.
melophobe: What are the origins of the band?
KO: We are originally from Seattle and met 2 ½ years ago over a Craigslist posting that Tim [Rummerfield] had up for a couch. We ended up talking less about the couch and more about music.
melophobe: Are you an angry Northwest band?
KO: The Northwest has changed a lot. There is a whole new generation of folk-rockers, and we are starting to be known for more that just grunge. Our influences are Fleet Foxes, The Beatles, and The Shins, but on our new album, for example, I don’t think there are two songs that sound like they are from the same genre. We do bill ourselves as a Northwest band, but I’ve actually been hearing from listeners that we don’t sound anything like a band from the Northwest. Maybe we need to change our PR.
melophobe: I heard some subtle southern undertones like Lynyrd Skynyrd.
KO: Yeah, we have heard that we sound a little reggae, a little pop. We write in the moment and we all have out fingerprints on it. We want to have fun recording and playing, and although sometimes we want to send a message through the lyrics, it isn’t the whole picture. We would rather have people enjoy the music, and if they want to tune into the lyrics, that’s cool.
melophobe: On your web site, you have a show recording policy. Does the fact that you allow recording and sharing of your live events conflict with the business side?
KO: I think what you will find [is] that people who are sharing music are also buying music. If people can share their music with their friends, they both go out and buy it. At the very least, maybe their friends will come out and see us and become new fans.
The Kris Orlowski Band is a satisfying listen on many levels, and is among the top Northwest talents. Their sophomore album is scheduled for release in April of 2010, with the proposed tracks revealing the band’s increasing sophistication and style. If you can catch them on one of their 100-plus tour dates throughout the region, it should definitely be toward the top of your to-see list.
