Are you Ready to Rock With Garpike?

By Rachel Wick

Garpike has an important question to pose to the area music scene, "Are You Ready For The Rock?" This inquiry serves as a sort of a rally cry for the band and is also a song that the group has been playing throughout the Chippewa Valley since forming a year ago.

The band is comprised of Dan Comstock (vocals), Bill Cooney (drums), Todd Adams (Bass guitar), and Andy Sedahl( guitar). The crew celebrated its first show on New Years Eve of 2006, at the Bullpen and has since brought its high-energy performances to other area venues such as My Place Bar, The Stones Throw and The House of Rock. Outdoor shows they have played include "The Mid-Summer Meltdown" at Owen Park in July and a very loud show featuring DTS that was fined and shut down at Mt. Simon Park....But not B4 Garpike Rocked It Out! Although the band has received support from area venues, the band has a challenge in that they can find a stage in Eau Claire that really fits their style.

"We put a lot of folk, rock and punk into our music. The nice thing is that we all have expansive music taste," said Sedahl.

While each band member cites songs from their set that they enjoy playing, the group agrees that, more importantly, performing is all about having fun onstage and entertaining the audience. Most recently, on February 9, Garpike played My Place Bar and cites the show as one of their best shows yet. "It was a blast. We got to play out in the crowd," said Sedahl.

The band plays its next show, on March 9 at the House of Rock, as a part on the annual two-night affair, Decadent Cabernet. The event showcases a wide spectrum of local talent including the Jim Pullman Band, Orestus and Knowing Jobe. The Music begins at 7:30 p.m. and Garpike's high energy performance will provide an excellent contribution to the night's entertainment as the opening group.

"Once we got our full-throttle going and we start playing all our songs there's a lot of high energy and adrenaline just kind of takes over from there," said Comstock.

Garpike has recently been recording at Sound Works Studio with Mike Vlahakis, and hopes to have a five-song demo completed by late spring. So far, the group has recorded the songs "Sunny Side Up" and "Dark Glass" both of which are available for downloading and previewing at the band's website: www.myspace.com/garpiketheband

They are also developing a new tune entitled "Space Robots from the Future". The band describes the tune as a little bit grungy and says that it brings to mind "old school punk" reminiscent of bands like the Ramones.

Upcoming shows include: March 15 at Dibbos in Hudson and March 30 at House of Rock. The band also hopes to play Phoenix Park this summer and is exploring the possibilities of performing at Rock Fest and the Taste of Eau Claire.