As dada's musical adventure continued with the release of their second album, American Highway Flower in 1994, the rock music scene was changing. Since their sound is based on classic rock stylings, how did the Northwest grunge sound impact what they wrote? Gurley acknowledged the ‘change of scenery’ in the rock music, and liked what Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains were doing. But it just wasn’t the direction dada was willing to go, especially in regards to the record company looking for ‘grunge tunes’.
Even the band members asked themselves what they were doing, Gurley admitted, but they ultimately had to forget about what was going on at the time, whether it was hairstyles, clothing, or look, and needed to stay true to themselves.
Having started playing guitar at age 8, Gurley grew up listening to The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones. He really emphasized listening to these bands – the music and harmonies. “Part of great playing and owning a style is listening. Joie branched out & listens to jazz, Phil listens to latin jazz.” After getting together, Gurley realized he and Joie harmonized well and is artistically woven throughout their songwriting.
And what can be expected at Dante’s on the 26th? Certainly tracks from Puzzle as well as showcasing a range of gems from their extensive catalogue. Gurley asserted, “It won’t be a three hour show but more than 80 minutes and a couple of encores, but who knows. Having played almost everything live before, and not having played some songs in 10 years, we will be playing some ‘deeper tracks’ and a couple of weird live covers as chasers. It’s all about having fun.”
There was online speculation about a new album a couple of years ago but Gurley said it wasn’t up to their standards so they scrapped it. But he has a feeling a record will come out of the tour, adding “What could be more fun than, one -- make a record, and two -- play live.” Gurley is especially looking forward to the show in Portland as family members will be in attendance to help the band celebrate.
Opening the show will be 7Horse, featuring dada’s Joie Calio and Phil Leavitt. 7Horse’s music burns where cosmic country meets dirty blues, where primal urges unfold into bawdy nights, and where two friends — and longtime bandmates — discover radically new sides of each other. The duo’s debut album Let the 7Horse Run out now.
Doors open at 7:30pm, show time 8:30pm. General Admission, 21 and over. Tickets are $18.
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