Laughing Colors at the Recher Tonight! Interview with Dave Tieff

November 7, 9:03 AMBaltimore Music ExaminerAndy Belt

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  Long -time Mid-Atlantic rock favorites, Laughing Colors reunites at the Recher on Friday, November 7th.   On the Band's forthcoming CD,The Blink of An Ideal World Laughing Colors worked with acclaimed producer Anthony J. Resta (Collective Soul, Megadeth, Duran Duran) and Baltimore’s favorite Steve Wright.  

    Laughing Colors has sold over 50,000 thousand CDs, but they are best enjoyed live.  This show is a "Dont Miss!"

    Before tonight's show I had the opportunity to sit down with Laughing Colors front man Dave Tieff.

Andy Belt:   How long has the band been around now?

Dave Tieff:  The band formed in 1991. Corey Hall(guitar), Dan Welsh(Bass), and myself all went to Middle and High School together, and formed the band just after.Though Will Dorsey(Drums) didn't join the band until 1994, and that's when we  feel like we really became Laughing Colors.

AB:How many original members still playing?
        

DF: All  four of us. Again, there was a drummer before Will, but we don't count that.  haha

AB:  How often do you do these reunions?
 

DT:  We try to do at least one a year. We would do more, but Will lives in Hollywood so the logistics are tricky.

DT:  Yes, Will is in a band called Blaxmyth in Hollywood, and I have a solo project I'm currently working on.

DT:  There are so many reasons why. We are grateful and fortunate to have such dedicated fans, and each show we do is like a big family reunion. It's not just the band who reunites, it's the entire crowd! The vibe and energy of these shows is second to none. It's like you get to pour a year's worth of inspiration into one show. It's a magical night.

AB:  Any plans for new CDs?

DT: Yes, we are in the process of writing some new material. It's a slow process, mostly because we don't all live in Md, but with music technology these days it has at least become a possibility  We would LOVE to have a new CD out in 2009. We'll see how that goes.

DT:  I can't completely speak for everyone else, but I just got burned out. We were together 15 years and
played 4-5 times a week during that period. We got some radio play, and sold 60,000 albums on our own, but I reached a point where I wanted to start a family, and being in a bar until 2am was not conducive to that. I'm also an ex alcohol and drug abuser and beiin that environment was not healthy.  To be honest, I felt that we collectively lost inspiration, and we didn't want to make a mockery of  ourselves. Sometimes you have to take a step back to see what's really important. It's nice to look forward to this show, and the possibility of writing new music with such enthusiasm.
 

AB:  How do you see the local music scene changing over the past several years?

DT:  When we were at our peak in the late 90s and early 2000s, there were a lot more clubs  to play, and it seemed like a lot more live music fans. It wasn't a stretch to play at  AL Gators, HammerJacks, The Recher, or Bohagers and draw 500-600 people on a weekend night. You just don't see bands doing that now, not on a regular basis.  I'm happy to see the Recher keeping the live scene alive, all of those other places closed down.

AB:  What would it take to bring the band back full time?
 

DT:    An investor! haha  Full time would be very difficult. Part time could be done.  The stars would just have to align perfectly. For now,  we'll at least try to write some new songs.

AB:  Anything special planned for Recher show?
 

DT:   Yes, we have a killer light show, and a bunch of    rare songs for the set list. I also completely changed  the words to an old favorite "The War On Drugs."  Let's just say I was inspired last Tuesday night at about 11pm.

DT:    I'm so grateful that we can still do this after 17 years,  I count my blessings everyday. To see old friends, and play with your band mates that you spent so much of your  life with is a phenomenal event. I savor every second of  these shows and I can't tell you how happy it makes us  feel that the show is close to sold out. I've always felt like  we were the luckiest band on Earth.