Wednesday, May 14, 2003
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Wednesday, May 14, 2003 |
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Local band to perform in front of The Village People By MICHAEL
BOYLAN What's in a rock band's name? Pearl Jam took their name from one of the member's grandmothers and her famous jelly, after deciding against using the name Mookie Blaylock. Perhaps Billy Corgan enjoyed smashing pumpkins on Halloween, paving the way for the name of his popular band? So, where did Fairborn, the local rock band opening for The Village People, get their name? Near a loading dock behind the Kedron Kroger. Don't let that fool you, though. The group is far from a back alley operation. They have been together for over a year, practicing two to three times a week, and writing original songs. They have emerged from the finished basement in guitarist Joey Corvino's home to perform a number of shows in the Metro Atlanta area, record a three song demo CD and gain some acclaim from people in the local music scene and an opportunity to perform before more than a thousand people at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this weekend. Not bad for a group made up mostly of students at McIntosh High School. Senior Marc Corbi is the singer while classmate Todd Christensen plays guitar. Chase Storbeck, a junior is the drummer, while Corvino, a sophomore, is the youngest member of the band. The oldest member, bassist Kenny Young, 23, is also the newest member. Young joined up with the group a little over a month ago. He was recently a member of the band Klopek and has also played with Death By Catapult. Young is not the only one with a musical background. Corvino's first foray into rock music included a band called Indecent Exposure, while Storbeck is a member of the McIntosh drum line, which is currently ranked number one in the nation. The members of Fairborn have a hard time describing just what genre of music they play. Though they have been influenced by bands like Taking Back Sunday, Saves The Day and cover songs by New Found Glory, Fairborn is not a punk band. They are a rock and roll band, playing what they deem new rock or, more specifically, "neu rock." Their influences also stretch past current bands and include Jimi Hendrix and The Monkees. In addition to their original songs, Fairborn has recently been working on cover versions of "Brown Eyed Girl" and "The Boys are Back in Town." Some of their original songs are titled "Asti Johnson," "KM Theory" and "10 Reasons to Hate This Town." As for how they got the choice gig of opening for The Village People, credit knowing people who know people. Christensen was approached by a friend of a friend who got their demo CD to the Amphitheater's opening act committee. As an interesting side note, Christensen is not the first in his family to open for a act at the Amphitheater. His sister, Karen, was part of an improv group that opened for The Guess Who. Fairborn was originally slated to open for The Pointer Sisters but prom got in the way and pushed the band's slot to this weekend. The band has a lot of respect for The Village People. "They've performed for a long time and have remained popular," said Corbi. When asked what their favorite song by The Village People was, the group was split down the middle between "YMCA" and "Macho Man." While all of the band members admit that they would like to enjoy a successful career as musicians, their goals are realistic. "We'd like to get somewhere someday, but we really just want to have fun." They are doing that. Fairborn has plans to go back into the studio this summer and record a number of their songs. They have also entered a contest sponsored by Alternative Press magazine and if they win they may perform on the local stage at the upcoming Vans Warped tour. The band would like to make more local appearances but explain that there aren't very many places to play. Most of their concerts are now at house parties and those typically raise the ire of neighbors. They have performed at The Masquerade and Factory Skate Park in Newnan among other venues and hope that there are more shows at venues like these in their future. For now, Fairborn is looking forward to their opening act gig this weekend, performing with a professional sound and lighting display and meeting The Village People. The band plans to stick together for at least another year. Corbi and Christensen are planning on attending Georgia State University in the fall and trying to spread the music of Fairborn to more people, while Corvino and Storbeck continue their education at McIntosh. Fairborn will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and tickets are still available for the show for $45 a ticket. For more information on Fairborn, visit www.fairbornmusic.com
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