A less than capacity crowd at a show that cost a lot of money to get
into, 20 bucks for a line-up of mostly local bands, it’s Saturday
night at Intermedia Arts, for Clapperclaw. There are people milling
about the parking lot drinking mini-glasses of micro-brewed beer,
average age seems to be 26. More over 40’s than under-21’s. I shell
out the 4 dollars for a Budweiser tallboy and meet friends in front of
the stage, a weird two-person experimental theatre piece is underway,
in about five minutes it should be done, Free Energy, the headlining
band, after that.
Paul Sprangers looks like he’s from out of town, he’s tall, very
skinny, has straight long hair, and a style rarely seen around these
parts, a cross between Mick Jagger and a Camden junky. He’s the lead
singer of Free Energy, and one of the founders of now-defunct
Minneapolis outfit, Hockey Night. Shortly after nine p.m., Sprangers
is joined on-stage by his four band mates, in a flood of lights,
grabbing the mic stand with Steve Tyler flair, Sprangers kicks off
their set. Free Energy’s music has a very 70’s glam rock feel,
listening to individual songs its easy to hear influences from Bachman
Turner Overdrive to Billy Joel to Queen. In “Free Energy,” the title
track from the band, guitarist Scott Wells drives the melody with a
sound similar to Slash’s in “Sweet Child of Mine.” Single “Something
in Common,” starts off with drums and bass similar to Queen’s “another
one bites the dust.” I spoke to Paul, Scott, and the bands Drummer,
Nick, who is also involved with St. Paul band Superhopper. Sipping on
free Bud light in a purple and gold can, Paul told me why Philly is
better than New York and about the people in Philly, apparently when
you’re in a band in Philly you make sure everyone knows about. “There
people like to self-promote, you know,” Paul told me, “Here everyone
you meet is in a band and there’s this kind of Midwest humbleness
about music here.”
Free Energy are on tour again this fall and will return to the Twin
Cities to play at the 7th street entry Nov. 7th. – Justin Flower