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Seasonal Pumpkin Beers
and Oktober Fest
I Save 10-15% on Wine
M when you buy 6 or more bottles (750mL)
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Ketel One
^19.99 750mL
Jameson
$21 .99 7S0mL
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iNMESOA
Tomatin
12 Year Old
Single Malt
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Miller High Life
$1 6.99 30 PACK
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2 for $8.99 7somL
', -4 Eagle Bare
Single Barrel
1 110 Year Old
j Kentucky Bourbon
$26.99 750mL
30 PACKS AND 36 PACKS
OF BEER ON SALE AT
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Prince Ave.
J’s Bottle Shop Has The Best Prices!
UGA Medical
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1452 Prince Ave (besides Sam’s Texaco)
Normaltown, Athens
706 353 8881
Now with New Wings and Wheels
Y ou can't keep a good band down.
Especially if that band contains
Chris McKay, a man who does not
know how to quit.
"In the words of John Wesley Harding, if
I were a band, I would've broken up a long
time ago," says McKay. "As for what keeps me
going, apparently, I don't know when to stop.
And, in this case, that's a good thing."
After undergoing an ever-shifting cast of
bandmembers and the departure of co-founder
and longtime bassist Frank Defreese to the
Netherlands, things weren't looking too great
for Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings. So,
McKay did what he always does: rock on.
The Critical Darlings name had already seen
many different lineups over the years: maybe
it was time for a change. McKay thought that
maybe he'd keep some old material and cre
ate a new group with new songs and possibly
new lead singers. He wasn't exactly trying to
keep the old band name alive. But after what
McKay describes as a "near mutiny," it quickly
became clear that his new bandmates didn't
want to be anything but the Critical Darlings.
And so. with the blessings and encouragement
of Defreese, the Critical Darlings began again
together and better than ever.
Backed by Alex Grizzard on drums, Adam
West on bass [ed. note: No, not that Adam
West] and Ash Miltiades on guitar, McKay
decided to add a previously missing element
to the trand: a female singer. Specifically, a
female vocalist/percussionist/pianist named
Kate Powell. The addition of new members has
meant an expansion in live sound, something
! McKay is quite happy about.
"The amazing thing is that I always heard
piano parts and keyboard parts in my head,"
says McKay. "And sometimes female vocals
and harmony guitars and on and on, and as
a three-piece, they were virtually impossible.
Now, I can write something and make it hap
pen. It's hard to answer that way, because
it sounds like I didn't have freedom before,
which I did. We just have more ability."
That new ability has produced a slight
change in the Darlings' sound. While there are
still echoes of the power-pop trio, the fleshed-
out lineup has produced more experimental
rock sounds as McKay figures out how to uti
lize his new bandmates' individual styles.
"Ash was in Guff all those years and toured
everywhere. He's a pro. He's like my musi
cal director basically. And Kate just keeps
pushing us to go crazier and crazier. It's like
Ash is the wheels and Kate is the wings. And
the other three of us just do what we can to
keep straight down the path. It's even cooler
because they are polar opposites in so many
ways, and it really shouldn't work, but so far,
it's been great. My only regret with the new
lineup is that we don't have more Kate and
Ash songs in the set yet."
But what hasn't changed is McKay's dedica
tion to pleasing his fans. McKay writes more
songs than he can possibly record. So, instead
of paring down the list himself, he asks
Critical Darlings fans for input. The band pres
ents rough cuts of songs on its Facebook page,
and whichever songs get the most positive
feedback get considered for the album. It's not
a hard and fast rule, but McKay says the votes
tend to be great guidelines for the band.
"I want people to enjoy what we do," says
McKay, "and I want them to know that they
have a part in it, because they do. Any band
really does that anyway, just not as obviously.
Do you really think that when a band performs
a new song to the audience that they're not
swayed by the audience reaction? If the song
continually fails, I guarantee it won't be used.
If it s a favorite, it's there. What's the differ
ence? We just point-blank will ask. We do. I'm
proud of it. The Satisfactionista album was
MUCH better because of that."
With some great shows behind them and a
string of promising gigs this fall, the Critical
Darlings aren't looking to stop any time soon.
And that suits McKay just fine.
"I don't stop for the same reason that I
don't stop breathing willingly. I don't stop
because this is what I do."
Jordan Stepp
WHO. Chris McKay l the Critical
Darlings, Lowdive, Teal Vox
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 29,9 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $5(21+), $7(18+)
V J
20 FLAGP0LE.COM • SEPTEMBER 28, 2011
VANDA McKAY
