The story behind The Story tells of friendship
By Kaly Soto
Oregon Otmy ImeraK}
There are so many hands on the market
that seek to replicate songs that have
already been written. The Story is not one
of those hands.
Johnntha Brooke and Jennifer Kimball
are the two primary members of The Sto
ry. Both are Amherst College graduates in
English. Five years ago. they both decided
to throw caution to the wind, quit their day
jobs and make music full time. Of this deci
sion, Brook said. "It was scary and it was
great I thought, this is going to be hart), but
it's what I want to do."
The Story grew out of their friendship
and a common interest, the love of music.
"The band started as sort of a surprise in
the middle of college. I met Jennifer and
we were buddies and then we t>egnn to put
on our own shows.” Brooke said
Currently they are touring with a band
(four other musicians) across the United
States.
The Story's music is familiar been list? of
its folkv sound, but the feeling in the lyrics
and music defies comparison Their sec
ond album. The Angel in the House, is a
shining example of their musical talent and
lyrical ability to present human emotion.
This Sunday. The Story will bring their
music to Good Times Cafe. The last time
they toured they had a short (10 hour) stop
in Oregon. "We breezed through It was a
promo tour so we were doing radio shows
and record stores, but we really dug Eugene
and Portland," Brooke said.
Portland and Eugene really "stuck out"
for Brooke, but "Ohio just sort of blend
ed together.”
Brooke is the main lyricist for The Sto
ry. In the song "So Much Mine," she puts
herself in the place of a mother with a
young daughter who has run away. "That
COUtfTfSY PHOTO
Jennifer Kimball and Johnatha Brooke (The Story) will play Good Times Sunday.
song ( nine out of seeing young girls on the
street late at night I wanted to explore the
complicatedness of the whole mother
daughter break, and how the mother must
blame herself for her missing daughter.”
Brooke’s lyrics are also influenced by
what she reads. “Kvorything melds togeth
er. I don't want it to be one tiling or anoth
er. but I am inspired by literature " She
indulges m the stories of great southern
authors su< h as Klannorv O'Connor and
Kudora VVelty. as well Oregon's own
William Stafford.
Though they are still touring in support
of Aoge/ ni the llousr. Brooke and Kimball
are working on new material on the road,
but it's tough "Writing on the road is hard.
Ins ause I don't have any privai y I need to
be very alone to write," said Brooke. They
have been able to write about 5 songs for
thn now album while on tour
The show starts at 7 p in at Good Times
Cafe, and the i ost is $7 Don't miss it
it (.mild (hi The Story of the decade.
Stereolab
"Where did that come from'1" will Is- tin
first question you ask when you hear Stem
olah's allium, Transirnt Hnndntu Noisr
Hursts With Annouiuftnants
The band formed around French singer
I .net it in Sadierand British songwriter Tim
Gann Sadier met Cane while he was on
tour with his hand, Mi <lartliv Sadier trims
lated the lyrics from McCarthy’s second
album into French.
In October of 1990, Snider and Cane
formed Stereolab and created their own
label, Duophonic Super 41's
The band hail been enjoying a few days
off in London, but soon they will hit the
road again, making a stop at I .a Luna in
Portland on Oct. 20.
"We are thrilled about coming back to
the U S ." Saidur said recently during a
phono conversation.
The name of the band describes what
they do on their albums — they mix music
with outside noise and random sounds.
It really is a laboratory of stereo sounds.
Saider said that the sounds come from the
fact that "Tim comes from an industrial,
olectronn rnusii background, which is
completely unmelodir. with noises more
furious than romantU So it's quite sur
prising that be should come up with such
mi e melodies He's very in tune with what
a good pop sting is
When asked about her music, Saider is
intelbs tnallv reflective "Jenny Qndioline”
is a song in which Saider claims she com
pares "the Weimar years in Germany with
today " But. she wants to make clear. "I
am not saving fascism is on the rise, or that
then> is another Adolf Hitler. 1 am just com
paring the struggles artists have today to
the struggle artists had during that time "
To complete the album, Saider and Cane
hired Hutu an Brown to play bass. Andy
Kamsav to play drums. Katherine Gifford
to play keyboards and Mary Hanson to sing.
The line up is permanent "for now.”
They met these hand members through
mutual friends in London.
The show at lai Luna promises to be
interesting, at the very least If you are
interested in going, you can charge tick
ets by phone at 1-.103-224-4400.
Beer drinkirY rock in gardens
The KMIJ Beer (hardens opened last I'ridav with
a little hit of Buokhorn
No. not the hard-to-find, chuapast-brew-in-the
world Bui khorn, rather, it was the laigene trio, pla\
mg some of the better hard rook hoard in tins town
in .1 long time loud, crunchy, beer-drinkin’ rock
n' roll Bass player I tana Axon's answering nun bine
( alls it "ulam heavy metal."
Jake's
Corner
LOCAL SHOWs
It's hard to
find words to
dost ribe it,
though, so diffi
cult, it seems,
that not oven
any of Iho
hand's three
members can
find words for
their music —
(<i 11 it lync-less, i all it poetry minus the grammar,
call it ... simply music without words.
Kvc'ti when there are words to a song, there aren't
A Black Sabbath cover during the band's short
encore set never sounded so good without Oz/.y
Osbourne at the microphone.
Although the first half of Buckhorn’s Friday set
took a backseat to attempted conversation and stale
c hips with salsa, the second half was met with more
enthusiasm — amazing what a few 16-ounce cups
of Henry's will do to an audience — as the crowd
moved forward on the floor.
Any way the crowd was. Axon, a University stu
commsY pmo to
Buckhorn helps christen The EMU Beer Gardens
last Friday night.
dent, said he enjoyed the Inter garden atmosphere.
"All the focus wasn't directed at us, like at some
bars." he said. "At the litter gardens, people do their
own thing "
At the beginning of the band's show, it was drum
mer ('.lies Smith who was doing his own thing The
sound of the University student’s drum-plaving
was so powerfully loud (drums haven't shaken like
that since Ham Bam played in the Flintstones' hand)
that it drowned out Axon's bass. Joke Pavluk's gui
tar and any joke you were trying to share with your
neighbor.
So, what do you do? Tell your drummer to keep
it down? Nope.
Turn to Bukckhom. Page 8
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