BY VANESSA SALVIA
Al Larsen of
Some Velvet
Sidewalk.
Larsen Evolution
Olympia-based band brings velvet
rock to Sam Bond’s.
S
an album he’s recording with producer Steve
ome Velvet Sidewalk, an
Fisk, with whom he’s worked before. Fisk
Olympia-based outfit on the K
contributes electric piano on the recording,
Records roster, has Eugene ties
which should be available by February. This
going way back. The guitar/drum duo of Al
performance will take place Sunday at Sam
Larsen and Robert Christie (now deceased)
Bond’s, along with local favorites The
rocked the indie world with their primitive
Visible Men.
playing style and influenced a stripped-down
Local band Mine 37 (www.minethirty-
sound that survives and thrives today. The
seven.com) began one and a half years ago as
pair debuted with a self-released taped
an almost entirely different band. Benjamin
recording in 1998, then swiftly switched to K
Max (bass) formed the band with his sister
Records. Larson and company made a deep
and a different drummer and guitarist. Mat
impression on the music scene. Then what
Foster joined up in February. Guitarist Ben
happened? I caught up with Larsen in his
Hubbird and drummer Jim Ewell complete
Olympia home to find out.
the new ensemble. The change in lineup was
Larsen stopped writing songs and music
brought about because everyone quit for
for about two years, during 1998 and 1999.
some reason or another, like graduating from
He explains, “It was really odd. I was at a
point where I didn’t know
Larsen’s take on his music …
what to write about anymore
and it didn’t make sense to me
‘It’s a process of feeling like
anymore.” With more years
you’re
rock and roll
upon his head, the teen rebel-
lion he had felt in the past
.’
evaporated. “For me it was
college and moving away.
like, whatever I’m railing against is basically
Says Max, “It just wasn’t going to work
my fault, or my own responsibility. It didn’t
anymore. The changes are more than skin
feel right to me to be blaming the world.”
deep; all have a shared vision of less pop and
Larsen began writing again when he was
more rock. The people in the other band were
at a different place mentally. For the past
more into pop and being more weird. I
year Larsen has been performing solo, at
always wanted to play more straight ahead
local gigs and two short tours down the
rock and these people are all about that.” The
coast. For this tour, Larsen will be perform-
group is nearing completion on a five-song
ing with SVS drummer Don Blair, who
EP which they will finish before September,
debuted on the group’s 1992 recording
when they embark on a short tour of several
Avalanche. “We had a pretty good wave-
Western states. (The band books their own
length in Some Velvet Sidewalk, with the
tour and releases their CDs themselves.)
whole group really, in terms of everyone
This self-titled release represents the
staying in the same rhythm,” he says.
band members’ first real recording, a studio
Blair’s drums are noteworthy: Larsen
effort they’re all extremely happy with.
reveals that they lived a past life on a 1930s
Gearing up for tour has cut into their time to
cruise ship. “They’re Chinese, I think. They
work on new material, but the band has sev-
look like barrels and they have an animal
eral new songs they’re itching to record, as
skin tacked on. They have this ancient sort of
well. Future plans for this talented band
sound.” Larsen promises that rather than
include more recording, more shows and
playing a standard rock kit, these drums
hopefully more fans. Max does not relish the
bring an aura to the performance that’s
thought of more band structure changes. “I
almost magical.
hope we all stick together for a while and try
Larsen’s take on his music is one of
to make this thing work,” he reflects. Mine
invention. He says, “It’s a process of feeling
37 will perform Friday at WOW Hall with
like you’re inventing rock and roll on your
The Appleseed Cast, Mercury Project
own terms.”
and Chin Up Chin Up.
Larsen is currently nearing completion on
ew
inventing
on your own terms
AUGUST 21, 2003 27