Eugene weekly., June 21, 2007, Page 37, Image 37

three founding members met in fall 2003
in the UO residence hall that gave them
their name, which explains their slow start
and freshness to the Eugene music scene.
While college is a great place to meet like-
minded musicians, it’s a constant battle to
keep up with studies and play music on a
regular basis. As a result, music usually
comes second.
Since 2003, the band has gone through
a few member shakeups as well as experi-
encing the dreaded conflicting-musical-di-
rections battle. But eventually the band
(now Nicholas Arjuna, Matthew Radich,
Daniel Rosove and Dan Duerfeldt) found
their “cohesive and unified sound.”
Drawing from influences like Neil Young,
Wilco and Doug Martsch, The Walton
Complex plays a mix of jam rock and blues
with a garage-band sound. While the band
is still working on a professional recording,
the songs on its MySpace page point to the
band’s growing professionalism and confi-
dence. “Take” begins with a smooth slide
guitar that is quickly replaced with an elec-
tric guitar riff that switches between build-
ing choruses and mellow verses. “Your
Garden” is more bluesy but with a hint of
mix of rockabilly and bluegrass.
The duo met in Madison, Wisconsin,
where Wakeman attended the university.
From there they left for New York City to
pursue their music career, but NYC didn’t
give the duo the inspiration they were look-
ing for. They found their muse on a road
trip to Nashville.
“We left New York because we couldn’t
afford to live there anymore, and we were
thinking pretty heavily about moving to
Nashville,” says Burke in press material.
“We never did make it to Nashville. After
we visited some friends in the southeast,
we needed to make some money, and New
Orleans was the place to do that. We have
lived there ever since.”
Their musical influences range from Bob
Dylan to Chuck Berry. Wakeman, the main
singer-songwriter of the group, was influ-
enced the most by her father’s musical
tastes: Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Little
Richard. Burke, the group’s main instrumen-
talist, began playing on an electric guitar but
soon switched to the acoustic, later picking
up the banjo and mandolin after being ex-
posed to bluegrass and roots music. “I
started listening to Doc Watson when I lived
in New York City and then a friend invited me
down to the Merlefest in North Carolina. I
was so excited by the raw power that all
those great musicians could get out of just
their acoustic instruments that all I wanted
to do was learn how to play that style of
music,” he says in press material.
With a voice as unique as Janis Joplin’s
and a look that is as wild and free-spirited
as her music, Wakeman has a mesmerizing
quality that makes you want to listen. And
Burke, the Ricky to her Lucy, has no prob-
lem matching her vivaciousness with a vi-
tality all his own. The Jeff & Vida Band and
The Comforters play at 9 pm Wednesday,
June 27, at Sam Bond’s Garage. 21+ show.
$5. — Deanna Uutela
The Jeff & Vida Band
’60s rock. Some sort of reverb is always
present on the vocals, which places the
lyrics in the background and foregrounds
intricate song structure and the musicians’
skills.
“Returning from their long break, the
Walton Complex has adapted, channeling
their musically independent energy into a
new raw sound, filled with dissonance, ten-
sion, and detailed musical interplay,” says
their MySpace page. But sadly, the boys’
email hinted at the band’s end. If that’s the
case, take the opportunity to see them
while you still can. The Walton Complex and
Boy Eats Drum Machine play at 10 pm
Sunday, June 24, at the Indigo District. 21+
show. $3. — Amanda Burhop
Drinking on the Job
Jeff Burke and Vida Wakeman enjoy the
simple things in life: acoustic guitar, road
trips, drinking on the job and country
music. Hailing from New Orleans, The Jeff
& Vida Band has its own southern style — a
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