Personnel: Joey Miro, guitar, keyboards, vocals; Mike Stone, drums, vocals; Brian Smolar, bass, vocals; Nick Sikich, guitar, vocals; Tony Ingala, lead vocals.
Formed: 1985. The original members knew each other from their Southwest Side high schools.
Current lineup together since: Early 1989, when Smolar and Sikich left the Indiana band Force Five to join Joker. ”Actually, they were stolen,”
Ingala says.
Sound: ”Fresh, powerful and a lot of vocals,” Ingala says. ”Pretty much all of our songs have four- or five-part harmonies. We can do a soft ballad or totally crank out and be heavy metal. I`d call it heavy aluminum.” Influences: ”I think all of us grew up on hit radio,” Ingala says, adding that specific faves include Journey, Night Ranger and old Styx. He says various members are also influenced by classical guitar and jazz.
Songwriting: Ingala says the guitarists usually introduce the first musical idea, then the rhythm section figures out a pattern, then he works out a vocal melody and words, though everyone contributes lyrics.
In-concert cover versions: The Sweet`s ”Little Willy.”
Memorable concert experience: The band embarked upon an unpleasant journey after a gig in Davenport, Ia. ”They kicked us out of the hotel room for no reason-I don`t think we were making too much noise,” Ingala says.
”The police came and everything, and it was real cold out. We had a gig the next night in Bloomington, Ill., so we pulled into a John Deere parking lot somewhere between Davenport and Bloomington. We got kicked out of there when the people got to work in the morning. And then Nick`s car blew up on the way to Bloomington”-causing everyone to cram into the band`s van. ”But we did the gig anyway, and it was good show.”
Namesake: Ingala says people used to drop in when the band practiced in a garage. ”Somebody said, `You guys are a bunch of jokers, aren`t ya?` Not to mention that everybody`s got a pretty weird sense of humor. Someone`s goofing around all the time.”
Recordings: The group released its own EP, ”Out of the Box,” in 1988. Joker`s self-titled debut album, featuring the single ”I Want Love,”
recently came out on Des Plaines-based Red Light Records.
Philosophy: ”Just be good to yourself and have a good time because you don`t know when it`s going to be over, so you should live a good life,”
Ingala says.
Goals: ”To make it to the top,” Ingala says. ”We all quit our jobs-except for odds-and-ends jobs to make money-to be Joker full time and just to prepare ourselves for the opportunity, when it comes along, to be big.”
Next Appearances: Gonzo`s in Romeoville, Dec. 8; Chances R in Palatine, Dec. 21; On the Rocks in Oak Forest, Dec. 22; Gateway Theatre, Dec. 28.
