Personnel: Matt Berglind, vocals; Mike Lesch, bass; Jim Castillo, guitar; Gary Stuart, drums; Dave Winer, trumpet and harmonica.
Formed: January, 1990.
Current lineup together since: November, 1991, when Winer joined.
Background: The members were longtime acquaintances who ”started out fooling around with some cover songs and after a year or so got serious and began writing original material,” as Berglind puts it.
Sound: ”We think of it as a postmodern-ska-jazz-blues hybrid,” says Berglind.
Influences: Berglind cites ”everyone from Tom Waits and T-Bone Walker to some really strange, eclectic artists like Captain Beefheart.”
Namesake: ”We take a lot of guff about Moe and Curly Howard, but that`s not where we got the group`s name,” says Berglind. ”We think of Howard as being a common, regular-guy name, sort of like Bob. We`re real common guys, and we don`t posture or preen or put on airs, so the name Howards seems to fit us quite well.”
Songwriting: ”Our songwriting is very democratic and evolves from a lot of beer,” says Berglind.
Onstage cover versions: Include the Roy Orbison tune ”Workin` for the Man” and a ska version of Van Morrison`s ”Here Comes the Night.”
Recordings: The Howards` debut EP cassette, ”Black Chunk,” was released in January, 1992. The band is now working on a full-length CD at Attica Studio in Wicker Park.
Memorable experiences: ”Immediately after our tape came out, we sent it to Johnny Mars at WXRT, more or less on a lark,” recalls Berglind. ”To our surprise, he really liked it and played it on `The Big Beat.` And around that same time period, playing an acoustic concert on the steps of a furniture store in 30-degree weather stands out in our minds, too.”
Local viewpoint: ”We admire local bands like Shrimpboat, Maestro Subgum and the Coctails, who aren`t afraid to break away from the mainstream. There`s a lot of originality among bands here,” says Berglind. However, he adds,
”For new bands, it`s a little hard to get established because of the sheer volume of clubs and other bands on the scene. The scene is exciting, but it can also be intimidating.”
Goals: ”To get better and better and have more and more fun,” says Berglind.
Next appearances: Friday at the Beat Kitchen; Aug. 27 at the Lincoln Tap Room; Sept. 10 at Schubas; Sept. 18 at Phyllis` Musical Inn.
