Personnel: Jeff Cohen, vocals and guitar; Dave Berger, guitar; Cory Crews, drums; Tal Lekberg, bass.
Formed: January, 1991.
Current lineup together since: June, 1992.
Background: Cohen says he`s a veteran of ”far too many bands to mention.” Berger previously played with the Staple Singers, Crews was in a group called the Crib and Lekberg is a member of the Well Hungarians as well as 80 Pages. ”We all got together through an ad in the Reader and word-of-mouth recommendations,” says Cohen.
Sound: ”Athens, Greece, meets Stax and hip-hop,” according to Cohen.
Influences: Sam Cooke, the Clash
Namesake: ”It depends on who you ask,” says Cohen. ”Each band member has his own story about the group`s name.”
Songwriting: Cohen writes the majority of 80 Pages` material.
Onstage cover versions: ”We don`t do any covers at the moment,” says Cohen, although the band has considered adding one or two to the song list.
Recordings: 80 Pages` debut album, ”Soul Cola” will be released on CD and cassette by the New York-based Drill Press label in early September. It features an array of well-connected guests: guitarist Marc Ribot (of Elvis Costello`s band), singer Syd Straw (whose credits include work with They Might Be Giants), bassist Kenny Aaronsen (who has played with Rick Derringer, Billy Idol and Joan Jett), sax player Ralph Carney (who has worked with Tom Waits and played on the Waitresses` hit ”I Know What Boys Like”) and Al G. (from Sister Souljah`s entourage, who provided some drum loops). ”We met our producer, Kirk Yano, through a friend in Detroit,” says Cohen, ”and it just so happened that while we were recording our album in New York, Kirk was also producing a Marc Ribot album with all of those players. That`s how they ended up contributing to our project.”
Memorable experiences: ”We hope that our upcoming show at the Metro will be our most memorable experience,” says Cohen.
Local viewpoint: ”Well, it`s easier to get booked here than in New York or L.A.,” says Cohen. ”But most Chicago club owners, with a few stellar exceptions, care only about drawing a crowd. A club can end up with a really stale, repetitive lineup that way. After all, even the greatest band has a bad night now and then-and on the basis of one bad night, you may never be hired back. Yet ultimately, it`s the club`s loss when that happens. Club owners who aren`t concerned about helping new talent to develop should consider making a buck another way. They don`t belong in the business.”
Goals: ”We have stable 9-to-5 jobs, so playing music isn`t the be-all and end-all of our existence, but it`s what we enjoy doing most,” says Cohen. ”We`d like to be able to make a living playing original music and end up with a huge amount of money and some nice cars.”
Next appearances: Friday at Metro; Sept. 5 at the China Club.
