Best Band: Steppin‘ In It

March 30, 2005

Folk rockers Steppin’ In It first appeared on the Northern Michigan music scene four years ago. It was an electrifying performance at the Cabbage Shed in Elberta for the Michigan Land Use Institute’s annual fundraising “Bearthday Bash. Ever since that show the band has consistently packed clubs and theaters in the north, often to support area causes.
“Someone from the Land Use Institute caught our show in Lansing, and in those days that was the only place we played. He asked if we did fundraisers and I said sure. We were looking for gigs to get our name and music out there. Well we got this reputation as being a fundraiser band up north,” said Dominic Suchyta, the group’s stand up bass player. “We seem to do a lot of fundraising gigs up there; we like to help but our time is a lot more limited these days.”
The band is very busy. Since forming in 1998 in East Lansing (band members were all students at MSU) they have taken their folk, blues and bluegrass sound to all corners of the country. Not only is Steppin’ In It the favorite folk band to play in northern Michigan, they are quickly becoming a festival favorite on the folk circuit. The band has become so successful that all the members have quit their day jobs and are now full time professional musicians; a major accomplishment in the very crowded and often underpaid folk scene.
One big fan of the band is folk legend Greg Brown.
“I love those guys. They are my favorite band. I first met them a few years ago as we were both doing this fundraiser in the Upper Peninsula,” said Brown. “They told me they were heading to Colorado for a show so I asked them to stop into this club I play at often, near my home in Iowa, and they did. We jammed all night, boy, they were good.”
Suchyta remembers those shows and says the band is still pinching themselves over jamming with Brown.
“We have pretty eclectic tastes as a band and often can’t agree what to put in the CD player in the van when we are traveling. So when we would argue we would just put in a Greg Brown disc and everyone was satisfied,” said Suchyta. “Greg Brown has been a big influence on all of us.”
Two summers ago the guys reconnected with Brown at Interlochen when they opened for him.
“It was a great night, but the real fun began after the show when we all headed to Traverse City,” said Suchyta. “We went down to Union Street Station for a few beers and it was open mic night. They asked us to get up and jam and we did. We played a lot of rock songs by the Rolling Stones and others. Greg is a rocker at heart. After we finished ,this poor guy came up to us and said sarcastically, ‘Thanks a lot, I am up next and have to follow that.’ It was a pretty amazing moment and I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to follow that performance.”
Steppin’ In It will join Brown this summer in the U.P. and they hope to get some dates together around northern Michigan before Brown returns to his Iowa farm. While the band would love to hang out with Brown all the time they have work to do and the summer is filling up.
“We have had to cut back and turn down gigs,” said Suchyta. “We were doing 250 plus shows a year and it was getting to be too much. We are slowing it down a little bit. It is nice to have some flexibility and pick and choose our shows.”
One highlight for them this summer is returning to Blissfest July 9, especially since this is the festival’s 25th anniversary. For the Cherry Festival, they will be at the Loading Dock July 5. In the fall they will be back to Traverse City for the annual Bioneers Conference on October 15.
“In addition to performing, we will do a few seminars on writing social and political conscience songs as well as how to organize a benefit concert,” said Suchtya.
New music is in the works as well for Steppin’ In It. Primary songwriter Josh Davis will be releasing a solo album in May that features members of the band. He will tour through northern Michigan with Seth Bernard, Daisy May, and Dominic will join them. Shows are planned at Short’s Brewery in Bellaire and at Kejara’s Bridge in Lake Leelanau. (Check the bands web site for dates), and the tour is being called Earthworks Song & Salvage.
Last year the group released their third independent release, “Hidden In The Lowlands.” The album features four covers spanning the history of American Roots Music along with nine originals showcasing the strong songwriting talents of singer/songwriter Davis, whose haunting vocals paint a modern picture of rural and urban Michigan breaking its blue-collar back under troubled times. They are working on new songs and plan to release a new album next winter.
As for the live show, it continues to be as hot as ever. The group loves to mix it up between theaters, clubs and festivals. They have a common denominator for each show to keep things fresh and alive on stage.
“We don’t use set lists; we call songs from the stage. We don’t want to go through the motions of playing some rehearsed production,” said Suchtya. “This requires us to put some thought and emotion into the music and it keeps things fresh for us and the audience.”
To keep tabs on Steppin’ In It visit their web site at www.steppininit.com where concert dates are posted along with info on their CD.