Best New Band: Twisted Finster

March 23, 2008

Paul and Sarah Carpenter from Alpena are “P-One’s”—the name given to those who listen to the Omelette & Finster morning show on WKLT for more than one hour each day. The Carpenters had ventured to Boyne Mountain during Carnival Weekend for one reason only: to see Twisted Finster.
“We listen to the Omelette & Finster show every morning and have not made a concert because of work,” said Paul Carpenter. “We keep hearing from everyone about how great Twisted Finster is, so we put in for this night off and shelled out the bucks for a room at Boyne.
The Carpenters were shocked when they arrived at 9 p.m. and there was a line to get in. Security guards said they were not letting any more people in.
“We are upset,” said Paul Carpenter. “We drove all the way over just to see the guys. We kept hearing from people who would call in to their show about how they were such a great party band. Now we can’t get in.”
The Carpenters were not alone, by the start of the concert at 9:30 the crowd outside had escalated to an estimated 300 waiting to get in. Inside a crowd close to 1,500 was packed in like sardines. When Twisted Finster took the stage the crowd rushed forward, some women starting jumping on the stage and had to be escorted off by security. Others were flashing their breasts as the boys in the band hurled beads into the crowd before kicking into the song “I Wanna Rock.”
But by the second set the Carpeneters had made their way in. “This is beyond our expectations,” said Sarah Carpenter. “These guys rock.”

DOVE INTO THE CROWD
The scene at Boyne Mountain at their civic center facility was as if a major rock band had come to town. One gal rushed on stage grabbed the crotch of lead singer Ninja Dave and as security tried to catch her she dove into the crowd. The crowd caught her and passed her through the audience as if it was mosh pit. By night’s end the venue was sold out of beer and set a bar sales record.
Twisted Finster has been riding the rock and roll express since their inception last July. Their popularity landed them as the Express readers choice for the “best new band” of last year. The band is made up of bassist Finster, Pounding Paul on drums, Zimmy 6-String on guitar and Ninja Dave on lead vocals.
Last June the guys didn’t know each other; all four had pretty much resigned themselves to never play in a band again. That all changed when they collectively refer to the “magical moment.”
“I walked into Union Street Station last June and saw this sign that said ‘Kenny Olson Stage.’ I went to the cute gal at the door (Union Kate who is now part of the morning show) and told her that I wanted to book my band here,” said Finster. “She asked who my band was. I told her that I didn’t have one, but just give me 100 days and I would find three guys and we will put together three 55-minute sets and blow the roof off of this joint.”

FOUR NOTES IN...
The next morning when Finster went on the air he told the people what he wanted to do.
“I started taking auditions at Don Swan’s studio and I randomly put a drummer, guitar player and vocalist together. One of those auditions was the group that would become Twisted Finster,” said Finster. “When Dave, Paul and Zimmy came in it was just a fluke or maybe it was destiny. None of us knew each other. Four notes into the first song we all looked at each other and I knew this was the band. It was a magical moment.”
Ninja Dave agrees.
“I was retired from music. I had been with a national act, toured, had a video on MTV, played in a couple of touring tribute bands. But it was the spirit of Bugs Bunny that came to me in a dream that convinced me to do it,” said Ninja Dave. “I called in and Finster asked me to sing and I sang Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love,’ and Finster told me I better audition. I agreed with the four notes in. There was a lot of eye contact and our jaws dropped.”
Finster went back to Union Street and booked his band to play on Omelette’s birthday in August. The morning show had adopted A.C. Paw (a no-kill animal shelter in Northern Michigan as its charity and Finster wanted to use his new band to raise $10,000 for the shelter over the next year. He was faced with one challenge.
“That 100 days to get a band ready was now just 40 days,” said Finster. “Look, these guys are all talented and I am just a hack. So that first show was all easy songs. But the place was packed. We raised over $1,000 and as promised, we rocked the roof off.”

UNFAIR ADVANTAGE?
After the concert the calls started coming in Monday morning with other venues wanting to book Twisted Finster. With a radio show to promote the band, some area musicians have publicly complained about Twisted Finster’s unfair advantage in the marketplace.”
“I have heard it. It is not coming from every musician up here, but some are bitchin’,” said Zimmy 6-String. “There are so many great bands I wish they all could get the same publicity.”
Finster interrupts.
“We do have an unfair advantage -- I will be the first to admit that. But I don’t think it is my fault that I have a radio show,” said Finster. “If you want the same publicity we are getting, then start your own radio show I don’t mean to be a dick about this but I am not going to apologize for the job I have.”
Ninja Dave chimes in.
“There are so many great bands in Northern Michigan and I want to defend our unfair advantage. Look, if we sucked, people wouldn’t keep coming to our shows. Sure they would have come to the first show as a novelty, but that would have been the end of it. I think there are a lot of great bands up here that have been able to build a following on their talent. This band Egon is great example.”
Finster agrees
“I love Egon, they have a lot going on and their show at Kilkenny’s was packed. They didn’t have any radio publicity. Look, I do my best to promote other bands. We are always talking about Don Swan’s band,” said Finster.
“On my Express ballot I voted for Bloodshot Victory as best new band. Those guys are innovative and great entertainers and we talk about them all the time on the show. Then there is Three Thumbs Up, another band we love to talk about. If I was even half the bass player Dave Webber is, Twisted Finster would be a lot better.”

RUMOR HAS IT...
Speaking of better players, Finster perks up when the question comes up about the rumor that Twisted Finster is looking for a new bass player.
“If these guys are conspiring to replace me, they better get a new name for the band,” said Finster.
The other guys think otherwise.
“No, we are changing the name of our new bass player to Finster,” said Pounding Paul.
Everyone busts out laughing. It is that camaraderie and ball-bustin’ one-liners that is at the root of the group’s success.
“It is great to finally be in a group where there is no drama,” said Zimmy 6-String. “All of us were tired of that. We have our disagreements but they are minor compared to what we all have been through in the past. We definitely are on the same page.”
Another factor that the guys like is just performing one or at most two shows a month.
“I know I would not do this if it was another bar band. I wanted to be in a band that was a show band,” said Ninja Dave, who in the ‘80s was in the band Icon that had a major label deal and an MTV video. “I didn’t want to play bars every weekend with the jukebox playing in the background and people not paying attention.”
Pounding Paul agrees. “This becomes an event. Seeing Twisted Finster is an event. Plus we are a lot more motivated gearing up for one show a month instead playing out every weekend.”
“Exactly. A Twisted Finster concert is an event. If we played every weekend people would say why should we go and see them tonight when we can see them next weekend down the road,” said Finster. “We are only going to play Northern Michigan and at best two shows in a month. The bookings keep coming in it is unbelievable -- we have shows going into 2009. What I am looking forward to is our one-year anniversary show August 16 at Union Street when we hand over a check to A.C. Paw for $10,000.”
Twisted Finster will perform March 29 at Shooters in Traverse City and then April 19 at Buck’s in Mancelona. Their impressive showing at Boyne Mountain’s Carnival Weekend led event organizers to book Twisted Finster for the 2009 version of Carnival. For a musical taste of Twisted Finster check out myspace.com/twistedfinster, but for a real taste they must been seen live.