A band called Egon

May 4, 2008

The live music scene in Northern Michigan is vibrant these days. What makes it particularly exciting is the eclectic nature of it. The area’s top bands are all doing their own thing, and live music enthusiasts are supporting it. Just check out the hot spots in the region and you will see bars bustling with nightlife.
One band that seems to be at the center of it all is Egon. With members ranging in age from 19 to 24, Egon has been taking a “youthful”
approach to the music of their parents’, maybe even their grandparents’ generation. They will perform this weekend at the Loading Dock in Traverse City and they have a regular standing gig the last weekend of the month at Kilkenny’s. They will also perform at Crystal Mountain on May 24 for the Michigan Beer & Brats Festival.
At the heart of Egon’s popularity is their spin on timeless classics. On one song they are kicking out Pink Floyd, and the next is something from Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson.
“We know Michael Jackson is somewhat of a media nightmare these days, but if you cut past all of that his songs are great and they bring people to the dance floor,” said Kyle Sullivan, guitarist and contributing vocalist.

MUSIC WITH STAYING POWER
Egon finds its set list rooted in funk, rock and R&B dance tunes of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sullivan sees the music of those days more of a musician’s music.
“What we like about the music from those days is that it is instrumentation rooted. It is music composed pre-computer and electronic days and that’s why it has staying power. It is real,” said Sullivan. “Plus, it is upbeat, not necessarily always lyrically, but the beats are uplifting and the songs get people up dancing.”
What Sullivan and his band mates like putting their own spin on each song, and crowds seem to agree.
“We are a jam band to a certain extent. We like to keep things fresh and we take each song and then play it our way,” said Sullivan. “It is cool seeing people of all ages coming out to our shows, connecting with the music. I know the clubs like seeing all the young faces, but some of our most loyal followers are those who grew up listening to these songs.”
Egon formed originally when Traverse City childhood buddies Kyle Avery, Spencer Shattuck and Sullivan caught up with each other at MSU a couple of years ago and started jamming together at house parties in East Lansing. They added a lead singer, formed Egon, and began playing around Traverse City on weekends and in the summer. When their lead singer left, they began looking.
“At first we all sang different songs,” said Sullivan. “Then last fall we started talking to Jimmy Olson (keyboardist) and Angela Boyle about joining the band. We all knew Angela from elementary school and she used to sing, but not in a band. She just started singing along with songs. Well, Angela had never been in a band before, but wanted to give it a try. When people come out and see us and hear her powerful voice and see her stage presence, they figure she has been doing this forever. Try just six months.”

SONS OF MUSIC
Certainly the powerful sultry vocals of Angela Boyle are at heart of Egon’s mystique. Equally important is the fact that each member literally was born to play music. For example, Kyle Sullivan is the son of local music guru Michael Sullivan of Song Of the Lakes fame. Jimmy Olson is Kenny Olson’s cousin, and Kyle Avery is son of Larry Avery, who for years was the man behind the popular Golden Garter Revue at Dills and an accomplished musician and vocalist in his own right.
“I think at the age of four and five I started working the merchandise table at Song of the Lakes concerts. All throughout my childhood I went to concerts and festivals with my parents. In fact, my first non-Song of the Lakes concert was when I was 10 and it was Dave Matthews,” said Sullivan. “What is really cool for me is I am in another band with my dad – The Wild Sullys. It is pretty cool to look over and be on stage playing music with my dad.”
Sullivan, who lives in Grand Rapids where he recently landed an engineering position, said the biggest challenge is that band members are spread out, with two in East Lansing and two in Traverse City.
“We don’t get to rehearse. Plus we don’t create set lists,” said Sullivan. “Our mellow opening set evolved out of our first shows at Kilkenny’s. Because we would start while dinner was still going on upstairs at North Peak, we kept it mellow at first. As for the songs we choose to play, we look out at the audience and catch the vibe. One of the guys might look out in the crowd and then say okay its time to do ‘Brick House.’ it is really about connecting to the audience.”

ABOUT THAT NAME...
While band members are currently pursuing professional day jobs, their hearts are tugging them towards the music business. Sullivan believes that the talent and vibe within Egon has created an atmosphere for a band that can make it at the next level.
“We have talked about it and we believe the chemistry is there. Our goal for this summer is to write enough songs for a CD and take it from there,” said Sullivan. “We are also looking to expand our gig list outside of Traverse City.”
For the immediate future, Egon will remain a fixture on the Northern Michigan music scene. This energetic band is a throwback to the days when music was, well, just music. If Earth Wind & Fire had married the Rolling Stones, their kids would be Egon. As for the band’s name, according to Sullivan, it was just a joke.
“When we were playing these house gigs in East Lansing, people would ask our name. Well, for a joke we said ‘Egon’ -- he was one of the characters from the movie ‘Ghostbusters’ (Harold Ramis character). Dr. Egon Spengler,” said Sullivan. “The name was just a joke but it stuck.”
The name may be a joke, but the band is not. Egon is the real deal. Five young, talented musicians and vocalists who are shaking up the Northern Michigan music scene for now. When they make the big time, we will all be saying, “remember when they used to play…”
See Egon this weekend at the Loading Dock in Traverse City or at the end of the month at Crystal Mountain’s Beer & Brat Festival on May 24. Their end of each month gigs at Kilkenny’s are packed and seem to bring out the fountain of youth from the region. For a musical sampling check out
http://www.myspace.com/egontheband.