Having grown up only an hour north of Music City, Tennessee I have always had an affinity for Nashville rockers. In a place where everyone wants to make it as a musician, artists strive to set themselves apart and stand out from the herd. This can, at times, lead to some very unique ensembles.
Meet *repeat repeat, the surf rockcandy trio that opened Saturday’s Forecastle Music Festival on the Port Stage. On Guitar/Vocals Jared Corder, Drums Andy Herrin, and Keys/Vocals Kristyn Corder. Their sound? Punk infused with California Beach Rock with a Nashville Twang. Jared and Andy formed the band while still in need of a female vocalist. When the producer suggested Jared’s wife joined the band, it seemed like a natural fit. She’s the “Mama” to his “Papas”. Their “Chemical Reaction” on stage is evident. At times they sing into the same mic- “I’ll be the perfect Lady,” sings Kristyn; “I’ll be the perfect gentleman,” responds Jared. They commanded the stage, and the crowd only grew throughout the set, never dwindling in numbers.
Jared’s interaction with the crowd made the show very special; very unique to this time and place we were in. At one point he asked the crowd “What was your favorite show last night?”. After a mixed response of RTJ and Cage The Elephant, he fired back “I heard… Run the Elephant?” releasing tensions between songs. Reminding us that even though the songs they’re singing may be about very serious issues (such as how it sometimes seems as though we are living in the 2006 Mike Judge film “Idiocracy“*), music is about coming together to laugh, dance, and enjoy ourselves. Jared also tells the crowd to “Question Everything”, no matter what it is. “If you question everything you will be smarter!!”
*Jared- “It’s a lot easier to stay “Plugged In” and be a slave to consumption; educating yourself is a lot harder (and scarier) these days. We wanted the song to capture the urgency and necessity of knowledge in a world full of fiction.”
The band is signed with Dangerbird Records and have two more dates in Georgia before hitting the road with Beach Slang (Polyvinyl) in September. They occasionally come through Lexington and have previously hit The Green Lantern. Keep your eyes peeled and bananas open.
