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Aurora may be best known for amusement parks at the moment, but if the Waterband trio has anything to say about it, that may change with the release of their compact disc, "Good". OhioOnline music correspondent Peanuts recently probed guitarist/bassist David "Dreadlock Dave" McDougald's cerebrum in search of how the band developed to this point and to see if the disc lived up to its one word name.
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| OO: |
Having been out of the state for a bit, where did your musical career start out? |
| DM: |
"I was born in Cleveland and my folks moved to Euclid whaen I was a tot, so that's wherenia." |
| OO: |
What first got you interested in music? |
| DM: |
"I started out on ukulele and piano for five years old or so. I then moved on to saxophone and sousaphone and ended up on bass and guitar. Now I play anything I can get my hands on. It was in my blood, since both my parents were musical and sang in the church choir as well as my father singing and directing barbershop music. I heard those four part harmonies all the time growing up." |
| OO: |
Are you a native of Aurora? |
| DM: |
"I grew up in Olmsted Falls, where I attended high school as the band president and then studied jazz at the University of Akron and Cuyahoga Community College. I've lived in every corner of northeast Ohio before settling in Aurora." |
| OO: |
Is the Waterband your main focus at the moment? |
| DM: |
"For the last ten years I've also performed with Rebels Without Applause, a great classic rock band. They continue to perform in the Cleveland area and have been playing for over twenty years." |
| OO: |
I take it the Waterband originals are influenced from many directions then? |
| DM: |
"I've been influenced by so many different genres of music from Barbershop to Rock, Jazz, World and anything I can get myears on. A few of my all time favorites are the Beatles, Sly & The Family Stone, Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, Jaco Pastorious and Bob Marley to name just a few." |
| OO: |
With that in mind, describe Waterband's music. |
| DM: |
"I describe it as 'folkedelicfunkpop', because it is a genre blending project. Sometimes we will perform on acoustic guitars and other times we rock it out and jam. We keep it fresh by mixing it up, performing little love ditties to long improvised psychadelic jams and anything that moves us at the moment." |
| OO: |
Is "Good" the band's first release? |
| DM: |
"Yes. I've released two solo projects also." |
| OO: |
Where was it recorded? |
| DM: |
"We did the whole thing in my home studio. I love the studio. It's so much different than performing live, especially with the technology available now. There is so much that can be done and so many toys to experiment with. The creative possibilities are endless." |
| OO: |
Who is on the band's wish list to play a gig with? |
| DM: |
"We'd love to tour with Phish, Colonel Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade, the Allman Brothers Band, The Dave Matthews band or anyone cool." |
| OO: |
Favorite Ohio venue? |
| DM: |
"I love anywhere we play, as long as it sounds good. My favorites in the state are Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, the Cleveland Agora and the other venues in downtown Cleveland, the Odeon and Peabody's Down Under." |
| OO: |
Long term plans for Waterband? |
| DM: |
"Waterband plans to tour, write and recored and continue to spread positive vibes for the rest of my life and beyond." |
