Alco Plays with Liveliness, Passion

By: Katherine Rohr

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being asked to go to a show at Small Planet in northern East Lansing near Chandler’s Crossing. A friend of mine knew one of the guys in the band, so I looked forward to the show for days. On my way to go get my car to go to the venue, however, I found out my car had been hit in a parking lot and that there was damage. Needless to say, my mood quickly turned south. Looking back, the opening bands were pretty lively and energetic, ranging from catchy covers to jam-band guitar solos, but at the time I was not so easily or eagerly entertained.

And then Alco took the stage. In a range of ambient piano rock and climactic builds, I quickly forgot my woes and remembered why I was there: the love of music. It was clear that that was why the members of Alco were there too. The front man, Justin Franks, was outstanding on piano that night. Drummer Jeff Twomley was serving up rhythm with a smile the entire set, but was doing far more than just keeping beat. In all honesty, I believe that lead guitarist Shaun Spivak was born with a guitar in his hands. The newest member of the band, bassist Thom Mezak, made his complex and solid bass lines part of the composition again, which is something many bands today fail to do. The guys just looked happy to be playing music, and the crowd (which was a lot larger than I expected to see on a week night in a bar) looked just as excited to hear it.

Alco formed in November of 2005 and have been finding themselves in their songs ever since. This past fall, the band recorded a short CD of songs that represented the direction the guys wanted to go in. The songs, just like the set, have a wonderful variety and honesty to them. They say that music is a universal language, but there is another language that all who are lucky to have the opportunity to hear Alco can clearly understand. This language transcends particular musical tastes, genres, and definitions; the language of pure talent. I hold nothing at higher respect than bands that are masters of their instruments, and have the love and passion for music (and the guts) to stand up and play for anyone who is willing to shell over a few bucks to listen. So if you get the chance, check Alco out. They opened for The Hard Lessons at another local venue at Mac’s Bar on Michigan just west of campus on February 22nd and have a few other local tour dates lined up. I recommend going just for the pure love of music and the raw admiration of live talent. Pick up the CD as well, so you can take these fun-loving guys home with you.
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Katherine Rohr is a Social Relations and Politics and Media Arts and Technology Sophomore.