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"Testing The Atmosphere"
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The 411 on Big 10-4
By: Emmy Boyce
Is Big 10-4 big news? Check it out and decide for yourselves. Having
released their CD "Testing the Atmosphere" on May 16, 2006, lead singer
Dan Verduin says of the release show, "It was probably one of the most
memorable nights that we had on stage as a band." Comprised of four guys
from Florida, this band just wants to get out there and do their thing.
Having built a strong fan base largely in the southeast of the United
States, it's time to reach out beyond and see what grabs on. Things are
going well so far for this band who is described as having "whisps of
Tom Petty and early Third Eye Blind". That's an interesting combination.
So let's see what the big 10-4 is about Big 10-4.
Alternative Addiction: How big of a thrill was your CD release show for
you? Did any good stories come out of the night?
Dan: It was probably one of the most memorable nights that we had on
stage as a band. There was a lot of anticipation for the show in our
heads, and it lived up to what we were trying to achieve. Having five
hundred people singing words to a CD that they don't even have yet is
pretty exhilarating. The after party was memorable. We didn't go home
until the sun came up!
AA: So far the majority of your tour dates are in the southeast. What's
the plan for playing other regions?
D: We haven't really discussed our plans for other regions yet, but on
this tour we are reaching a little more up the coast than normal. We are
just stretching our arms out further and further along the east coast
for the mean time unless there is a demand for us in other places. And
if anything out of the ordinary happens the plans will change on the
fly.
AA: Describe the rest of your bandmates.
D: Matt Verduin (lead guitar) - my brother, quiet offstage, rockin'
onstage. Jimmy Russo (drums) - spontaneous, happiest drummer anyone's
seen on stage, does really bad impressions, heavy hitter. Matthew Reed
(bass) - stylish and quiet, Casanova of the stage, music lover, movie
quoter.
AA: It seems that it's becoming more and more common for bands to have
an agenda, if you will, be it politics, or what have you. A person can
be hard pressed anymore to find a band that just wants to be a band and
play some music. Does Big 10-4 have a focus like that, or are you just
out to make music that you like to play?
D: Musically, we stick to our roots of just making rock music. We love
playing live and will play anywhere and anytime we can. That's the
nature of rock 'n' roll. But if we don't have a business plan, if you
will, then we won't be able to reach the most amount of people. We all
have college degrees. It's a little hard not to have this thing thought
out to some degree. The nature and vibe of the music does not suffer
from the business agenda we are applying to touring and things of that
nature, and all of that thinking is left behind when you hit the stage.
AA: What songs stand out to you the most on the album? Can you pick one
and tell the story behind it?
D: Each week my favorite changes. "Walking Disaster" and "Tangled" are
unbelievable to play live. The energy and the volume the crowd pours
into helping us sing is unreal. As far as listening to the record right
now I am feeling the track "Irony is Thick". The chorus reads that the
things that make you happy are the things that make you sick, such as
women or drinking. It also is a reminder of my days of waking up after
playing to large crowds and putting on a server uniform to go to work
that next morning. It reminds me how far the thing has come.
AA: Did you have musical endeavors before Big 10-4 that weren't quite
what you were after? Is Big 10-4 the thing that you were after?
D: Even during open mic nights I would tell people the name of the idea
is Big 10-4. I only write one way and it's best described and comes
across the best in Big 10-4. We are very fortunate, and we realize how
special this trip has been because for most of us it's our first shot at
this.
AA: Who holds the power, shall we say, in the band? As far as decision
making, is it a collective effort, or is there Gene Simmons syndrome?
How about with song writing?
D: When it comes to dealing with the label and things of business I make
most of the decisions, but I always confer with the band on anything
important. We are tight like that, and we all have our roles musically
and on the road that make this thing work. All of the songs are written
by me, and then the band gets together to attach their influences to it.
AA: At the point that you're at right now as a band what do you see as
the biggest thing you have to work on, or battle against to make it -
"making it" being a career of longevity and success?
D: Finding out where to place the music right now, and building our own
grass roots fan base. First, the music is hard to put a label on. We
just call it rock, but people like to compare to things, and the
comparisons have been across the board. Some references make us laugh.
Continuing to build a fan base isn't really a battle, but it's something
we have taken on as a challenge. We do a lot of self-promoting at the
time and are slowly building this thing. When we come into town we just
don't play shows, we walk around campuses, hit up music stores, and stop
people at restaurants to talk about the music. It's fun though.
AA: I've read descriptions of Big 10-4 saying things like "beer drenched
rock band". Is that how you see yourselves?
D: Interesting. Is that a compliment or knock on us? It's probably
because we have a crowd of people that like to pump fists, sing words,
and party at our shows. We have a good time, our music is lyrically
driven, and it allows people to get in deep with the words and sing them
back if they are feeling it. We raise our drinks every now and then, but
that's what I believe rock n' roll is.
AA: It's time for the obvious question that probably every interviewer
asks you, but it's gotta be done. How did Big 10-4 get its name?
D: There's some stories out there, but we'll just keep it a legend. The
name fits the vibe of the music and the approach to the live show. It
makes you think about good times, that 's how we want to leave you,
feeling something. Over and out!
Big 10-4's list of tour dates is looking pretty full right now. Check it
out at
http://www.big10-4.com. Also, catch a
few singles for listen at
http://www.myspace.com/bigtenfour.
Special thanks to Dan Verduin and Shawn Koonin.
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