Rochester music interviews
We hit up the artists on their way to the ROC
We hit up the artists on their way to the ROC
Since forming in December 2008, the funk- and R&B-infused Bodega Radio has continued to gather a following. But singer/rhythm guitarist Justin Gurnsey says the group also is trying to grow "a community of bands that we can always play with."
Joining forces with "like-minded" acts that share fans means "we'll always have a good draw," the 27-year-old explains. At the same time, it'll "give music lovers something to do every night of the week."
With that in mind, Bodega Radio is hosting open jam sessions on Wednesdays in July at the Jukebox in Spencerport, where bands will be able to play together and get some stage time.
"The open jam will be huge," Gurnsey says. "It's ... about us having fun with other people and really jamming. And we get a lot of our other musician buddies to come out, so it's really just a big social scene."
It's also a great opportunity for musicians who are "looking to meet new musicians, put a band together (or) get involved in a band," he says. Meanwhile, he says, it's cool for Bodega Radio — which has played with Coexistence and Thousands of One — to have fans who remember "the music and ... play along with it. So it's really fun; it feels really rewarding to see people happy and getting into it."
Seeing people happy is precisely why the group — part of a show at Dub Land Underground Saturday, July 18 (see box below) — is interested in creating music with a positive message. "I think with us, we just wanna focus on positive, upbeat, moving stuff. We don't have time for negativity or anger I guess," Gurnsey says.
To provide fans with more upbeat tunes to dance to, Bodega Radio took the month of June off to practice and write songs. The band — which also includes bassist/vocalist Ben Jones, drummer/vocalist Chris "Hollywood" English, saxophonist Doug Egling and lead guitarist Marty LoFaso — has been playing sets of half originals and half covers; but soon it will emerge with a new set of originals to share.
Gurnsey, who co-writes songs for the band, also has been working on some solo material, but he intends to keep that work separate from his work with Bodega Radio.
"I don't have any desire to force my originals on these guys," he says. "I think right now, with this group of musicians, it just feels so good and so right."
