Too hot to handle
Poptart Monkeys return to the Cell BlockBy JAIME ZUBLICK — jzublick@sungazette.com
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The Poptart Monkeys have been on an aggressive tour across the U.S., and recently decided it was time to pop into Williamsport after having been away for some time.
“We gave a call to the Cell Block and got hooked up with a couple shows,” frontman Tyson Clark said. “We played there last month and it was a crazy first time, even though we didn’t have our bass player. Our rhythm guitar player moved over and played bass for the night. It may have sounded a little off, but we had a great time and the crowd had a great time so we’re excited to have a couple more dates there.”
The lack of a bassist was due to some lineup changes through the past few years. Clark joined the group in 2003, just before they recorded their third album, “Secret Decoder Outfit.”
Since then, the group has found a new drummer in Jason Massey in 2006 — and since their last show at the Cell Block, the group added a new bassist.
Jamah Terry, formerly of the Evansville, Ind., group Gonzo’s Toybox, picked up and moved to Pennsylvania — according to Clark — to join the ranks of the Poptart Monkeys. His first show with the group was on Jan. 5 at The Works in Wyomissing.
“We didn’t know what to expect because we hadn’t had a chance to rehearse with him,” Clark said. “But he got on the stage in front of about 800 people and went through the set with no problem.”
Clark wasn’t nervous about stepping on stage with Terry without having rehearsed.
“I was confident in him –– he’s come up and played a couple songs with us before. He was very confident in the fact that he’d be fine,” he said.
Having finally been rounded out to their former five-member status, Clark is confident about their new album.
“We have a total of four tracks done now,” Clark said. “The way the recording process is going we’re just flying through these songs. They’re a lot better than what, I think, we’ve done in the past. Especially with the lineup that we’ve got now, I feel we’ve got the right people to make it happen”
The group also is looking forward to some other possibilities to enhance their album. The band has been working closely with their manager, Steve Corbin, on developing their tour and preparing for recording their album.
“We just got hooked up with a guy by the name of Bob Kulick.” Clark said. “He might actually become our producer. So we might get to go out to L.A. and work with him. That’s one thing we haven’t had on the last few albums: a producer. With Corbin and Kulick we think we might have a shot at doing exactly what we’ve been trying to for the last couple of years.”
Bob Kulick is best known for his writing and studio work for Kiss. He also is the brother of long-time Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick. Bob also is known for having played guitar for W.A.S.P., Meatloaf and Michael Bolton.
“He’s definitely got an ear for music, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed and hoping it all comes through.”
Though the group has been working hard on material for the new album, they have yet to name it. According to Clark, naming an album is one of the last things they do.
“We’ll usually try and link it to one of the songs or more about a general theme throughout the album, that’s how we do it,” Clark added.
As the group has grown in popularity, they have had a chance to play with some of the bigger names in todays music industry. From Sum-41 and SR-71 to Saliva and 3 Doors Down, Poptart Monkeys’ have been getting bigger by the second.
“We’re good friends with the guys in Breaking Benjamin so it’s always nice to play with them,” Clark said. O acctually went to high school with those guys so I’ve known them for a while. A couple months ago we got to play with Yellowcard in Allentown and that was just off the chain, they’re great guys and our music went well with their music. It was one of my favorite shows.”
Over their past four albums, Poptart Monkeys have had slight changes in their sound from one album to another. Some of that can be attributed to the personelle changes, however through them all, the group has managed to keep the same goal in mind. To have a rock-and-roll sound with a little bit of an edge.
“We didn’t get that sound out of the songs on our last album. But with the lineup changes we have the members now to get the sound that we want to write. I don’t like using the word ‘heavier’ but in a sense that’s what it is.“
Fans may get a sample of that heavier sound come Saturday. According to Clark, the group plans to play at least one song from their new album.
“One song people can expect is called “Choke Yourself,” which we just got done recording. We’ll deffinetly be playing that song or one called “Over and Out.” We like to give the fans a sample since they’ve waited so long,” Clark said.
As for the rest of the show, the content depends on where they’re playing. According to Clark, the group likes to ease new crowds into their original. During a show in Florida, the group only played two originals, however, on a repeat visit a few months later the group was closer to a 50-50 mix since the crowd seemed into them on the previous visit.
“When we’re in Pennsylvania, it’s our home base. It’s where we really like to put them all out there. We should have a really good mix of originals and covers,” Clark said. “That’s what we’re doing this for, we want people to know our music.”
