Whalen: Press
EXERPT:
First, a bad that has won the Orange County Music Award’s two years in a row and was a semi finalist a third year, the band Whalen. Tim Whalen, once described to sing like bruce springsteen by the Orange County Register , opened with a mix of slow alt rock songs that with every song started to get the crowd excited.
Their setlist included original songs such as “Live like a Daydream”, “Ghosts at the Banquet Table”, and “Bested”. I especially liked their last song, which the others seemed to build up to. “Where Have You Gone” which had the crowd rocking hard. Be sure to be on the look out for their new album “The Thrill of the Speed of Life” due out this spring.
Rhett Miller impresses sans Old 97’s in Santa Ana
February 5th, 2010, 11:12 am · 3 Comments · posted by ROBERT KINSLER, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
It’s too bad the Galaxy Theatre wasn’t packed Thursday night. More people should have indulged an outstanding evening of alt-country-rock courtesy of Rhett Miller and the Serial Lady Killers, as well as solid performances from countrified folk-rockin’ upstart Leslie and the Badgers and singer-songwriter Tim Whalen.
Featuring songs from his solo efforts -– notably his excellent self-titled 2009 album –- as well as choice tracks from Old 97’s (don’t worry, that band is still together, they just played here last summer), Miller performed two dozen tunes in a loose, authentic rock ‘n’ roll style that served as a flip side to the recent Grammy Awards, where image, slick production and shock ‘n’ awe attire completely overwhelmed music-making at every turn.
Sonic shades of Buddy Holly, Uncle Tupelo and early Elvis Costello came to mind at various times during Miller’s 100-minute set, but there’s no doubt that he has found a well-marked corner of the music universe, especially when he gives tours of it as part of a boisterous show. Adding to the magic: Miller has found a cast of great players to back him now. Bassist Greg Beshers, lead guitarist Tommy Borscheid and drummer Angela Webster played with every bit as much power as their ringleader this night in Santa Ana.
Singing a few neo-psychedelic country-tinged ballads such as “Haphazardly” mixed in with a wealth of hard-charging material, Miller frequently explored the challenges of romance throughout his performance. Indeed, he opened with “Like Love,” from Rhett Miller, and didn’t end until midnight when he tore it up with “Our Love” from his second solo disc, The Instigator (2002).
Yet the show was anything but predictable. The straightforward “Refusing Temptation” showcased Miller’s captivating vocals and power as a songwriter; “My Valentine” boasted a great intro built around a textured guitar duet with Borscheid before the other players emerged triumphantly.
“I Need to Know Where I Stand,” meanwhile, allowed Miller to flex a shining falsetto in the song’s choruses, the band charging along as an edgy counterpart to his sweet singing. The set’s focus never faltered, with “Rollerskate Skinny” (an Old 97’s favorite from 2001’s Satellite Rides) and “Happy Birthday Don’t Die” providing a one-two punch close to the end of the night.
Headed by Leslie Stevens, Leslie and the Badgers blended folk-rock and alt-country in ways that recall Americana figures both classic (Emmylou Harris) and more recent (Neko Case) as well as modern-day proponents of the sound, such as Orange County’s own Limbeck and Dusty Rhodes and the River Band.
Featuring songs from the troupe’s recently released album Roomful of Smoke, Stevens’ high soprano was a mightily impressive wonder. Memorable highlights included “Los Angeles,” an effective revisiting of the classic country waltz “My Tears Are Wasted on You” and the pretty original “Ballpark Lights.” In addition to Stevens (vocals, guitar, kazoo), the strong group features the talents of Glenn Oyabe (lead guitar, lap steel), Ben Reddell (bass), Travis Popichak (drums) and Charlene Huang (fiddle).
The night opened with local singer-songwriter Tim Whalen performing a number of originals to the accompaniment of his acoustic guitar. The sound of his voice kind of reminded of Bruce Springsteen, his forceful baritone capably handling both his own material and a convincing cover of Steve Earle’s “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied” across a 35-minute set.
Corvette Sandy’s May, 2005 Column, Part l
Interview & Review of THE GIN BLOSSOMS, WHALEN & BOXCAR at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, Santa Ana, CA April 22, 2005
WHALEN, a back to back OCMA winner for “Best Classic Rock Band”(2004 & 2005 respectively) began the show with their own brand of “rootsy, twangy rock”. This was the fourth occurrence that I had an opportunity to observe WHALEN in a live performance & the first time I really noticed how much of a country-rock influence that WHALEN puts forth into it’s music. The band consists of SCOTT FOWLER (drums) & DARREN GUZMAN (5 string bass) in the rhythm section, who work together to provide a strong backbone and foundation to the two guitarists out front, songwriter, vocalist, band leader and namesake, TIM WHALEN & his electric sidekick, BOB WALKER. GUITAR BOB, as he is known to his bandmates, is the driving force behind this musical entourage, propelling them forward, with his unusual picking style, amazing preciseness and accuracy, right down the speedway of hit tunes. WHALEN struck a note early on with the near capacity crowd, churning out homespun songs of wistful romance and endless good times to be had. There is a wholesomeness and sincerity about WHALEN, something that a person can just feel right through their music, and that is the fact that they love what they are doing, with absolutely no pretenses. This is clearly a case of musicians cheating the audience; they need to get out and play more! After their stellar set, I asked TIM WHALEN, the band’s formidable presence on vocals and acoustic guitar, some questions about their sudden popularity.
Corvette Sandy (CS): Why did you decide to form this band?
TIM WHALEN (TW): I was playing solo acoustic for 3 ½ years and I kinda got tired of playing by myself. There is a certain joy, playing out with other musicians, that just can’t be achieved anywhere else. So I sought out my good friend & bass player, DARREN GUZMAN & we found a guitar player & drummer that complimented our style. It’s pretty great.
CS: How long have you been together?
TW: This particular band has been together for officially about 2 ½ years.
CS: TIM, you write the majority of the material. What is your inspiration?
TW: That’s a tough question. Inspiration could come from anything, like an everyday experience, only to see it from another angle and it becomes exceptional. Sometimes I’ve heard a story on the radio and I can turn that into a song.
CS: You’ve won 2 OCMAS in the “Best Classic Rock” category. When they called your name, what was going through your mind?
TW: Boy, the first time it felt great. It was like all the hard work we put into the band was validated. The second time, which was just a couple of weeks ago, I was really surprised. We had recorded a couple of songs especially for the OCMAS, but weren’t entirely satisfied with them. So when they called our name, and we went up to accept our award, we didn’t know what to say!
(Author’s Note: Just say thanks!)
CS: How have the awards changed your career?
TW: It has certainly opened a lot of doors for us. The notoriety and overall awareness of the band has lept tremendously. Hits on our website have nearly quadrupled since the award ceremony. When we played at the event, we picked up new fans & with the winner compliation cd that was given out to attendees, it has certainly helped more people to hear our music, which is a great experience overall.
CS: In the time WHALEN has been together, you’ve accummulated a lot of material. Is there any progression on a full-length cd?
TW: Yeah, one of our goals is to have a cd out by the end of this year. We do our own recording, we’ve got the material, and it’s just a matter of buckling down & getting it done!
(Author’s Note: CORVETTE SANDY’S name in the credits????)
WHALEN released a truncated ep in early 2004 entitled “Lady Luck”. A true indication of musical growth and solidarity within a band, is comparision between their beginning & the present offerings. After receiving & listening to this audible tome Friday, it is not indicative of the band’s sound today, ergo I cannot review it at this time. Find out more about WHALEN at www.whalenmusic.com or contact tim@whalenmusic.com.