Oddly named rock band thrives live

By Gus Bode

Musicians can spend excessive periods of time trying to come up with interesting, witty and original names for their bands, or in the case of rock band Push Down and Turn, spontaneity can prove to be the best inspiration.

Lead singer Jason Brown had to come up with the name of Push Down and Turn, who will rock the Copper Dragon Brewing Co. around 10 p.m. Saturday, in the last moment before one of the band’s early shows so he looked to the top a pain reliever bottle for help.

It was one of those things where you had to have something on the billboard, Brown said. Since we play at bars, the people who watch us get drunk and wake up with a hell of a hangover. As they reach for the aspirin bottle in the morning, look at the top of it and read push down and turn,’ they’re able to remember our name.

Advertisement

The name stuck with the radio friendly rock band, but Brown discovered that the name does not always stick with fans.

In a flash, what went through my mind was that it would be a great marketing thing, and it turns out it’s not, he said. It’s too long. We get push down and what?,’ pull down and twist’ or sit down and sleep.’ Whether or not the fans remember Push Down and Turn’s name hardly seems to effect the devotion fans have to the band. In a battle of the bands type contest last year involving thousands of competing bands all over the country, Push Down and Turn came out on top earning a slot on several dates of the H.O.R.D.E. Festival Tour.

The five members of Push Down and Turn were soon sharing stages with Primus, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Beck and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

Touring with those acts gave the Indianapolis natives the chance to share more than just stages.

But performing on this popular tour would have remained a flat wish had the band not gotten the support it needed from its fans. The final competition to decide which act would perform at the H.O.R.D.E. was at the Metro in Chicago, so the members of Push Down and Turn looked to their website (www.pdtrock.com) to help get the word of the show out to their fans.

We were playing against a lot of Chicago bands so we knew we had to get our fanbase there. We got on the website and said to our fans Look, we want to go to the H.O.R.D.E. Tour. We want you guys to all come out,’ and they did, Brown said. We stuffed that place with our fans. It was voted on by audience participation, so they all got to vote.

The band has its own distinct sound aided by piano and organ which Brown admits helped distinguish the band through the grunge epidemic in the early ’90s but the songs have a definite mainstream angle to them, fueled by the band’s vocal attack.

Advertisement*

Rounding out the band’s harmonic vocal sound are the topics of the band’s songs.

The songs are lyrically oriented. The show is about what we’re saying and what cool hooks and rhythms we can come up with, Brown said. We’ve always been able to incorporate three part harmonies to our songs where you really haven’t seen that in awhile.

It’s not like a barber shop quartet, but it’s nice to have [the harmonies] when they’re there.

Harmonizing adds to the live show, which is the overall essence of Push Down and Turn. The members of the band take pride in the fact that they do not just stand on stage and not care about the audience but focus on having fun, which is why Brown said the band is foremost a live band.

That’s our natural thing. You’re talking about five guys who for five years have played out at least three nights a week, Brown said. We’ve really gelled that way.

For information, call 549-2319.

Advertisement