Members of former Athens indie rock band Cosigner will perform together Saturday at Donkey Coffee & Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St.
Stephen Tootle, former Ohio University history doctoral student, will perform a set backed by bassist Chris Pyle and drummer Angie Pyle on Saturday, but without guitarist Josh Antonuccio. Local musicians also will perform with Tootle. Opening acts include The Substitutes and Travis Vanest.
Suffering the inevitable Athens band break-up after graduation, Cosigner split when Tootle took a job teaching history at University of Northern Colorado. He began performing as a solo artist in California, then formed the Athens incarnation of Cosigner in 2002. The band released an album last spring titled Let's Fast Dance
Tootle said.
Since leaving Athens, Tootle said he has not written and performed much music over the past year and has been busy focusing on his career. He has been enjoying the trappings of Colorado, and calls his life a cross between a Mountain Dew and a Coors commercial.
His stop in Athens comes during a road trip through the U.S. for research on his dissertation. After stopping at the Eisenhower and Truman presidential libraries, Tootle is visiting town on his way to Washington, D.C. His dissertation is titled Political Pundits and Presidential Reputations 1945 through 1963.
He said the trio will practice together Saturday and will perform some Cosigner songs together at the show; he might also play solo. Tootle does not rule out performing music again in Colorado. He said he wants to have some new material and find a place to practice before he begins playing again. Two other ex-Athenians, Ryan Schlagbaum and Nick McPherson -the latter formerly of local band Southeast Engine -both live nearby in northern Colorado, he said.
This is the first time the group has performed together since June 2004, and Chris Pyle said he hopes to perform together a few times a year when Tootle is in town.
Angie Pyle said the show will start at 9 p.m. and there will be a cover.
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Megan Chew
