Those who graduated a short two to three years ago might remember a popular Athens band called First Street Heat. Although the group is broken up now, several members remain in the area and want to reignite the heat.
“The majority of the people there are going to be alumni who graduated a year to three years ago … and those were the people who were around when First Street Heat was at its peak,” said Jack Gould, saxophonist for First Street Heat and Sassafraz. “They’ll probably want to relive some memories of being 21 years old.”
The 12- to 15-piece Athens band First Street Heat disbanded almost two years ago but several members regrouped to form the funk-rap band Sassafraz. Many of those original members will travel back to The Union, 18 W. Union St., on Saturday for a tribute show alongside another former Athens group, The Paul Elisha Band.
Eden Lee, vocalist for First Street Heat, and Dave Young, keyboardist, are two members who will be joining Sassafraz on stage to complete the tribute. However, they only have a short time to relearn the songs.
“I’d imagine some of it will be like riding a bike but we’re going to have to dedicate a few hours to going back over everything,” Young said. “It’s not exactly
simple music.”
Gould said they have all improved their skills so drastically in the past two years that he predicts this to be one of the best First Street Heat shows ever.
“These are going to be the definitive best versions of these songs that have ever been played,” Gould said. “We’ve each grown so much as musicians since we last played that material. Now that we’re revisiting it we’re uncovering entirely new ways of playing stuff, we’re changing it up and adding parts.”
Gould never liked to stay still, so while he was laying the groundwork for Sassafraz he got together with Paul Elisha to play funk and soul tunes every Tuesday night at The Union.
The Paul Elisha Band only lasted about six months in 2012 but made a large impact through its theme nights at the bar — covering John Legend, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Prince.
“I sang my entire career at OU through Singing Men of Ohio and Section 8,” Elisha said. “Through that, I built up a base of people who know me as a singer. We’ll attract a really nice crowd with it being Homecoming Weekend.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
@Wilbur_Hoffman
