The Spikedrivers ready to improvise a set list and rock the stage at Casa with bluegrass, county and rock.
For the Columbus-based band The Spikedrivers, going on stage without a plan is the plan.
Although performing without a setlist might be downright painful for some other acts, John Boerstler, guitarist for the group, said moving away from a scheduled set allows for the band to choose songs based on the crowd’s energy.
“The show is never the same,” he said. “We do a lot of the same songs, but we improvise a lot, too. It’s always going to be a little bit different so there will be some surprises.”
Attendees at this weekend’s Casa Nueva show will experience this kind of free-flowing Americana rock ’n’ roll on Friday evening. The band will likely be playing two longer sets and one short set at the conclusion of the night, Boerstler said.
The members have different backgrounds in jazz, classical, rock or other styles of music, which allows the band to have a wide range of influences, said Steven Fox, the bassist.
“We started off all acoustic doing bluegrass and blues,” saidJesse Henry, the lead singer. “Then after a few years, we started adding electric influences and then started doing more rock ’n’ roll and electrified country, rock, blues. At that time, I started writing a whole bunch of songs for The Spikedrivers.”
The Spikedrivers formed out of a group of friends 11 years ago, and have been playing in Athens for nearly a decade, Henry said. He added the band feels welcomed in the Athens music scene, taking part in events such as Moms Weekend and music festivals.
“(The crowd) is always cool because it’s usually some people who have been coming to see us for years mixed with people who it is their first time ever seeing us,” Fox said.
The group released an album, last September, entitled Sunset Motel, which is named after a motel in Athens, Fox said.
“The lead singer, whenever he’d come down (to Athens), he stayed there a couple times after our shows so it was inspired by hungover mornings in the Sunset Motel,” Fox added.
Boerstler said to “expect the unexpected” and depending on the energy of the crowd, the night can turn out to be a great time. As The Spikedrivers return to Athens, the crowd can expect an interactive experience with some heckling and shout outs throughout the night, Henry said.
“If you’re a fan of any sort of genre of American music, you’re probably going to hear it at our show,” Fox said.
To find out more about the Spikedrivers, check out its website here: http://www.thespikedrivers.com/
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