Thursday, October 7, 2010
Three’s a crowd, as the saying goes. But local band Ad Astra Arkestra is nine members strong, and as far as they’re concerned, the more members the merrier.
Ad Astra Arkestra evolved from an earlier band, Ad Astra Per Aspera, which started in 2001. In 2008, the band evolved into Ad Astra Arkestra, and Mike Tuley, a guitarist and drummer for the band, says having many people allows members to contribute their own ideas.
This helps the band incorporate many different sounds, from afrobeat to free jazz and polyrhythmic to punk music. These numerous influences and collaborations offer listeners more than they might hear from a smaller band, and Tuley says that’s the point.
“We’re not beholden to one incarnation or one idea, which is sort of the idea behind calling it Ad Astra Arkestra. It’s a continuation of an earlier project,” Tuley says.
Tuley says most members of the band are also involved with other bands or busy with their families, which can make it difficult for all nine of them to get together to practice or play a show. But when they do, it’s well worth it — the group placed first in the experimental category of the Pitch Music Showcase earlier this year. And Tuley says it was even more of an honor to look out into the crowd and see the faces of friends and fans.
“The process of creating music with these people that I really like, that’s the most rewarding part,” Tuley says.
“It’s just really, really fun.”
To listen to the multi-faceted tunes of Ad Astra Arkestra, check out their myspace at www.myspace.com/adastraarkestra or catch one of their live shows at the Bottleneck on Oct. 8.
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