Jack Hammett, Staff Reporter
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| Greg Nahabedian during the Spice World Set Derek Ellis / Courtesy Photo |
On March 15, Dérive of
Northampton, Massachusetts dropped in on Spice World alongside some lo-fi locals and
played with enough power to launch a pack of corned beef into orbit. Boasting
the night’s heaviest sound, the group appealed to that baser instinct we all
carry deep in our cannibal hearts: the instinct to groove.
This wasn’t Dérive’s first cow
poke in Hattiesburg, so to speak. The group played several shows locally prior to
March 15. What started as an off-handed 2013 show in Jackson ended with the
band forming a relationship with venue owner Hampton Martin.
“Hampton ended up being one of
just a few people to watch us, and he invited us to come play at his place next
time we came through,” said Dérive vocalist Greg Nahabedian. “We played our
first Hattiesburg show in January, 2014, and I think we've been back three more
times since then.”
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| Nahabedian rockin' the accordian at Spice World Derek Ellis / Courtesy Photo |
According to Nahabedian,
close-knit DIY communities like the one in Hattiesburg are sprinkled throughout
the country. In such communities, they said, there are enough people to produce a
lot of bands, but that it’s small enough so everyone can come to know each
other.
“Every time we come to
Hattiesburg, we are totally taken aback by the enthusiasm and coordination of
its local musicians and fans,” Nahabedian said.
Drummer Paul DeGrandpre said the
bands and community in Hattiesburg are always kind and helpful. He said the
group spent 23 hours driving from Los
Angeles on their first visit to Hattiesburg.
DeGrandpre said touring with the
group can be described as “Long periods of true garage truncated by brief
shimmers of real beauty.”
“You kind of put yourself in a
new world to get through it,” DeGrandpre said. “This tour we've all been
putting on voices and characters. But I love it. I have a relatively
professional job but they still let me tour. I have another band, too. So I'm
working 60 hours a week and then practicing 4-5 nights every week too.”
For DeGrandpre, music is a way to
cut loose after working so many weekly hours. To tour, he said, is to put all
his work to the test.”
“Putting out records, doing art,
writing the songs are all good for me,” DeGrandpre said. “It's the big release
of actual years of effort for me.”
These reasons are why DeGrandpre
takes his artistic endeavors seriously.
“It’s not a party for me,” he
said. “I’ve gotten into arguments at shows from kinds who said, ‘Chill out,
man, it’s just a party.’ And I'm like, ‘Dude, I'm in California. It took me 6
days just to drive out here. All I asked was you to not put your beer on my
amp.’ It's a very real dream that I make a career, and I'm working every day to
get there. That's really as simple as it gets.”
When asked if Dérive would return
to Hattiesburg, DeGrandpre said they would likely come through again in the
summer.
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| Noah Jacques diddlin' that bass at Spice World Derek Ellis / Courtesy Photo |
“Hattiesburg is almost always our
favorite show on a tour, because people come out in force to see us and are
really excited for the other bands on the bill,” said guitarist Paul Schmelz. “I
think there's something about Hattiesburg punks that they're all really excited—that
music is happening, and that's something that isn't as common as one would
expect.”
Schmelz said the March 15 show’s
tame atmosphere was certainly not a bad thing and that, at times, it’s
respectful for audiences to allow each other to comfortably watch the bands
they’re excited to see.
“And of course, there's something
about playing a show where like half the people know most of the lyrics to most
of your songs,” Schmelz said. “That's a kind of humbling experience I never
seem to get over.”
DeGrandpre said Dérive’s future
releases include “one in the chamber, two in progress and maybe a one-off thing
just to do another release. For sure an EP and maybe even an LP.”
Needless to say, the Hattiesburg
crowd has a lot of Dérive to look forward to—both live and in the punk bunker.
And as always, to be continued.
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