Big Stick Friday: A Tasty Treat for OC Rockers and Beyond

One of the hardest parts of making it as a band is simply staying together. And, Orange County rockers Big Stick Friday (BSF) have passed this test with flying colors. These three friends met in grade school and formed their first musical group before they were even teenagers. BSF is retro in both style and substance. This self-described "straight-ahead" rock band maximizes the strength of its vintage roots by mixing classic rock melodies with pop-rock hooks for a solid and appealing sound. The members of Big Stick Friday are talented, passionate and entertaining musicians who know their way around a stage. Make time to catch them when you can. You won't be disappointed.
<interview>

"Nice Guy Convention" by Big Stick Friday

With their mix of sometimes heavy alternative rock riffs with memorable melodies and lyrics, Big Stick Friday’s “Nice Guy Convention” has something to appeal to a large audience and caters to a variety of tastes. And while their songs sometimes have titles that might suggest one thing – “Tupac” could be an ode to a slain rapper, “Mud Flap Girl” could have been a stoner rock song about chicks and cars – the band tend to stay on the serious side, most of the time.

Big Stick Friday opens the album with the aptly titled “In Your Face,” a song of heavy, fuzzy riffs that are not quite hard rock but no means typical pop rock, either. “Idiot,” stands out on the album with its wannabe industrial grinding pulses in the middle ground, keeping it interesting and cool without drawing away from the vocals or the guitar solo. “No Apology” is slightly slower with more melodic vocals but with a nonstop riff and the same energy level as the previous two songs. “Last night, I dreamt I was wasted outside your bedroom door/Last night I dreamt I was Tupac outside your bedroom door,” vocalist/guitarist David Eddy sings in his crooning, slurring style in the catchy chorus of “Tupac.” With a melodic and catchy chorus, “You’re So Wild” is slower and reminds of Brit pop/indie rock.

Keeping with a more upbeat and poppy rock sound, “Supermodel” features handclaps and a chorus accented by “oh-oh” while “Who We Are” returns to the heavier riff sound of the album’s beginning. “Mud Flap Girl” uses a power chorus to offset its more gentle verses. “Satellite,” also a relatively calm song, still retains buzzing guitars despite its other ballad-like qualities. “You Never Came Back,” a stripped down acoustic song closes the album’s listed tracks, however, a similar acoustic song, about, um, farts, kicks in following it.

Big Stick Friday seems to easy avoid sounding too poppy or too hard rock with their riff heavy but vocally light tunes. Catchy and never too cliché, Big Stick Friday knows when to rock and when to get more melodic and moody. “Nice Guy Convention” is an enjoyable listen that keeps things interesting, using new sounds and avoiding boring you with repetition.

Adventurous and New

Big Stick Friday "Nice Guy Convention" (independent release) - Whether unleashing riff rock ("In Your Face"), heavy alternative grooves ("Who We Are") or high-octane power-pop ("Supermodel"), Big Stick Friday combines smart arrangements, compelling lead vocals from singer-guitarist David Eddy, and a strong rhythm section in bassist Jim Scarlett and drummer Mo.

The trio fuses alternative rock and pop in cuts such as the reflective "You're So Wild" and weighty "Satellite," while acoustic moods in "You Never Came Back" demonstrate the band's willingness to use the smaller arms in its musical arsenal.

You might like if you enjoy: Foo Fighters, Goo Goo Dolls, Let's Active

THE INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW
Pump It Up!

When the music eventually hit, it was with Costa Mesa’s Big Stick Friday, who adhered closely to pop’s catchy, hooky, just-rough-enough tenets, coming up with a mixture that sounded something along the lines of Collective Soul fellating near-metal in between the frequent PA cutouts. Their closing cover of "867-5309 (Jenny)," however, served only to annoy our companion, who wound up humming the damn thing all day long. Such is the blessing/curse of pop, though.

To sit down and talk with the members of Big Stick Friday, one could easily assume he'd just landed in the middle of a nice guy convention. Bright, friendly and articulate, David, Jim and Mo are three childhood buddies who are now bringing their act to the next level.

Coming off a hiatus, the band formerly known as No Chance Nine has reformed with new energy and a determination to take the area by storm.

In an homage to their youth, Big Stick Friday takes their name from that special day of the week many years ago on which the boys were allowed to buy a certain delightfully oversized popsicle at recess.

The band recently took part in a charity concert at the Hard Rock Café in Newport Beach to help local children. Along with Mudbath and Naked Movie Star, Big Stick Friday helped raise money for both the YMCA and Music for a Cure. It's a cause that touches close to home for the band.

BSF's soft-spoken demeanor belies an energetic, highly entertaining stage presence that quickly engages the entire audience. Their command of the stage is immediate, and David has no qualms about warming up with what he assures the crowd are "hilarious" jokes. His self-deprecating humor plays well and only adds to the band's personality.

Armed only with his bass guitar, Jim Scarlett uncorks a huge bottle of energy and owns the stage as he fires up the crowd with daring leaps off speakers, amps and whatever else might qualify him for a late night trip to the emergency room.

Mo on drums seems to put on a pyrotechnic display, as flames from the Hard Rock's kitchen in the background appear to shoot out of his head. Aside from his apparent Prometheus-like skills, Mo's percussion is crisp throughout, and right on target.

Big Stick Friday's big noise

Teddy Roosevelt used to quote the old adage "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Don't tell that to Big Stick Friday. The Fullerton-based trio would rather crank it up a bit.

Singer-guitarist David Eddy, bassist Jim Scarlett and drummer Mo have a history that defies that of the average band, having been friends since kindergarten and having spent their summer vacations during junior high school learning to play their instruments in almost-daily six-hour jams. During high school, the three teens formed Four Corners.

"We were all self-taught," said Eddy.

Scarlett says they were influenced by the power pop of the Plimsouls, the Romantics and 20/20.

"We all lived within three blocks of each other in Costa Mesa," Scarlett recalled.

After high school, they change the name of the group to No Chance Nine and began to play gigs at Orange County clubs and the Whiskey in Hollywood. However, it became increasingly difficult for the band to perform and rehearse after Scarlett went away to complete his degree at San Diego State University.

In September 2001, after Scarlett had completed his degree and returned to Orange County, the three decided to start playing again and focus on making a more complete effort with their music, including pursuing high-profile appearances and recording original music. They dubbed themselves Big Stick Friday in honor of a mutual childhood love of bringing 50 cents to school on Fridays and buying stick candy at the end of the day.

The results are impressive, with the trio capable of unleashing a confident and winning mix of songs that straddle its early power pop influences with the alternative modern rock bite of Weezer. Big Stick Friday was among the crowd favorites when it opened the International Pop Overthrow bill at Stanton Park last weekend.

"I bring the basics," said Eddy, principal songwriter of the trio, whose songs use everything from satire and humor to a dose of anger to chronicle the world around him. "Chord changes, lyrics, melodies. (Mo and Scarlett) fill it in."

In addition to having recently begun work on a full-length debut (some impressive demos are already posted for free download on its website), Big Stick Friday is in the middle of setting up a tour through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas for early 2003.

"We want to be versatile," Mo said of the band's primary artistic aim. Indeed, by enhancing its bass-drum-guitar foundations with rich vocal harmonies and even electronic sequencing, Big Stick Friday is finding an increasing number of ways to showcase an original sound.

Big Stick Friday has a number of upcoming shows, including an appearance at Hogue Barmichael's, 3950 Campus Drive, Newport Beach, at 6 p.m. Aug. 17, and at a benefit for Music for a Cure at Hard Rock Café, 451 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, at 9 p.m. Sept. 5.

For more information on Big Stick Friday, visit the band's official Web site (www.bigstickfriday.com); email the outfit at info@bigstickfriday.com; or call the Big Stick Friday infoline at (714) 423-6379.