Live!
WHO: Dada and Ingram Hill WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday WHERE: State Theatre, Falls Church
A band that had its biggest hit more than a decade ago exits the scene for nearly four years and then hits the road to promote a new album. A typical reunion tour, right? But the L.A.-based trio named Dada has always sought to be more than a typical rock band.
Back in 1992, Dada released “Puzzle” on the small, hip IRS Records label (R.E.M.’s first home). That debut sold more than a half-million copies, and its single, “Dizz Knee Land” charted high on alternative radio before denting mainstream pop and rock playlists as well.
Phil, Joie & Michael of dada
The trio — Joie Calio (vocals, bass), Michael Gurley (vocals, guitar) and Phil Leavitt (drums, vocals) — became a critical favorite, blending the pop-smart melodies and beautiful harmonies of classic Beatles with a muscular musicianship that made for high-voltage live shows.
The group toured relentlessly, headlining at clubs and opening big halls for the likes of Sting, Crowded House and Depeche Mode. Two CDs followed — 1994′s “American Highway Flower” and 1996′s “El Subliminoso” — but the IRS label folded shortly after the third CD was released. The trio moved to MCA Records for its fourth CD, simply titled “Dada,” but was evicted when MCA’s parent company was sold and the label drastically cut its roster.
Calio, calling from a tour bus parked in Killington, Vt., said that’s when he instigated the idea of a hiatus. “There was no explosion, no implosion, no arguments,” he said calmly. “We all just decided to take a deep breath. Things were not totally going our way, and instead of fighting it, [we thought] let’s just take a break. There are no rules here. That’s why we became musicians in the first place.”
During Dada’s intermission, Gurley and Leavitt played together in a new rock band (Butterfly Jones) and a jazz trio (Michael Gurley and the Nightcaps), recording independent releases with both. Leavitt also performed with the Blue Man Group and had a short gig with the Gin Blossoms.
“It turned out everyone used the time to benefit their own musical muse,” Calio said. He himself moved to Seattle, worked as a talent scout for MCA Records, recorded an album (“The Complications of Glitter”) and toured as a solo act, including a date at Arlington’s Iota Club and Cafe.
Just as Calio was finishing his solo album, Leavitt and Gurley’s managers proposed two quick Dada gigs opening for the band Dishwalla. As Calio recalled, the three agreed to “just put our feet back in the water.” The crowd was enthusiastic, the music felt great and… “That’s it. The time’s right.”
Dada was back in business.
The State show is part of a six-week tour in support of a new studio CD, “How to Be Found,” which came out earlier this month on independent Blue Cave Records. Dada performs material from all five studio releases and, thanks to the strength of the new material, there’s none of that stale reunion-tour smell.
“We were never the cool band anyway. We never plugged into any scene,” Calio explained. “The plus side now is, we’re not nostalgia. We’re continuing on.”
- Marianne Meyer
Source: Washington Post
