The Explorers Club
w/ Harrison Hudson, A Fir Ju Well, and Anathallo
Thurs. May 11
9 p.m.
$6
Village Tavern
1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.
884-6311
www.village-tavern.com
Charleston pop/rock ensemble Explorers Club — frontman, guitarist, and primary songwriter Jason Brewer, guitarist Jim Faust, organist Stefan Rogenmoser, bassist Walter Reddington, drummer Neil Thomas, and multi-instrumentalist David Ellis — specialize in upbeat, dynamic, guitar-driven, hand-clappin’ music. There’s a bit of British Invasion and a hint of the classic “California” pop sound of the ’60s.
This Thursday at the Village Tavern, the band celebrates the release of a new self-titled, four-song (plus bonus track) EP recorded at Brewer’s home recording studio. The band already sold a few here and there on the road — including a few stacks at a recent triumph at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Ga. — and will have them available in local stores this week.
“The EP has four songs on it, including some familiar tracks and a couple others that I’m going to leave as a surprise,” says Brewer. “They’re going to be available for around five bucks at the release show. Those will be a limited edition with a special cover and fun inserts, but there will also be some at local shops.”
And what of any fun summer plans? The Club are currently preparing for their most ambitious tour yet.
“We’re doing a little East Coast and Northeast swing,” says Brewer. “We’ll be headed up to D.C., Jersey, different parts of Penn. with our friends The Swims, and The Knitting Factory in New York. That’s all in early June. In July, we’ll be jetting out to Los Angeles for a few dates.”
In addition to the hubbub over the new recordings and tours, stories have circulated about a new basketball league … and label interest.
“We started a league and we call it the BNBA,” says Brewer. “We’re hoping other local bands will play us. This is a challenge to any band: we’ll look ridiculous and play hoops with you. We’ve actually been going around challenging people who are better than us just so that we can get spanked. We also have matching uniforms.
“We’ve talked to a few labels, but they’ll go unnamed,” he adds. “One in particular is pretty exciting, so keep checking our Myspace page [www.myspace.com/explorersclub] for a big announcement. We’re getting along really well as a band, having a good time hanging out and being friends. We’re at a really exciting point where we have a bit of leverage to do what we want.”
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