Kelly Quinn Band marks 10 years of rocking Sioux City
Saturday at the Chesterfield, the Kelly Quinn Band will mark 10 years of rocking Sioux City together.
Ten years may seem like no big deal, but for a local band, it can be an eternity. Day jobs, band disputes and life changes can tear at the fabric of what makes a band gel week after week playing late night bar sets.
We caught up with Kelly Quinn this week for a quick Q&A about the past 10 years. See his band Saturday at 8 p.m. and help mark 10 great years of music.
Question: How did Kelly Quinn Band form, and what makes the band different from other bands?
Answer: We started in 2005 as a 2-piece Guitar and Drum duo, playing any place that let us play for free beer! We then grew to a 4-piece in 2006 and have had the same line-up since. I think we’re different from other bands because we don’t take ourselves too seriously, we love playing live music and having a good time.
Q: Bands today seem to have to do a lot of self promotion via social, video and web channels just to make a name for themselves. How have you tried to do this and remain focused on performing and having fun?
A: Marketing is a big part of our band. It’s essential to any new or old band wanting to get their name out there. I probably spend several hours for each show promoting via Facebook, Twitter, the website, etc. We also have a text messaging fan club we started last year that has been pretty cool. It can be distracting but I am used to it by now. It is a big part of getting people to the shows so it’s something that has to happen.
Q: What influences you as an artist – musical or otherwise?
A: I’m influenced by a wide variety of music. I try to not get pigeonholed into one genre. I laugh sometimes in my car after realizing I have Ryan Adams and Pantera on the same compilation disc. Haha. Some main influences to me over the years are Jeff Buckley, 311, Pearl Jam, Helmet, Nirvana, Incubus, Pantera, too many to list. Lately I’ve been listening to more singer/songwriter stuff like Amos Lee, City and Colour, Ryan Adams, etc. Chris Stapleton’s new CD Traveler is in my car now and probably will be for a little while. Good stuff!
Q: When you were forming this band, what did you want to accomplish as musicians?
A: We never real had any goals right away, just to play music. I didn’t start singing until I started this band since I couldn’t find any singers, so my first goal was to try not to make a fool of myself. Our goals now are to keep playing good shows and writing music. Personal goals are to keep growing as a songwriter, work with as many musicians as I can, and keep learning the craft.
Q: Tell me about a couple of your favorite performances as a musician. What made them great?
A: Main Stage at Saturday In The Park 2015 takes the cake for me. We went on early and there weren’t a ton of people there but the entire time I was thinking of the bands that were on that stage before me, who was going on after me, (Aretha, Foster the People, Gogol Bordello) and it was a little mind-blowing. Playing the Orpheum was a bucket list show for me, as well.
About the Author
Thomas Ritchie I love food, cycling, family, music, social media and especially Sioux City. Got an idea for a story - shoot me a note at siouxcitynow1@gmail.com.
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