The Chart Online

Band creates new original sound
Philip Martin

Sports Editor

Macon, the people s band, chooses not to sound like anybody else.

After much discussion, the band decided that they sound like an alternative rock band. Although they said some of their songs are like punk, and they throw in some funk.

There are no local bands that sound like us, said Jordan Wilkerson, bass and backup vocals.

Josh Jennings said they cover a Beatles song, but they don t sound like them. Jennings said that they write their own music, but they do some covers. One of the covers they do is Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World.

The members of Macon consist of John Pratt, rhythm guitar and backup vocals; Paul Farris, lead vocals; Jennings, lead guitar; Wilkerson, bass and backup vocals; and Brandon Bellegarde, drums.

Many people ask if they got their name from the town in Georgia. Farris said they have two stories that they tell people; one of the stories is true, and the other one is fake.

We had a show, just like an acoustic show for our friends just to let them know what we were doing, Farris said. We didn t really have a band name, we were in between four of them. We re not going to mention the names because they weren t that good. So we go to IHOP afterwards, kind of relaxing and after Josh had had a few. He starts to like slur or stutter or whatever. So we re at IHOP and he says `I want the Breakfast blur, because I have to edit that out. Because it s probably copyrighted or something. But he says that `I don t want any macon, he meant to say bacon.

Jennings and the waitress started arguing about what he meant to say. Everybody else said that they liked the slur so much that they chose it as the band s name. That is the fake story. The real story is that Farris went to B. Dalton Bookstore and was looking for a book with names in it. After being pointed to the section with the books of baby names, he found the name Macon. The book said that the name means to create or perform an art, and he said that is what the band does.

They said that they tell the first story to people just because it s funny. The band as a whole have been together before, under different names and with different people. Farris said that him and Pratt were the original members, then Wilkerson came in and then a guy named George, who was going to play lead, but then a guy named Robert who was also going to play lead, but it didn t work out. Then last March, Farris, Jennings and Pratt were playing together and they got a hold of Will Probyn, who is the band s manager, while Bellegarde was sitting with him eating at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Probyn told Farris he had a drummer for his group and handed the phone to Bellegarde.

After that there was four of them just playing together. Then, they were at a party at Barry Linduff s house where they met Wilkerson. After that they held their first practice at Purdy, Mo. The band has been together for eight months.

When it comes to writing the music they all write the music together. Farris said that instead of one person writing the songs, which on some songs it has happened that way, they instead let everybody put their input in and maybe start shouting out lyrics while practicing the songs. Farris said that they let everybody have a say in what is put into the music. They don t throw out anybody s ideas, unless it is Jordan s, said Pratt.

His ideas usually revolve around sex, said Jennings.

Pratt said that there is no I in band, while Bellegarde did say that there is b, a, n and d.

Macon has performed in local clubs and restaurants including Fusion and Kharacters. Upcoming shows include one in Tulsa with another local band as soon as that deal is put together. They will also be playing in the Green Room, somewhere in Columbia, Mo. and at the Hurricane in Kansas City. Jennings said that sometime in January or February they will be playing at the Kitchen Pass.

They said that they are participating in a battle of the bands at Characters on Nov. 2, and people can show up for the battle at 8 p.m.

Macon did say that an RCA producer showed up to their last show, and they don t know what will come from that. They said that if they win the battle and get the $500 prize money they will use the money to record an album.

They said that they want to do this to keep their fans happy, and to help get their names out there. They do this because as Jennings said they are the people s band.