Goin' to the Roadhouse

Election Day 1999. "Our assault on the world begins now!" VOTE POWER LLOYD!

Power Lloyd's campaign began back in the fall of '97 when David DePippo (lead vocals) and Gene Diotalevi (guitar/vocals) met at a work and immediately realized that they had a common agenda for rock 'n roll.

The other three band members; Bill Heck (guitar/vocals), Rob Carter (bass/vocals), and Ryan Washington (drums/vocals), quickly fell into place. It was destined. For example....as Washington told me, "they hired me before they ever heard me play" He says it was because he had a house that would be perfect for a practice space! Carter was actually a guitarist, not a bass player at the time he met up with DePippo and Diotalevi. But since he happened to have a bass in his closet that someone had given him as a debt payment, he was in. Washington had known Heck through a mutual friend. When the band decided to add another guitarist, Heck was the first choice.

Definitely a winning combination. Not only have they been playing at the better clubs in town, gathering supporters as they go... in less than a year they have recorded two CDs; "Election Day" and "Appropriately Wrong", which is due out in April. Both released on Catch 22 Records. They also just had a song used on the MTV Celebrity Death Match video as well as several songs from Election Day used on a Discovery Channel series called, "Outward Bound."

Why Power Lloyd? The name came from a line in the film "Say Anything" starring John Cusack. ".... the new me, Power Lloyd...." As with many bands searching for a name, they heard it and immediately knew that was it. However, there are a couple different versions of how this came to be, so if you want to know one of the true stories, I suggest you ask them yourself.

Power Lloyd is pop rock played with raw energy like the early days of punk. Their shows are always unique and different. When you first see these five guys take the stage, you won't be sure what to expect. Depending on what they are wearing you may think they're a 50's rockabilly band, a Devo tribute band, or some guys on the prison bowling team. It's a cool idea, really. They wear the different outfits to look like a band, to have a stage presence, because "so many bands now take the stage looking like they just got off work; in jeans and t-shirts." But once Power Lloyd starts playing, you quickly realize that they've got their own musical style and they are having fun at what they're doing. A band for the 00's.

Power Lloyd is a visual treat, but the lyrics are great too. They say that David DePippo can write a song about anything. Carter told me that on their way home from the recording session in Ohio, David said, "let's write a song." While Carter was struggling to get situated with the bass in the front seat of the car, DePippo looked out the window, saw construction equipment on the side of the road and instantly had a little ditty about construction workers and the orange clothes they wear....or something like that.

The first time I saw them at the Rhodeside Grill, they were wearing their matching black button up satin shirts. There was a black velvet painting of Elvis at the back of the stage. Before the show, they passed out their set list. Unusual, yes, but who would've known that there would be a pop quiz during the show?! Audience participation is a must. They started off the show when DePippo said, "first we must pay homage to the king" and with that they all turned around and bowed to the painting and then tossed out Elvis trading cards. I was sure we were about to hear lots of Elvis covers! But I was wrong, we only heard one...Burning Love. It's an Elvis cover they like to do and some of the band members confided, "we're glad David at least remembers the words to the chorus." Despite the fact that this was an acoustic set, their energetic and entertaining performance had everyone on the dance floor. Even Washington was on his feet while playing the drums!

I had the chance to see them again at the Velvet Lounge recently. No Elvis theme this time (they ran out of cards!). In fact, at the beginning of the show, DePippo announced that they were Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. It was an interesting setting for this aggressive five-man band. The stage is small, but it is an intimate setting and the bands love it. The back of the stage is draped in red velvet and the front is framed with flowers. With a full drum kit on the stage there was room for two other musicians. So DePippo and Diotalevi set up their mics in front of the stage making the loud, abrasive music literally in-your-face. Their energy was contagious and everyone was dancing and singing along. Throughout the evening the guys were intentionally and unintentionally running into each other! At one point, DePippo fell on stage and took Diotalevi with him...they never missed a note.

The grand finale came when DePippo and Carter were sharing the same mic on the last song. Carter's bass head got caught on the mic cord. As the two stepped away from each other at the end of the song, Carter couldn't get his bass free from the cord. So he tossed it at DePippo and it fell to the floor where it was then kicked by Heck and Carter.

They are right....rock-n-roll is not dead! Vote Power Lloyd!
(And watch for them at an inaugural event near you!)

Get the latest dates and info for Power Lloyd at http://www.hookit.com/allegory/powerlloyd

Check them out soon...you won't know what to expect but you will be guaranteed a good time!

Go backstage and meet
The Kingdom of Leisure
Corduroy 9
Underfoot

The Corridor