Ricky
Feather is discovering the joys and stresses of college late in life,
but if he devotes half the energy to the books as he does in Bodeco,
he should pass with proverbial flying colors. “I was going to the
library a lot about five years ago,” says Feather, who’s now
majoring in graphic design. “I started gravitating to the arts
section and music books, and it just kind of hit me. Everything I was
interested in, in some way or another, involves graphic design:
record labels, posters, pop art. Art history should be taught in
grade school.”
In
Bodeco, Feather leads a four-piece whose medium can be best described
as swampy, party rock. The band, whose name combines Bo Diddley and
zydeco, cut a broad swath around town in the early 1990s with its
albums, 1992’s Bone,
Hair and Hide
and 1995’s Callin’
All Dogs.
Bodeco
has downshifted in recent years, eschewing live shows to write new
material for an EP. Guitarist Jimmy Brown says the hiatus arose from
a creative spurt the band has enjoyed while tracking at a Highlands
studio owned by longtime friend, Jeff Carpenter.
“Part
of the reason we’re not focused (on playing live) is because
Ricky’s always coming up with new songs,” Brown says. “I do
believe that we’re still vital to Louisville. We could’ve hatched
a baby in the time that we’ve been out.”
Bodeco
didn’t break up, per se. “The band is always in a state of flux,”
says Feather. “It’s a seasonal sort of thing. The winter can get
very long, but we’ve never looked at (our break) like breaking up.”
A
new second guitar player, Freddie “Southside” Wethington, who
replaced original member Wink O’Bannon, plays Saturday’s gig at
the Pour Haus. Brown says he doesn’t know what to expect
crowd-wise, but the bill should be strong, what with The Glasspack
returning from its headlining slot at the Roadburn Festival in
Holland, and Lexington band Nightshades joining in.
Contact
the writer at [email protected]
Bodeco
w/
Nightshades, The Glasspack
Saturday,
May 31
The
Pour Haus
1481
S. Shelby St.
637-9611
$6;
10 p.m.