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Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Everclear brings old hits, new member to Extreme Halloween show

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Everclear lead singer Art Alexakis has no patience with bands who won't play their hits.

When his group performs at B92.9 FM's Cruise and Good's Extreme Halloween concert tonight at Modesto Centre Plaza — an event that also holds a $1,000 costume contest — you can bet "Santa Monica," "Father of Mine" or "I Will Buy You A New Life" will be on the set list.

Alexakis, 47, said he tries to put himself back in the mindset that he was in a decade ago when the songs came out.

"It means digging down deep, bringing it out and getting in touch with what made the song cool when you wrote it," he said.

One way he's keeping things fresh is by playing with new musicians. Former Everclear band members are gone, replaced by Freddy Herrera on bass, Jordan Ploskey on drums, Sasha Smith on keyboards and vocals and Johnny Hawthorn on guitar and vocals.

"Some guys left because I wanted them to, some guys left because they wanted to," Alexakis wrote on Everclear's Web site. "It is what it is. You all know that this is and has always been my band."

Before the old band members left, they recorded new arrangements of classic Everclear hits with Alexakis for the group's latest album "In A Different Light." The new recordings are more acoustic with more emphasis on vocals and lyrics and less on guitars.

The CD also includes two new songs that never have been on the band's albums — "Here Comes the Darkness" and "At the End of the Day."

The latter song, which was originally recorded as a duet for Marion Raven's album, is particularly resonating with fans, Alexakis said.

"It's had more play than any song we've had since we've been independent," he said, referring to the band leaving Capitol records about five years ago. "I'm hoping that catches on more."

He wrote the song, which ends with the lyric "We will be together someday," about his experiences going through a divorce. But people have told him they relate to it because it expresses how they feel about their relatives in the military who are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's a bit of a strange situation for him because of his personal views.

"Politically, I'm Lefty McLefterson," he said. "When it comes down to this war, I've been vehemently, loudly against this war. But I've always been very, very pro-troop because these people are Americans and we have to support them."

Alexakis' next project with Everclear is an album of new material that he hopes to start recording in February or March.

"It's a lot of rock songs," he said. "Some ballads, but the lyrics are pretty intense. It's an intense time and I always write intense songs, anyway."

Personally, he is an engaged to his girlfriend of four years and has a 23-month-old child with her. Alexakis, who also has a teenage daughter, said he enjoys being a father again.

"It's different in a lot of ways," he said. "The babies were so different in their personalities. My daughters are so different but they love each other so much."

He said he feels good about where his career his headed.

"I feel more empowered that 'hey I can do everything I want to do.' "