Foothill Music Calendar
2003
The press is welcome to reprint any part of this article free of charge.
Interview Guy Loiler (organizer for the Can You Dig It Benefit Concert and guitarist for the band Electra Road)
by Leslie Oelerich
The Can You Dig It Concert 2001 held in the amphitheater at Howard Park, Ione, is also a Food Drive for Interfaith Food Bank. Price of admission: One or more canned food item(s). Date: September 15, from 2 to 10 p.m.
Guy, who describes himself as the big guy who plays guitar, has lived in the foothills all his life. "I'm a lifer," he said. "I've been playing music all my life too." He started playing piano at age four and has played in various bands since High School. "Actually my Mom made me," he confesses, "but you know, I'm kind of glad she did now." Currently he plays guitar and writes music for the band Electra Road (formerly Iron Angel). Guy attended American River college and Delta College where he majored in music. "Delta has a better music program for boneheads like me," he said.
What is the Can You Dig It Benefit Concert?
Guy: It is a concert that benefits the Interfaith Food Bank It helps our community.
What is the Interfaith Food Bank?
Guy: It's like a food closet kind of thing and they also have showers up there and stuff like that so sometimes monitory monies or whatever are available as well to help people out, people who are down on their luck and what not.
How many bands will play?
Guy: We're going to have five bands there: Pueblo Rooftop, The Motts Brothers, Solace, Electra Road and Soul Provider which is now Soul P.
Will there be any food [concessions]?
Guy: There's going to be hot dogs and hamburgers and soda pop and water available. Also ice chests are welcome and the reason why that is, is because of insurance reasons – they can bring their own beer in but I can't sell it to them. So you're kind of on your own good grace if you want to drink – just don't cause a ruckus ‘cuz they'll arrest you.
Guy continued: We only had one arrest last year which is really good. It was the first arrest out of three years so I thought that was pretty good.
So this show's been going on for three years?
Guy:Well, this will be the fourth one, so yeah.
And have you been doing it [putting it on] every year?
Guy:Uh huh, it was my baby. It was my original idea.
How'd you come up with the concept?
Guy: Well, I was really starving at one point in my life before I got my act together with my wife and everything and I actually had to use the food bank to make ends meet and to have some food to live on. And so I went up there and I thought "Hey, you know what's a great idea is if I put a concert on and help benefit them, you know, give them something back." That was my whole idea with it. Also I hear all these people on the news going over to Bulgaria or wherever else and feeding them and I'm thinking to myself, "Well, we have people that are starving to death at night here in our own country, let's try to scratch our own back first." That was kind of my thoughts.
Are you only having local bands?
Guy:Last year we had some Sacramento bands and it was ok, but I'd really like to use the local talent ... just because. You know, it's fun. It get's them out. That way, you know, there's a lot of talent in this county and it gets them all out and involved.
So people should bring canned food items.
Guy: Yes, last year we had about 600 lbs brought, which was about ½ of a truck load which is really nice. Throughout the day people come and go. Some people come to see just one band, I don't care, bring it all, come and go. It's all good. It's all good for the cause.
How many people came last year?
Guy: Last year we had about 250 people give or take. It wasn't all at one shot. About 75 people per band, I'd guess. It was a pretty good crowd I thought.
Guy: Now my drummer, he hangs out and works over in San Andreas and he wants to put one on over there because S.A. has a food bank as well. Who knows, we might, but we're gonna call that one "Jammin' for Famine" instead of "Can You Dig It."
Tell me a little about your band [Electra Road], when did you start it?
Guy: This band has been in the making for nine years. My singer and I (she grew up here too), well, we've been through about 15 drummers and nine bass players and a couple keyboard players because people's lives change and needs and desires and wants and everything like that changes. So it's been a long time coming. Tina and I have been writing music together for about nine years.
Why did you decide to change your band's name? [Electra Road used to be Iron Angel]
Guy: Because we had so many people shuffling through the Iron Angel, I felt like maybe a change was due for the name. I mean it wasn't like, "Ok, it's Guy and Tina's band and they're just calling it Iron Angel" so I thought, "well, Electra Road kind of gives us the homeboy feel because it's the party road. It's where we all cut school and went down there and drank beer in High School and all the bad stuff we did and good memories. Everybody up here has good memories on Electra Road."
Guy: People in Sacramento go "Elect-road? What's that?" and I'm all "Never mind."
What do you think is going to happen with the local music scene here [in Amador County]?
Guy: Well, I'd love to see more but actually right now it's starting to pick up. We have five venues to play here in the county [Amador] right now. Which is amazing. For the past four years it's been one place in Jackson to go see live music and now we have more of an option which is great. It's also great for the musicians around here. And you know, it's a small place, what are you going to do? I'd love to open up my own place but then it'd be my band playing every weekend.
[Chuckles]
Guy: I would love to see more Thursday night stuff . . . Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday stuff. It's just usually Friday and Saturday nights which is still good because most people work Monday through Friday.
Interviewer: Yeah, I even said to Dave [of Pueblo Rooftop] about a week ago, "you know what would be cool is if all the musicians up here could get together and buy a place and then they could all take turns running it and volunteer their time on certain nights and then all the bands could play there or at least everybody's who's contributing. But I don't even how to organize something like that. It'd just be really cool.
Guy: Well what would be really cool is if I could sell a million records first and then just be independently wealthy because then I would do that. I would! And I wouldn't worry about any losses, I'd just go for it.
Guy: Like at Top Heavy [bar below Martell Station] ... there's a hunger for [live music]. There's no nightlife here. Unfortunately the police do kind of put a damper on things but people have to be a little more responsible. You know, don't be drunk fools. Go out and have a couple of drinks and have fun – don't be stupid, so it's their own fault.
Interviewer: Yes, I agree. Thank you, Guy, for participating and we'll see you on the 15th.
Contact:
www.electraroad.com for more information or call Guy at 223-5006 before 9 p.m.
