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Time Machine has taken on many lineup and style changes over the years but have developed into one of Dayton’s hardest working live bands. Playing strictly covers they have proven that it is possible to run a band like a business and provide it's members with a good living. Every member has their own outside outlets to satisfy their creative urges but stress that attending a Time Machine show is nothing less than a great time. The band prides itself on it’s ability to give a memorable performance to it’s fans and not only perform the songs well but add their own charge of energy to the mix. Check out 2007’s first 10 questions with Time Machine...
1. How long has the band been together and what is your current lineup?
TM: The band was formed in the 80's by “Big Mike” Parker and his sons, and has been working constantly, 2 to 5 nights per week, since then. There are no original members left and over the years the band has had many different members and directions. The current lineup , in the order they joined the band, starting in 1996 is Carmen Clouse, lead guitar & lead vocals; Steve Butts, bass & lead vocals; Brian Harris, drums and Russ Sowers, guitar & lead vocals.
2. How would you describe your group’s style? What are the bands collective influences?
TM: We play dance/rock covers from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today. We don't try to sound "just like the record"- we try to sound better. We take a top 40 song that will fill the dance floor and boost the vox, instrumental arrangement and the solos with a little "higher octane". You can expect to hear anything from Zeppelin, and Molly Hatchet, and Wild Cherry, Van Halen, Green Day, and Tantric….and then some!
The band has a wide variety of influences - jazz, fusion, rock, southern rock to death metal. After all, there are really only 2 kinds of music, good and bad.
3. What is the bands songwriting process? Is there a main writer or is it a group effort? Explain?
TM: TM is strictly a cover band, we have to be. We play many shows per month (15 to 20) within a 50 mile radius of Dayton and have to worry about "ringing the cash register", filling the room and pleasing a large and very diverse group of people, not just our most loyal fans. This excludes doing originals. Individually we are all in other bands which write and record original material to keep us fulfilled artistically.
4. What are your current goals as a band? (Working on CD, Booking, Tour, etc.)
TM: Our goal is and always has been, to maintain our busy show schedule, always do top quality performances, keep attracting new fans, continue to have fun and make a living doing what we love to do - making live music.
5. What goals have you set for yourself in the past that you have or have not achieved and why?
TM: Over the past year we have tried to set aside time to rehearse, just a couple times per month, we still have not achieved this. Between our 4 members we are involved separately with no less than 10 other live performance or recording groups. Combined with our family lives, it has made it impossible to find time to rehearse. This means we have to add any new material “on the fly" at the gig, usually having them tight the next time we play them. So we have to sacrifice our normal precision and rely on who ever knows the song the best to be the "band director", until we have it down.
6. What Dayton clubs would we be able to see you perform?
TM: Every Wednesday night we play at WINGS from 10-2. WINGS is located just north of the Benchwood/Wyse Rd. exit on Dixie Dr. And every Thursday night we play at LILY’S from 9-1. LILY’S is located on Poe Ave. just north of Little York Rd. LILY’S is the old Red Lobster building, next to Howard Johnson.
Fridays and Saturdays we move all around the area at clubs like Stubbies, Upper Deck, Taylorsville Tavern etc.
7. Do you have many out of town shows? Where?
TM: Not too many, we mainly stay in the Dayton area with a few exceptions ie: Cleveland, Grand Lake St. Mary’s (the Bayview ) etc.
8. Give us some details on one of your most memorable moments as a band? Good or Bad.
TM: As this version of TM has played 100's of jobs together, there are many memorable moments. Most of the good ones involved Rumpleminze, no equipment failures and great crowds. A recent bad memory involved an unnamed "lowlife" club-owner who wasn't used to paying the kind of money we get, as most of the bands he books play cheap and take very short breaks. So to have a reason to justify cutting our pay, he set his cell phone timer to document our "extra long" break. The problem was that 2 of us saw him do it, 12 minutes before the break started. Oh well, no matter how long you are in the music business you still run into this kind of crap every now and then. He probably did us a favor by removing himself from our schedule anyway as his club is the biggest "armpit" in Piqua.
9. What advice would you give someone that is just starting to play the Dayton scene?
TM: Learn your instrument well before going out and playing. Otherwise if you play it half-assed, then you will look like an ass. We’re not trying to sound mean, just giving it straight, without sugar-coating it!
Also don’t go out and play shows for free, especially if you are a cover band. People will flock to hear music they love (covers) and that brings the money in for the bars/clubs, which without the band playing their club that night, they wouldn’t be pulling in that kind of money that night. So remember all the hard work you put into learning your instrument, the hard work in learning all the songs that make up your set lists, and if you are a great band, then you should be paid well, period. We’ve all paid our dues, been there done that play for nothing, and even “pay to play” crap. I’m not trying to sound egotistical, but if we’re going to lug all our gear to a club, give 100% by playing our asses off, we must be compensated well for it. Yet, there is NO club out there paying what we feel good bands SHOULD be paid.
10. Who are some of your favorite Dayton bands?
TM: We are always playing and can’t get out to see other bands, but I must plug Carmen and Russ’ acoustic band “3AM” which play WINGS on Monday nights. There are however, a lot of great bands in the area, and if we had the time, we’d be out there supporting them as well.
Thanks for the interview, we hope that through this, we can acquire new fans that haven’t heard of us or at least been out to see us yet.
Interview By: Jeremy Knedler
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I recemntly had the opportunity to hear this band, and they should take their
