In New Mexico, apparently, there are long stretches of highway the state has deemed safety zones — lowering the speed limit to 45 mph for the safety of the people. For a band in a van, making its way to Denver from Austin for the first tour stop of a monthlong outing, these safety zones are bothersome at best.

Five hours from the Mile High City, as the band was trying its best to adhere to New Mexico’s safety zone speed limit, I spoke with Grand Champeen this week — or more accurately, to one of the band’s two singers and guitarist, Channing Lewis. Grand Champeen will arrive in Tacoma on Sunday, April 22, for a show at Hell’s Kitchen with the Lund Brothers, Never Quiet Never Still, Glossary, and the Beltholes.

“New Mexico is a joke,” cracks Lewis, obviously aggravated by the affect these safety zones are having on the band’s progress.

“Last time we went through New Mexico we ignored (the safety zones), and got a ticket. This time we’re trying to avoid that.”

Grand Champeen has traveled these roads before, and it only makes sense that they’ve learned from experience. A poppy rock mix of guitars and harmonies — the occasional piano part thrown in for good measure — Grand Champeen has gone from playing in garages and making cassette tape recordings, to being in constant rotation on KEXP and embarking on nationwide tours — a life that’s taken 17 years to arrive at. 

“We’ve been a legitimate band for seven years now,” says Lewis.

“The first 10 years were just us f***ing around in a garage.”

It seems Grand Champeen’s time in the garage paid off. Sprouting from the fertile musical grounds of Austin, Texas, the band has long been known for its jaw-dropping live show, something that has cultivated a buzz reaching far beyond the Lone Star State. However, as in life, with every positive comes a negative, and the feeling within the band and among fans is Grand Champeen has failed (so far) to capture the infectious nature of its live show on record.

On March 13 Grand Champeen released Dial T for This, a record that’s won critical praise, and one the band hopes will finally dispel the idea that they’re better in person than on record. Mixing a few chunky guitar numbers with a Beach Boy-like affinity for catchy-as-all-hell songwriting, Dial T is one of the better records I’ve laid my hands (and ears) on this young year.

“We’re all happy with the way the record turned out. We came closer to realizing our vision of what we wanted it to be than ever before. This is the first album we’ve ever made that, this far into it, I still think it’s pretty good,” offers Lewis.

“Usually by the time a record hits the stores, you’re kind of over it. I still have a little bit of excitement about where this one is taking us.

“I think we’ve all been a little disappointed with our records in the past, but we’ve always recorded ourselves, so that’s on us. We worked a lot harder to get tighter performances on this record. We wanted to incorporate a wider array of arrangements. It made for a more diverse record, more subtlety, and more variety.”

There’s no doubt Dial T is a good record. Songs such as the chunky, fuzzed out “Can I See You Again,” and the road weary “Take Me Home” are fine examples. But, having never seen Grand Champeen in all its live glory, I can’t accurately assess whether or not the record captures the band’s stage swagger, and whether Dial T will help erase the notion that Grand Champeen doesn’t have what it takes in the studio.

Lewis is optimistic.

“I think we’ve had a reputation for being a better live band, one of those things where people always say, the record is OK, but you’ve got to see them live,” says Lewis.

“I hope this new one breaks that.”

Like I said, as of right now, I’ve never seen Grand Champeen live, so I really can’t tell you whether the recordings capture the band’s essence. What I can tell you is Dial T for This is one hell of a record, and if it doesn’t do justice to what these Austinites do on stage and plugged in, well, their show at Hell’s Kitchen on Sunday, April 22 is going to be even better than I initially suspected.

Check back with me after the show for a definitive answer. 

Grand Champeen

With: Never Quiet Never Still, The Beltholes, Glossary, The Lund Bros.

When: Sunday, April 22, 5 p.m., all ages

Where: Hell’s Kitchen, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, www.hells kitchenonline.com

Cost: $6   

4/20 Show

It’s Four-Twenty time again, and naturally, I feel compelled to offer my two cents on all the goofiness that comes along with it.

First of all, I smoke herbal jazz cigarettes. I have for as long as I can remember. Then again, I can’t really remember much anymore. I have very few fond recollections that don’t start with, “___ and I smoked, like, five herbal jazz cigarettes, and then…”

That’s all fine and dandy as far as I’m concerned. I don’t much care what you do, and I certainly don’t give a rat’s ass about how you feel about what I do. That’s just how I roll.

But, I don’t need some contrived “holiday” to celebrate smoking herbal jazz cigarettes.It’s effing ridiculous. It makes you look stupid. If you mark four-twenty on your calendar every year, and get all excited about how many jazz cigarettes you’re going to consume on said day, well, you’ve probably smoked too many.

Something far more exciting than the prospect of countless jazz cigarettes on Friday, April 20 is the F***ing Eagles, Girl Trouble, Ape City R&B, and Gold Teeth show at Hell’s Kitchen. I can’t possibly think of a more pure rock and roll scene than the one that will no doubt spontaneously combust when K.P. Kendall of Girl Trouble, Chris Trashcan of Gold Teeth, and every single freakin’ member of the F**ing Eagles take over the Kitchen. 

Trust me, it’ll be far better than devoting the day to herbal jazz cigarettes. Think about it — don’t you already do enough of that?



[Hell’s Kitchen, Friday, April 20, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

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