“Singin’ the Blues Traveler blues: 5 Qs for bassist Tad Kinchla”
Exclusive Interview by Michael Aaron Gallagher
In 1994, the album “Four” by Blues Traveler joined the ranks the most original and influential records of the ‘90s. The band’s single “Run Around” reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and not only won a Grammy Award the following year, but VH1 ranked it #76 in the 100 Greatest Songs of the ‘90s.
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler performed a concert on Aug. 29, 2010 on the Chevy Court stage at the New York State Fair. I had a chance to ask bassist Tad Kinchla about the band’s music and their show before I photographed their concert.
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “Have you spent any time in Central New York before?”
Tad Kinchla: “Yes, lots of time. We’ve played several places in upstate New York. It’s beautiful up there. Especially in the summer. We played outside the Saranac Brewery in Utica last June. Really fun.”
Tad Kinchla, bassist for Blues Traveler. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher of StayFamous.Net. All rights reserved.
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “What can fans expect from your show at the New York State Fair? And are there any surprises in store?”
Tad Kinchla: “We tend to play different sets every night. It keeps us all fresh. We try to play at least one song from all our albums. There should be a good mix of new with the old. This year we’ve brought out a few new cover songs as well. We’re looking forward to playing the New York State Fair.”
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “What’s your favorite song to perform this year?”
Tad Kinchla: “‘How You Remember It’ seems to be in heavy rotation. It’s got a pretty heavy bridge riff that we all seem to like to dig into. It’s not as frantic as some of our other longer jams. We’ll most likely play it if it’s my set at the New York State Fair.
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “How do you think you’ve changed as performers over the years?”
Tad Kinchla: “I think we’ve become better listeners. As you grow more comfortable playing with each other you end up playing less. That’s the great thing with music. Less is actually more. Getting better at listening allows for songs to grow with greater room to build. I think we all listen to each other more now.”
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “You encourage fans to record live concerts. Why is that so important to you?”
Tad Kinchla: “We really do encourage fans to tape. In the spirit of the Grateful Dead we feel that each show is a unique event. Fans should be able to bring that home with them and listen to it again. In addition, when taping was first around it was a great way to spread our music to college kids. Not having money, college kids could tape each others bootlegs for free and exchange them for other bands. It was a great tool in getting our music spread around before we had record contracts.”
“Singin’ the Blues Traveler blues: 5 Qs for bassist Tad Kinchla”
Copyright 2010 by Michael Aaron Gallagher
Article also published in the Aug./Sept. 2010 issue of Max magazine
(Published by the Scotsman Media Group)
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