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"Go Bazaar: HEADing Into Another Summer"
Brian Lennon - Follow up to Weekender Cover Spot
The Weekender — June 6, 2001
40 lb. Head's performances at local Bazaars, bassist Brian Egenski says ar "the easiest job in the world." "The people take really good care of us," Egenski said. "It's really fun and tah allows us to have fun."
Performing all across Northeastern Pennsylvania for the past five years, 40 Lb. Head will play the Nanticoke Music Fest Sunday.
Egenski said the band - which includes himself, brothers Jason on lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica, tamborine, Steve on lead guitar, vocals and Mike Zubritski on drums - enjoys entertaining the festival crowd because of the range of the crowd's ages.
"The biggest, I think, is you have the under 21 crowd." Egenski said, "the kids they're just more uninhibited and out to have fun."
The all-ages shows do call for some changes to the band's show, Egenski admitted. "we tone it down a bit. It's more rated G."
The end result, however, is always the same.
"People always seem to have fun with us," Egenski says, "and that's what we're all about."
And just as people get a rush seeing and hearing live music, 40 lb. Head gets a thrill performing for crowds that number in the thousands.
"We're noting without our fans," he said "To Some people it might sound like a cliche, but it makes it very easy when you have so many people out there supporting you."
At one venue, 40 Lb. Head played for 10,000 people - an experience Egenski said the band won't soon forget. "It's just unbelievable to look out and see that," he said. "It's a great feeleing."
If the weather is nice Egenski said it's another bonus. The outside venues also offer the opportunity to perform in a smoke-free enviroment, which makes the job of Jason Egenski, the lead vocalist, that much easier.
With two CD's of origianl material already to it's credit, 40 Lb. Head plays a mix of original as well as cover songs. "We play as many originals as we can get away with," Brian said.
He added NEPA is the band's major selling area and that they usually receive a number of requests for its origianl music at local bazaars. "It's all shooting from the hip," Brian said of the content of the band's shows. "We don't want to totally bombard people with originals."
As for what cover songs people can expect to hear from 40 Lb. Head, Brian said, they play a little bit of everthing. "Except disco or country."
Classic rock, punk, '80's and modern rock songs all appear on the 40 Lb. Head playlist.
40 lb. Head will return to the studio the studio this fall to record its third CD of origianl tunes, according to Egenski. "It should be out by the spring," Egenski said.
Q: Your one of the officail Bazzar bands in NEPA. How amny bazaars or fairs are you gracing your presence with this summer?
A: Approximately 15 this year (typically everywhere Flaxy Morgan will be - some great friends of ours). Check www.40lbhead.com for show dates and times.
Q: What are your favorite songs to play that get bazaar crowds moving?
A: You know... the ones that get bazaar crowds MOVING!!!. Really though, the kids and their parents alike are diggin' the pop-punk of today, and lucky for us MOM made a bunch of punks.
Q: You're all going to be pretty busy travelling between Ocean City and all of the local picinics. What are you going to do when you finally get some time to breathe?
A: We love doing anything outdoors - biking, camping, rock-climbing, skydiving, kayaking, you get the picture. But we'll probably spend our free time taking care of loose ends with out business, family, homes, etc.
Q: Who were you in a past life?
A: Jason - Elvis Presley
Steve - Abraham Lincoln
Brian - Sitting Bull
Mike - Charlie Chaplin
Q: What's your favorite bazaar food?
A: BEER
Q: What are the band members' brews of choice?
A: Corona & Beck's dark.
Q: What are the band members day jobs?
A: J, Steve & Bri are enviro-geeks and Z is a teacher-geek.
Q: Tell us about the Ocean City, MD contest you're entered in.
A: 93.5 "The Beach" set up a battle of the unsigned bands contest. We won the first round (THANKS EVERYONE FOR VOTING !!!). The second round will be announced soon.
Q: With all the, shall we say, "older women" who show up at what seems like every picnic, has there been any 40 Lb. Head "granny groupies"?
A: Groupies? ...OH! you mean "band-aids." You're only as old as you feel!
Q: Since you're so used to playing for bar scene crowds, how do you manage to please the "older" crowds who frequent bazaars and fairs?
A: We've got a wide range of cover music that hits all age groups. When we started performing we were primarily classic rock, so we've got the modern "stuff" of today and some closet classics, some one hit wonders, cheesy 80's, etc.