Volume CXXXIII, Number 18 March 1, 2002 f

A chat with the LP's
JULIE THOMPSON
STAFF WRITER

Julie Thompson

l-r: Steve Kemper '03, Nick Mian '02, Dave Mortimer '05, and Marshall Escamilla '02. (Henry Coppola, Bowdoin Orient)

In recent months, live music on Bowdoin's campus in the form of student bands has experienced renewed exposure and success. The backdrop for this success, however, lies in the experience of relatively long-lived groups such as the LP's and their dedication to live music. The LP's, an experimental funk-rock band now entering their fourth year of playing together, have gone through several changes in their history, ranging from instrumental orientation to group members. Their sound, created by the talented foursome of Marshall Escamilla '02, Nick Mian '02, Steve Kemper '03, and Dave Mortimer '05, is now a blend of many influences.

Orient: So how long have you guys all been performing together?
Marshall: Well, Nick and I have been since March of '99…
Steve: Let the record show that Dave wasn't even born yet.
Dave: Hey.
SK: Whereas I was still in high school.
Nick: Marshall and Steve and I have been playing together since…
ME: About this time last year.
NM: But we never stopped. We played all summer.
O: So who plays what instrument?
DM: Nick plays drums. I play the saxophone.
ME: I play guitar and bass.
SK: And I play guitar and bass.
O: So does anyone sing, or is it just instrumental?
ME: I sing.
SK: I sang once. It wasn't pretty. Let's never speak of it again.
Marshall: Okay.
O: Okay, so how would you describe the type of music you play?
ME: Well, we put "experimental funk" on our posters.
NM: That sounds like a pretty good description.
SK: Yeah, I think that's fair. We play some rock; we try to stay away from straight-up rock.
ME: I think we also try to stay away from straight-up funk a little bit.
DM: We try to stay away from straight-up everything.
(general agreement)
ME: The less straight-up, the better.
O: So who are your biggest influences?
SK: I sort of recently have gotten involved with experimental twentieth-century music, and have been influenced by Jon Cage[and others]. But I started playing guitar to the tunes of Metallica, and that's probably where most of my influence came from. Oh, and jazz. I like jazz.
ME: My roots were in surf instrumentals, so I learned how to play a lot of songs from the fifties.
DM: I don't really have any influences.
SK: Dave, come on.
NM: Sixties funk?
DM: Ok, jazz fusion. John Coltrane.
SK: Miles Davis.
NM: Herbie Hancock.
ME: Psychedelic rock.
NM: I would say my roots are in the blues, though.
DM: My roots are in the blues as well. Just 'cause it's easiest. It's the first thing you learn.
O: So when did you all start playing your instruments?
SK: I started playing guitar when I was in ninth grade.
NM: I started playing drums in ninth grade.
DM: I started playing the saxophone-
SK: Last week.
DM: In fourth grade, actually.
ME: I started playing the guitar in the summer before third grade.
DM: Marshall wins.
SK: Point to Marshall.
O: So what are you guys going to do next year when Nick and Marshall leave?
ME: Be in a band.
NM: We'll still be gigging in Portland, even though two of us will have graduated.
We'll probably be living in Portland.
SK: Let's just say, we're cutting off the "loose ends."
O: Any final remarks to leave readers with?
NM: Come see us.
SK: We'll make it worth your while.
ME: Free beer for everyone at Geno's?
SK: If we got everyone who comes a beer, we still come out with two bucks a head.
ME: So we'd get them Pabst Blue Ribbon?