Friday, March 29, 2024

The Living Blue brings indie-rock stylings to Mac's tonight

Singer times out to talk newfound popularity, success

November 28, 2005
The Living Blue plays Mac's Bar at 9 p.m. today. "Right now, we're kind of making a transition into a national band, which is what we want," says vocalist and guitarist Stephen Ucherek. Besides gaining exposure through touring, the band's music was recently featured on the WB drama "One Tree Hill." —

The Living Blue has been through a lot since Stephen Ucherek helped found the band in 1998 — two name changes, new band members, a new label, performing at the South by Southwest music festival, being featured on a show on The WB and touring with bands such as The Strokes and the New York Dolls.

Vocalist/guitarist Ucherek has been with the band since the beginning when they were first the Bloody Knuckles, then the Blackouts and now The Living Blue.


The State News: What has it been like to gain popularity and recognition in the past year or so although you've been part of the band for so many years?
Stephen Ucherek: It's been pretty fun, we're getting on bills as much as we can. We've been slowly building our empire of rock and roll. We had to get out there somehow and it's been a good thing.

SN: Why the name change in 2004 after you had already released two albums under the Blackouts?
SU: There was another band from Seattle called Blackouts and they had charted on CMJ. We had never heard of them, but there were also other current bands in San Pedro called Rolling Blackouts, Evening Blackouts. It became really unoriginal. Also, it seemed like a pretty good time to do it — new label, national record deal. Some people were like, "I didn't know you guys were the same band," but people who were really into the Blackouts can still follow along to what we're doing now.

SN: What else has changed with your new album?
SU: The music has differences from the last one. The spirit and stuff is pretty much the same, but the music is more raw, has more energy. It was recorded in five days and the last record took a couple of months. The songs all call for more energy.

SN: Do you have different expectations for the band than when you first started it?
SU: Right now, we're kind of making a transition into a national band, which is what we want. We want to head to Europe and Japan next. Most bands don't get an opportunity in the States first, so it's pretty cool that we get to work here first before going overseas. Our goals are just to tour like crazy and promote the hell out of this record. It really feels like us now.

SN: What was it like having your music featured on TV on The WB's "One Tree Hill?"
SU: The show's producer somehow got hold of our record because he liked songs from our label (Minty Fresh) before. He ended up using three songs in different episodes and the record was even in the script, which was pretty funny. We were all like, holy shit.

SN: Has forming a band and becoming a full-time musician always been your goal?
SU: Joe (Prokop, co-founder of the band) and I from day one thought this is what we wanted to do with our lives. At 18, everyone is like "whatever, dork." But we always thought if we made music honest to ourselves and put effort into it — blood, sweat, tears, all that stuff — everything else would just work out. For the past two years, we've been learning how to turn it into a career, that's what we want.

See The Living Blue live at Mac's Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., today. Doors open at 9 p.m. The cost is $5 for 21 and older and $7 for 18-20.

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