Area staple Calliope and East Lansing up-and-comer Adam’s Castle will be playing at Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing Friday night, but you may be surprised by what you hear.
Both bands have been working on new music, and fans may get a sneak preview tonight.
Jason Lantrip, Calliope’s guitarist, said the band is currently working on its fourth album, which will be released this fall. He said they plan to perform some of their new songs tonight.
“We’re going to be debuting new music at Mac’s” Lantrip said. “A good bulk of the rest of our set will come from our most recent album ‘Organics.’”
Lantrip said Calliope, which has been on Chicago’s Thick Records since 1995, has taken a different approach to their latest album.
“We’re constantly exploring with flavors of jazz and other forms of music,” Lantrip said. “And the new album will have more song songs than we’ve done in the past, but with the usual Calliope slant on it.”
Lantrip said he’s looking forward to playing at Mac’s Bar because it’s the type of place that caters to his band’s style.
“It’s small and weird, but it’s the best place around,” Lantrip said. “We’ve been playing there for a few years, and we were lucky to get in early.”
Also performing is Adam’s Castle. The band was formed in East Lansing more than two years ago and has since been playing throughout Michigan.
Adam’s Castle pianist Sami Jano said his band will also be debuting new music at Mac’s, much of which has been written in the four months since the band last played in the area.
“We’ve been playing in Detroit at the Magic Stick and the Detroit Contemporary,” Jano said. “I think we’ll probably begin playing more regularly at Mac’s if the show goes as well as we expect.”
Jano said Mac’s Bar is extremely supportive of original and independent bands, and he thinks Adam’s Castle will fit in well.
“It’s a cool place because it’s totally different,” Jano said. “It’s going to be a really live show.
“There will be a ton of people, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Matt Ellison, who is both the general manager at Mac’s Bar and the drummer for Calliope, said he also expects the show to go well.
“I think it’s going to be great,” he said. “I think we’re are going to be really well received.”
Ellison said his affiliation with the bar didn’t factor into the band’s decision to play there as much some might think.
“This is just a great place for independent music,” Ellison said. “Mac’s treats all their bands great and that’s really important to us.
“It’s a great bar and it’s close to home, and that’s why we play here.”
