Engine 88 fueled by high-octane talent

Tuesday, March 4, 1997

MUSIC:

Close-knit band’s creativity appears in its latest CD, concert
hijinksBy Vanessa VanderZanden

Daily Bruin Contributor

Whether on the road or in the studio, Engine 88 manages to keep
its laid back, playful style. Today, they bring it to Westwood
Plaza for a noontime show. The band also brought it to the
recording of their latest release, "Snowman."

"We slept on floors of complete strangers," drummer Dave Hawkins
describes of the experience. "We had no idea whose houses we were
in. We were offered a room for a night and we ended up staying for
a month. They weren’t too pleased about it. They had guests and
everything."

Wherever they end up, their loud, high-energy music with a
melodic twist will surely woo dorm mates and apartment renters
alike. But sometimes their shows have been known to get a little
out of hand.

"We just got a glass thrown at us in concert," says lead singer
and guitarist Tom Barnes. "It was an eye opener, so to speak. It
was pretty intense. There were 500 people in the audience and next
thing you know a glass comes crashing on stage and we were all a
bit freaked out."

Still, that won’t keep the band from touring and sharing with
fans a bit of their wacky sense of fun. Last year alone kept Engine
88 on the road for roughly three months. This year, the group is
sure to make just as many appearances, starting with a truly unique
UCLA show.

"Fiddle Faddle for everybody," promises Hawkins. "We had a show
once where we threw Pop Rocks into the audience. We made everyone
get really quiet, and then had them put Pop Rocks into their open
mouths so we could see how loud 250 people’s mouths full of Pop
Rocks would be. We actually heard the Pop Rocks fizzling. It was
pretty cool. It was very pricey, so maybe no Fiddle Faddle."

Yet, despite this let down, the event will be worthwhile based
solely on musical talent. Three nights a week of rehearsal for
close to five years running has sharpened Engine 88’s sound, while
Barnes’ captivating lyrics have kept the music purposeful. The
content ranges from sleeping-pill junkies to sleazy lovers, so the
creation of the songs requires a sometimes mad creative
process.

"I take off all my clothes and sit out in the park in the middle
of the night," jokes Barnes. "No, sometimes a song will come one
word a week. Sometimes I’ll be going over the lyrics so many times
that I absolutely hate it, and I realize that I have to change the
whole structure of the line. But, the words for ‘Manclub’ were
written in 15 minutes at my kitchen table. Songs like ‘Cold
Blooded’ took, like, 30 pages in my little book and in two months I
still don’t feel like I got anywhere with it."

With influences as varied as Olivia Newton John and Jawbreaker,
Engine 88’s musical infusion reflects the differences between band
members. Yet, it remains the musicians’ similarities which have
kept the band together, touring at a break neck speed. On days off,
the group finds a chance to bond.

"We eat at Denny’s and go to Malibu Grand Prix and play at the
baseball batting cages," says Barnes.

"We’ll take on any band," jests Hawkins of their home-run
skills.

"Eric (Knight, bass guitarist) plays all the pinball he can
find. Dave bats balls around," clarifies Barnes. "I just sit and
mope in a corner, which is my favorite pasttime."

When not wreaking havoc at children’s entertainment centers or
touring, the members of Engine 88 work very adult jobs. Knight
makes his money at a publishing warehouse, while guitarist Damon
Wood doubles as waiter at a posh restaurant. Barnes inspects
asbestos as part of his environmental consulting work, and Hawkins
hopes to leave his music management firm once he opens a video
store. Regardless, all members agree that in Engine 88 rests their
true careers.

"We’re really quite tight," says Barnes.

"I think we’ve come a lot farther in this band than other bands
we’ve been in," backs up Hawkins. "I don’t think our previous bands
toured nearly as extensively as this, which I think is a very key
element to how a band gets along. We have our ups and downs, but I
think that’s one of our strengths. We have a real commitment to
working it out."

This sense of togetherness helps the group get through
adventurous evenings when on the road. Usually opting for a Motel
6, the band jokes of being able to afford Super 8 Motels sometime
in their future.

"We had one harrowing experience," describes Barnes. "We ended
up staying in this hotel-by-the-hour kind of place since we’d been
driving all night through Pennsylvania, trying to find a vacant
hotel. It was at the end of the runway of Newark airport. It was
funny because we had been watching gangster movies where there’s a
recurring theme that the end of the runway at Newark airport is
where you go to shoot people."

"We were shaking in our boots," vouches Hawkins.

MUSIC: Engine 88 play at noon today in Westwood Plaza. Their
latest release, "Snowman," is available on Caroline Records.

Joseph Cultice

Engine 88 bring high-energy music to Westwood Plaza today at
noon.