October 16, 2002

CHS graduate brings 'rock and soul' music back home

Levi Britton performs with his Chicago band, Down the Line, at two Central High School shows

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       With a packed house of screaming teenagers hanging on every note, Levi Britton received an enthusiastic welcome at his alma mater.
      The 1998 graduate of Traverse City Central High School was in town last weekend with members of his band, Down the Line, to play two shows at the school. As their band achieves recognition and success in Chicago, where members currently live, playing for such a receptive audience Friday afternoon and evening was invigorating.
      "The concert Friday evening was great, a great turnout," Britton said. "To have them screaming at you like that, the crowds in Chicago do not do that. The high school kids here are so passionate about music it really fills you up with energy to be there and hear them."
      Earlier this year, Britton called his former choral teacher, Jeff Cobb, and offered to play for the students and talk to them about the music business. Cobb was pleased at the chance to showcase a possible music career for his choir students.
      "I knew that Levi was encountering quite a bit of success in Chicago," said Cobb, choral director for Central High School. "Earlier on Friday, they gave an informance to the kids about what they do and what it took to get where they are."
      "They've got some pretty clearly defined goals and the kind of determination it takes to succeed," he noted. "Whenever one of our music grads is doing something like that, it is neat to show them off a bit, give our present students inspiration."
      Besides Britton, Down the Line members include Dan Myers on mandolin and harmonica, Dave Rothkopf on bass guitar and Derek Fawcett on djembe drum. They released their CD "Welcome to Flavortown" a month ago and have sold between 500-600 discs so far.
      The band describes their sound as acoustic rock and soul, with a distinctive sound of the mandolin and djembe drum. They each write lyrics and music, Britton and Myers occasionally collaborating on a tune. Britton describes the band's sound as lush because of the vocal depth and unusual instruments.
      "I feel privileged to be with these guys, they are such great singers," said Britton, noting that band members all have day jobs but plan to tour as much as possible around the Midwest in the next few months
      "People respond to the look and sound of the djembe drum and it is very unusual that we don't have a real drummer," he noted. "You look up there and see four guys playing these small instruments but there is a big sound."
      Down the Line won a battle of the bands on radio station WGN on October 2, a feather in their cap as a Chicago music critic dubbed them number one. This accolade gave Down the Line broad exposure - not to mention an incredible thrill.
      "Just to hear yourself on the radio, and WGN is a pretty big station, it was exuberant," Britton said. "We're just jumping up and down, got a tape in and went nuts. It was amazing."
      Britton, Myers and Fawcett draw on their vocal training to give the band melodic depth and their distinct sound. Britton came up through Traverse City Area Public Schools choir system while Myers and Fawcett are both jazz vocal majors from Western Michigan University. Britton said that his choral teachers, including Wendee Wolf-Schlarf at Traverse City East Junior High, Russ Larimer, now at West High School, and Cobb, helped spur him on musically.
      "Definitely all the choir teachers helped me, Mrs. Wolf-Schlarf is the one who got me started," Britton recalled.
      After hearing Down the Line, Cobb noted that Britton and the other members' vocal training and experience sets the band apart.
      "They've got really tight three-part harmonies going there," he said.
      Britton's musical career got a boost last year when he began playing in subway stations in Chicago. For six months, he serenaded travelers with his voice and guitar, situating himself at the Grand or Chicago stops on the Red Line. Britton made up to $30 an hour at times. This good fortune came, he noted, because his music stood out from many musicians who were obviously drunk or just getting money for drugs.
      "I came down there with all my heart and it was such an amazing thing to see people respond," said Britton, who landed his current job playing lunch music at an area restaurant after the manager saw him play in the subway station. "People say they appreciate me, that they come down in a bad mood and hear my music and feel better."
      "Just to hear that was bliss."