April 27, 2005
Real rock 'n' roll fixtures
Band practices music inside plumbing and heating showroom after hours
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
There are garage bands and basements bands, sometimes even living room bands.
However, three area musicians have broken new ground by forming a showroom band.
Craig Knopf, Jason Rehahn and Chris Newell are members of a band lightly titled Men in Jane. They meet every Wednesday evening at Walters and Hemming, a plumbing and heating service, setting up electric guitars, amps, microphones and a full drum set in the Front Street facility.
There, surrounded by a cafeteria of plumbing fixtures - including hot water heaters and vanities, toilets and bathtubs - they vibrate the showroom windows while covering a range of rock 'n' roll tunes. Their extensive repertoire features songs by Tom Petty, Seven Mary Three, Billy Joel, Marshall Tucker and Bryan Adams, to name a few.
For the past six months, band members have greatly appreciated making music in a heated venue. They play for three hours a week, often more if the spirit moves them, and are occasionally joined by other musician friends.
"At least we're not in somebody's basement annoying our neighbors," said Knopf, who plays guitar and sings with the band. "We're just a couple of guys who sit down and practice their hobby."
"That's the beauty of doing what we're doing: we don't have to play for anybody," he added.
Framed in the large-paned window, they usually set up their equipment to face into the store. Increasingly lit by the indoor lighting as the sun sets, drivers and other passerby can watch them jam, perhaps speculating on the unusual synergy of plumbing and rock 'n' roll.
"Sometimes, just for fun, we turn around - there's a lot more going on out there," said Rehahn, who also plays guitar and sings.
The warm showroom has barely enough floor space for their equipment, which is as much as any bar band might have. They weave their wires, amps and microphone stands around the various fixtures. The drum set gets prominent billing in front of the main window, between water heaters and a bathtub.
Rehahn said the regular gig has prompted him to boost his inventory of guitars and sound equipment.
"I like to do this so much I just keep buying stuff," he noted.
Previously the three played after hours in the auto body shop of a buddy, losing that space after the friend remodeled. Last fall, Bill Hemming offered his showroom as well as space upstairs to store their equipment between sessions.
"They just needed a place so here it is," said Hemming, who often stops by to listen for a while. "It's warm in here and away from the families and neighbors."
Members of Men in Jane have also performed at friends' parties and family events, with one memorable concert given in a horse pasture.
But the Walters and Hemming store, where both Knopf and Rehahn work by day, has more going for it than central heat.
"It's the best acoustics we've had yet," said Knopf, who has also played at area open mic events a few times.
The band began when Knopf and high school pal Rehahn, both 1990 graduates of Traverse City Senior High School, started playing acoustic music together a few years ago. They met Newell, a drummer who goes by the nickname Newlie, at Rehahn's wife's family reunion. Something clicked and they began their weekly concerts.
"What are you going to do, go home and watch TV, 130 channels of crud," noted Newlie, an area contractor who taught himself to play the drums 11 years ago.
All of the band members are self-taught on their instruments and none can read music. Nevertheless, they are devoted to their craft and take it seriously. They will playfully banter about 'butchering' a song before nailing it or, if they mess something up, work together to get back on track.
"It usually varies from week to week, some weeks we do great and others we suck," observed Rehahn. "Seems to be about every other week."