by Ernie Thomas
Not too many bands can cite Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton
Manning among their fans, but Crown Point’s pop/rock quartet The Same
Difference have had the NFL star in their dressing room congratulating them
on their show.
“That happened at a gig in Indianapolis,” said Mike Malaski, the group’s
guitarist/lead singer and songwriter. “Most of our shows are in Bloomington,
Muncie, Indy and places like that,” he said. “We do a ton of college shows.”
Together two years, the group consists of Malaski, a Crown Point high
school teacher and three former CPHS students – Brian Price (lead guitar),
Russ St. Myers (bass) and Brian Giacomin (drums) – who first came together to
showcase songs Malaski had written and to raise money for a CPHS fundraiser.
“I played (in a band) in college and my wife has always encouraged my
music and pushed me along,” he said. “It was kind of a novelty at first, a
teacher and three students in a rock band, but the guys are all in college
now and we’ve gotten serious about this,” said Malaski.
They recently bought a huge sound system and a custom-painted trailer to
haul it, along with dropping big bucks to record a ten-song CD of original
songs at Speak Easy Productions, a Bloomington studio partially owned by the
John Mellencamp band.
“It was produced by Dave Cocalis, who’s produced The Why Store,” said
Malaski. “We spared no expense. It will have a booklet of lyrics to all the
songs inside.” The CD is now available and can be found sold at the band’s
website, at live shows and in some of the Midwest’s independent record shops.
Their popularity on the college circuit recently grabbed the attention
of Tommy Boy Entertainment, who signed the group to a management deal in the
spring of 2001.
“They’re getting us a lot of great shows and plan to showcase us at the
next ‘South X Southwest’ (music conference) in Austin,” said Malaski.
Malaski’s lifelong hopes to step up to the big leagues just may happen
one day soon, given the fast track the band has been on in the last year.
“A lot of people call us alternative, but we’re just a basic rock ‘n’
roll band,” he said. “We’re just a bass, guitar and drum band who write
songs with a lot of hooks, melody and (vocal) harmony.”
Along with the twenty-plus original songs currently in their live in
their repertoire, the group slips in covers by the likes of REM, Cheap Trick
and even Steely Dan. “Since we have to do covers in clubs, we look for songs
that other bands don’t or can’t do,” he said, citing the example of “Build
My Up Buttercup,” a forgotten ‘60s pop nugget by The Foundations.
Kept busy in Central Indiana (where they have a weekly Thursday gig)
and jamming at colleges in Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan,
the band have not had time to develop a hometown following.
“We only play at home about once a month if that,” said Malaski. “But
that’s okay, because when we do play locally it’s usually something of a big
deal and lots of people tend to come out.”
Malaski hopes the band can release a live CD after the first of the
year. “I’d really like to tape some of our college shows, because of the
tremendous energy at those shows,” he said. “That’s when we’re at our best
– live!”