by Ernie Thomas
When you love music, you plug in and play whenever you can. At least
that is the rule of thumb for five region musicians whose various band
projects are so incestuously related that you almost need a scorecard to know
who is playing where, when and with whom.
Lead guitarist Gary G.W. Burks, bassist Mike Adamson, drummer Jon Escue
and rhythm guitarist Kevin “Dustin” Bones were known as Bone China until a
few months ago. That band, which did all original music, was put to rest
after encountering a revolving door problem with lead singers.
The four put together the oddly named musical entity, Tamallikca with
vocalist, Mike Reyna, just for kicks and for gigging on local jam nights.
“We loved doing the original music thing ” explained Bones, “but it’s
hard for an all original band to get shows in this area and we all love to
play and be on stage. So we put together this band to give us a chance to get
out and play a lot more.”
Last month, when his day gig transferred him to Indianapolis, Adamson
had to bid his band mates a fond adieu He has since been replaced by Eric
Frye (ex-Rising Jes).
“Tamallikca exists for only one reason, and that’s to have fun. It’s all
about having a good time,” declares Burks. “We all love to play. We’re all
the best of friends who hang out together and go bowling and stuff like that,
so it seemed only natural to play music together.”
While they do not turn down paychecks, money is not what motivates
Tamallicka, which despite popular belief is NOT a Metallica tribute band.
“It’s cool to have some extra pocket money, but that’s the last thing we
worry about,” said Burks of the band that now plays out 2-3 weekends a month.
“We only do one Metallica song,” laughs Reyna. “The name actually came
out of a night when Gary (Burks) and I were at his house making tamales and
we destroyed his kitchen. God it was a mess!”
“The stuff we do with this band is more contemporary and lighter,” adds
Burks. “With Tamallikca, anything goes if it feels good and is fun to play.”
So be advised not attend a Tamallikca show expecting to hear songs like
“Seek And Destroy” and “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” because what you will get
is mostly modern rock radio hits – Lit, Blink-182, Three Doors Down and
Creed. “We do a lot of Creed,” emphasized Bones.
“We do a couple of classic rock songs too,” adds Reyna, who previously
fronted the local classic rock cover band, Cargo. “That’s the kind of music
I’ve always done, but I’m getting used to this new stuff that these guys
make me sing. I have fun with it, as long as I can throw in a little Thin
Lizzy now and then.”
“This whole thing started when we were asked as Bone China to play in
a Fourth of July parade,” explained Escue. The original singer of Bone China
parted ways with the group shortly before the event, so they called up Reyna
to pinch hit. He joined them atop a flatbed truck in the parade and has never
left.
“When the parade people asked what our band’s name was and I just
blurted out, Tamallikca,” laughed Reyna. “I was just thinking of that crazy
night I was at Gary’s house making tamales. The name just stuck and here we
are today!”