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ONLINE ONLY SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE 10 Years Gone…More To Come by Ernie Thomas
While that may sound harsh, Alexakis insists that the parting was a long time coming and was best for all involved. He also stressed the point that Craig and Greg were not original members, even though they had both been along for most of the band’s ride from total obscurity to fame. “I made a conscious choice about a year and a half ago that I wasn’t really happy where the music was,” said Alexakis of how the change in line-up came about. “[Our album] Slow Motion Daydream was about to come out and it wasn’t where I wanted to be with the sound. I wanted to spend more time writing and producing. As far as Everclear’s music, I wanted a more mature sound, a more singer/songwriter aspect. I still wanted it to rock, just not as bombastically. I wanted more textures, so I wanted a full time keyboard player and I wanted to bring in a killer lead guitar player with a background in blues, rock and all sorts of stuff to broaden the sound.” Everclear’s long time rhythm section evidently did not share the vision of the group’s singer/songwriter/vocalist/guitarist. “I talked to them about it and they wanted to just go on and do other things. By the end of the last tour, we kind of got fed up with each other and we were clearing moving in different directions. They came to me and said, ‘We don’t want to make the next record and be in Everclear anymore,’ and I said, ‘That’s good, because you saved me from a very ugly confrontation, thank you!’ So it really did work out well for both sides, because we both came to the same decision at the same time. It was just time to move on.” The guitarist/vocalist has capable new backing for what will be a very short run of live dates behind the newly released decade-spanning hits collection, Ten Years Gone: The Best Of Everclear 1994-2004. The anthology set consists of 21 songs from the earliest album to their last, plus two soundtrack numbers –– “Local God” (from “Romeo & Juliet”) and their cover of Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” (from “Detroit Rock City”). “We’re not spending too much time going down memory lane. We’re doing maybe a month or so of dates,” said Alexakis. “There might be a week or two there in January where we go overseas for a few shows, but when we get back, we’ll start working full time rehearsing the songs for the new record.” Alexakis has already penned 18 possible candidates for the next band recording. He assures older fans not to worry about the line-up changes and his newly skewed musical vision. “When you hear it, you will ‘get it’,” he promised. “It’s pretty amazing and these songs are pretty amazing.” The artist predicts the new and improved Everclear will be in the recording studio tracking his new songs by late winter/early fall. As with past Everclear songs, Alexakis looks to his own life’s experiences as a source of inspiration. “Like everyone, I have gone through a lot and there is so much to draw from when you realize that we all share many common experiences in our lives,” he said. “I’ve just gotten asked to do a movie that I’ve been wanting to do. To act and actually do the soundtrack music. I had planned to start the new [Everclear] album in February, but I may now have to bump back recording until late March.” Alexakis has been acting sporadically throughout Everclear’s musical run, mostly in little indie film projects and doing the occasional pop up cameo on television. “It’s all a means to the end,” he said, noting that his passion for the arts runs much deeper than just rock ‘n’ roll. “I have written [screenplays], but I want to direct now. That is next for me. I plan to direct my own movie this summer here in Portland. It’s called ‘Amy In Love’ and it’s something I’ve been working on and talking about for years.”
Alexakis described his own
film project as being “a dark, sexual comedy involving people that are
friends who live within this big apartment building.” He estimates a
ballpark budget of a half million dollars for the project. “It’s pretty
dark and edgy, but it’s really funny.” The Oregon rocker is excited about coming back to Chicago. “I love Chicago and the people there,” he said, as the conversation turned to his last visit to the Windy City. Alexakis was in the midst of his 2002 “An Evening with Art” solo tour and his House Of Blues performance was one with a cracking and sometimes off key voice due to a swollen throat, and a fever of 103 degrees. This writer was at that concert and while not at his musical best, Alexakis’ “the show must go on” attitude and his passionate determination to not disappoint, won out in the end. Judging from the sold out show’s audience staying elbow to elbow to the end and all the positive comments and conversation overheard as they poured out the doors, the artist impressed most with his chutzpa, along with his performance. “I was soooo sick that night I thought I was gonna die,” sighed Alexakis when the show was mentioned. “I thank you for the nice comments, because I will never forget that night in Chicago. I think about it often. I didn’t want to tell everyone to go home, so I just went out and did my very best. But I’ll tell you, I got back to the hotel, rubbed that mentholated goo all over my body and just collapsed.” Alexakis is determined to equally memorable for both himself and his loyal fan base here, but not for the same reason. “I’m feeling great and I’m ready to have a great time with all the great music fans of Chicago,” he concluded. EVERCLEAR will perform @ 9:00 p.m. November __ at Chicago’s House Of Blues |
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