Photo courtesy of Brian Caerney.There is an official band website that features a neon eyeball advising visitors “$$$DON’T TRIP. JUST CLICK$$$” as it spins about the webpage. For those who decide to heed the instructions and “just click,” they will find more treats in store. There is a tattered turquoise Converse shoe with “punk” scribbled in blue marker on its side. The writing on the website is memorable as well — under the “What You Wanna Know?” section, the band recounts an unusual story: “One dude was like, ‘What kind of music are you guys?’ I replied, ‘In-N-Out Burger.’”
The refreshing creativity Bad Weather California bestows upon its webpage is even more apparent in its music.
Bad Weather California matters to ASU students right now for several reasons. First, the band has been touring through Tempe; earlier this week, it enlivened crowds at the Yucca Tap Room and is opening for the trendy Lumineers at the Marquee Theatre on Sept. 28.
Second, Bad Weather California matters to students because it is just plain good. The punk-based band emits warm vibes, as if its songs are routinely placed outside to bask in the summer sun. The song “Big Yellow Ball” from the band’s sophomore album, for instance, creates psychedelic charm by infusing vocal harmonies with distorted guitar riffs and a groovy bass line driving the whole song along. The band’s style is organic and original — a real treat amid a music culture dominated by fiscally concerned pop artists.
The State Press was able to speak with lead singer Chris Adolf in preparation for the band’s Marquee opening.
Bad Weather California has humble origins. Adolf grew up on his family’s tree farm out in the desert near the border of Colorado and Utah — out in the middle of nowhere.
“There was not a lot to do, not a lot of people to play (music) with so I just started, almost 20 years ago, messing with cassette four-track recorders, making songs. By the time I was 20 years old, I started booking shows in the next closest town and that was cool. From there I just met a lot of people and started touring around,” Adolf said.
While many people in the small-town atmosphere seemed to resort to taking hard drugs to pass the time and to chase popularity, the members of Bad Weather California used music as an outlet.
“I remember Tyler, who plays guitar with us ... we were just talking about this depression you feel watching everyone do the same thing day after day. It’s not like you don’t want to hang with the pretty girls, I mean we wanted to hang out with the pretty girls too and be cool too. Every kid growing up wants to be cool. But there was a depression in watching everyone just kind of year after year do the same thing.”
Adolf discovered a lot through skateboarding, as it helped him discover bands such as Sonic Youth, which helped enforce his musical passion.
“It’s like, ‘Oh wow, there’s a whole world of people that do this.’ You’re not alone. We aren’t the weirdos. There are people in this little town doing meth — they’re the weirdos. There are other people like us out there. It’s just, you dig, you know? You figure it out that there’s people like you everywhere,” Adolf said.
Things went uphill for the band from there. The lineup has changed over the years, but the small-town experience seems to have benefited the way the band approaches music: Bad Weather California genuinely values its loyal fans. They performed many house shows, in which anywhere from 15 to 50 people would eagerly soak in the band’s music.
“If I’m going to play with 15 people, I’m going to play with 15 people that care. When you play those house shows, those kids care. It’s more of a community — it’s the real deal, I like seeing it. They really care about it. When you play at bars sometimes, half the people just wander in, have a drink and ... ‘Hey look, there’s live music in the corner, whatever.’ Especially, too (for house shows), you have to earn it. Man, there’s something magical about showing up for house shows. They’re just excited you’re there, you know? Whoever booked it. It’s just more personal,” Adolf said.
The band continued performing at personal venues and earning loyal fans. In the words of Chris, “It just snowballed from there.”
Eventually Bad Weather California got a record label and put out its first album. It now has several albums out; being selected to tour with fellow Colorado band Lumineers is a testament to Bad Weather California’s growing and well-deserved popularity.
Adolf mentioned how the band has been admiring old buildings during its recent tour. The group stayed in a beautiful Victorian home.
“There’s something lasting in organic architecture, music, art, you know. Like, old buildings, in the old days it wasn’t all stop/go. You get one take. Looking back it’s old things that have inspired me, the quality of the old world. Some people have that in them. They like old things. I like to make music the old way,” Adolf said.
Bad Weather California matters. From the website, to its commendable approach to music, its creative style won’t go unnoticed.
Students attending the concert on Friday shouldn’t be surprised if they enter the Marquee as Lumineers fans and exit as Bad Weather California fans.
Reach the reporter at jconigli@asu.edu.
