New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
For this week’s Musician Spotlight, I had a chance to speak with Christy Alferes, of the band Abby Normal. Read on to find out what the lead singer of this great local band has to say about their music, playing shows in the New Bedford area, and the great name of their band.
So where did you come up with the name ‘Abby Normal?’
It came from my favorite movie, Young Frankenstein. People either get it right away, or have no clue.
Where do the members of Abby Normal come from?
Our guitar player, Jerome, and I are from Fairhaven. Our present drummer, Michael, is from Abington. Mike, our bass player, is from Swansea.
Where do you normally perform?
We don’t perform normally anywhere :). But seriously, we have played Knuckleheads, The Bayside Lounge, The Ice Chest, Playoffs Pub, The District, CabbyShack, TJ’s Grille & Bar…mostly the SouthCoast area. We have also performed at festivals, private parties, and weddings.
How long have you been a band? How did it all come together?
We have been together as a band since 2009. Jerome (guitar) came up with a plan to hire the best professional players he could find to fill in as we booked shows. We had a lot of really great players but no dedicated peeps. Now we have Mike and Michael full time. We met them as we hired them for shows.
Is this the first time for many of your members being in a band?
No. Jerome, Mike & Michael are all very seasoned professionals who have played in large event-type bands. They are excellent at what they do. I am pretty new to this, but have been in a few projects and have been professional for the last four years.
Do the band members have jobs outside of playing music?
Yes. We all work full time jobs, with the exception of Jerome. I mean, a guitar and comic book store, that can’t REALLY be considered work?! Also, the guys have side projects, and Jerome and I perform as a powered acoustic duo during the week and on Sundays.
Have you gone on tour?
Tour? Whats a tour? I have told the guys I want a tour bus, but no luck. Our goal is to be “roadrunners” to FL next winter.
What influences your music? Do you just do covers?
Yes, we are a cover-band, so we play what people want to hear and can easily recognize. Not too many obscure tunes, even if that’s what we would like to play. Positive reactions to songs keep them in the set list, while negative reactions lead to songs getting cut. We listen to feedback and suggestions from die-hard followers. We do have originals, but don’t play them live.
What is your most memorable experience as a band?
We have seen some crazy stuff. Some people have a REALLY good time and become “that” person of the night. Its great, but the coolest thing I would say is the crowd’s reaction when we play Zombie by the Cranberries. It’s a war song that you can really rock out – a lot of times we get a mini mosh pit!! It has become our signature song.
Do you have anything recorded?
Yes, we have a promo pack of covers (and one original) we have recorded called Coming Down to This.
Where do you get your material from?
Well, again, we are a cover-band so the material is gathered from input, feedback and research. 90% of the songs have to be upbeat. We just try to make it so everyone in the room hears their favorite song.
I would just like to add how much we appreciate any support and feedback that people give us. With everyone working so hard these days, our biggest thing is that everyone have a blast on the night they get to go out.
If you are interested in finding out more about Abby Normal, below are some links to get you started. Feel free to email the band at AbbyNormalBand@hotmail.com, if you have any questions for them, or if you are interested in having them perform. You can also contact their manager, Mr. Steve, at (508)207-0623. Check in frequently with LocalOracle’s Abby Normal page for upcoming shows.
http://www.facebook.com/abbynormalband
http://www.myspace.com/abbynormalband
