words and photos by Stephanie Augello

If you were to say to someone, “I spent my day hanging out with a band,” they’d probably conjure up images of the sort of debauchery that existed on a Rolling Stones tour in the 1970s.  Since getting involved with the music scene in Savannah, I’ve sort of made it my game (if you can even call it that) to meet the down-to-earth people who create the sounds that we so enjoy.  None of my adventures have involved trashing hotel rooms, and none have ever ended with anyone getting bailed out of prison.  I know.  I know.  You’re disappointed.  My experiences have brought me to a hot dog stand, a potluck party, the band room at Armstrong University and Parker’s Market – all unpretentious locales and scenarios that everyone enjoys.

On November 6th, the simple fun continued.  I had the opportunity to hang out with the members of Oryx & Crake before their Saturday night set at The Wormhole.  We began our journey at Huey’s on River Street – musicians need to eat too.  Sometimes, they even have to wait 20-30 minutes for their party to be seated. Singer/guitarist  Ryan Peoples stated that he hadn’t been there in years, and was pretty excited to be dining within their walls once again.

Keyboard queen Rebekah Goode-Peoples steered the group towards Huey’s famous Beignets (think fried dough with lots of confectioner’s sugar on top), ordering a plate of 12 for everyone to share. Many of the members had spent time living in Savannah, and we all enjoyed a few jokes about how much fun can be stirred in this town, focusing in particular on post-witching hour escapades at Hangfire.  Don’t act like you’ve never been to one of those dance parties.  You know you have.

After we’d consumed our awesome brunch, we proceeded to goof around in River Street Sweets, just like a bunch of errant teenagers.  In addition to the basic sweet stuff, the store also offers up a collection of novelty gifts, including one called “Farm Fudge,” which everyone found highly entertaining.  I’ll let you guess what it looks like.

Oryx & Crake and I cavorted through the treasure trove.  Two of them even ran off to go make out in front of the “Pucker Powder” machine.  Don’t be alarmed.  Those two are married.  But hey, here’s some clear documentation of band members kissing in public.  I knew I’d be able to chronicle some token rock star behavior some day!

They then headed over to The Wormhole for an afternoon rehearsal.  Amy, the venue’s proprietor, was nice enough to let me in before prime time.  Having such a great opportunity is a rarity.  I spent my time there climbing around the stage while they were playing, trying to get more intimate shots than one can during a show in front of an audience.  While they were getting organized, we managed to chit chat about coffee, tea, cold medicine and the cost of day care.  I learned that the Peoples’ 7-year-old son Sebastian is quite the budding musician himself, and is currently enrolled in lessons for a multitude of instruments.  Rebekah prophesied, “Oh, he’s going to be a lady killer one day.”

Of course, next came the evening’s full performance.  Oryx & Crake joined forces with General Oglethorpe & the Panhandlers, as well as Dare Dukes + the Blackstock Collection for a night of enriching entertainment.  General O opened their set with Red Hot, and even pulled off an impromptu cover of Antoine Dodson and the Gregory Brothers’ Bed Intruder Song.  They highlighted their mix with Sick, Sick Lover, the track behind the band’s first music video.  Singer/guitarist Devin Smith directed the project, and it’s scheduled for a January 2011 release.

Oryx & Crake then treated the audience to their self-described “indie/electroacoustic/pop,” which reminds my ear of both Pink Floyd and the Flaming Lips.  This 9-member band operated that night with a skeleton crew of 7, which saw main man Ryan Peoples don an electric guitar for their Savannah audience.

Dare Dukes + the Blackstock Collection capped off the evening with a solid selection of songs, including From a Plane-my personal favorite of his.  They conspired to fill the room with melody and moxie, as each member captured the crowd’s attention with the strength of their stage presence.

So, you see, spending a day with a band doesn’t always end with someone receiving a damages bill.  Sometimes, nothing is broken and no one gets hurt, but its an enriching experience all the same.

A special “thank you” goes out to Jacob Tatom, who took really thorough notes at the show.  We should probably consider making him our unofficial official intern.  Tune into his SCAD Radio program, The Sound of Growling, Saturdays from 8PM-10PM.