Name taken
Local bands piggyback on their better known namesakes
The other Alan Alda
Some artists work all their lives to see their name in lights. Others, however, toil away to see someone else's name on the marquee; rock bands from Jethro Tull to Franz Ferdinand have made it a tradition to borrow their monikers from famous figures. That tradition is alive and well in Denver: In honor of local indie-rock band Alan Alda's EP release tonight at the Meadowlark, Decider spoke with the group's drummer Matt Grizzell and members of two other Mile High acts that appropriate their names from flesh-and-blood celebrities.
Alan Alda
The band: Heavy yet blissfully melodic, Alan Alda kicks up a racket that any punk or garage act can appreciate, but it's held in check with a sense of control and pacing that could only be summoned by indie-rock brainiacs.
The namesake: Best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on the long-running sitcom M*A*S*H, Alda is frequently typecast as a soft-spoken nice dude. His off-screen charity work and public-speaking gigs haven't done much to foster an image as a badass, either.
Says the band: "We never expected any notoriety," Grizzell explains. "We settled on Alan Alda because it was the most irreverent name we could think of." And if they get sued? "We'll change our name to The Aldas, The Aldanators, or Donald Trump."
The band: Heavy yet blissfully melodic, Alan Alda kicks up a racket that any punk or garage act can appreciate, but it's held in check with a sense of control and pacing that could only be summoned by indie-rock brainiacs.
The namesake: Best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on the long-running sitcom M*A*S*H, Alda is frequently typecast as a soft-spoken nice dude. His off-screen charity work and public-speaking gigs haven't done much to foster an image as a badass, either.
Says the band: "We never expected any notoriety," Grizzell explains. "We settled on Alan Alda because it was the most irreverent name we could think of." And if they get sued? "We'll change our name to The Aldas, The Aldanators, or Donald Trump."
Vonnegut
The band: Unafraid to let its love for modern, radio-ready rock shine through its underground influences, Vonnegut works glittering guitars, slippery melodies, and earnest lyrics into its rock-star ambitions.
The namesake: Kurt Vonnegut is the late, beloved author who fused science fiction with black comedy with a broad humanist streak—all of which are prominent in his most famous novel (and perennial sophomore-year required read), Slaughterhouse-Five.
Says the band: "Slaughterhouse-Five was the first book I really looked forward to reading," remembers Vonnegut singer-guitarist Ryan Gombeski. "It was the first school assignment that made me really think, the first book I was moved by."
The band: Unafraid to let its love for modern, radio-ready rock shine through its underground influences, Vonnegut works glittering guitars, slippery melodies, and earnest lyrics into its rock-star ambitions.
The namesake: Kurt Vonnegut is the late, beloved author who fused science fiction with black comedy with a broad humanist streak—all of which are prominent in his most famous novel (and perennial sophomore-year required read), Slaughterhouse-Five.
Says the band: "Slaughterhouse-Five was the first book I really looked forward to reading," remembers Vonnegut singer-guitarist Ryan Gombeski. "It was the first school assignment that made me really think, the first book I was moved by."
Bela Karoli
The band: Bela Karoli wraps the old-world sounds of strings, accordion, and piano around a core of digital wizardry, bridging the gap between the stark electronica of Dntel and the dusky, European-folk vibe of DeVotchKa.
The namesake: Mustachioed gymnastics coach Béla Károlyi defected from Romania in the early '80s. Although many of the athletes he trained, such as Nadia Comaneci and Kerri Strug, struck Olympic gold, his no-wimps training style and fiery temper earned him a reputation as an ogre.
Says the band: "My mom is Romanian, and she was a gymnast," reveals Bela Karoli vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Julie Davis. "She was actually coached by Béla Károlyi. In the '70s, she defected by traveling in a red Adidas gym bag that he took with him on a trip to the U.S. I just wanted to name the project after him in honor of what he did for my mom."
The band: Bela Karoli wraps the old-world sounds of strings, accordion, and piano around a core of digital wizardry, bridging the gap between the stark electronica of Dntel and the dusky, European-folk vibe of DeVotchKa.
The namesake: Mustachioed gymnastics coach Béla Károlyi defected from Romania in the early '80s. Although many of the athletes he trained, such as Nadia Comaneci and Kerri Strug, struck Olympic gold, his no-wimps training style and fiery temper earned him a reputation as an ogre.
Says the band: "My mom is Romanian, and she was a gymnast," reveals Bela Karoli vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Julie Davis. "She was actually coached by Béla Károlyi. In the '70s, she defected by traveling in a red Adidas gym bag that he took with him on a trip to the U.S. I just wanted to name the project after him in honor of what he did for my mom."
