6:00am | In last week’s survey of local favorites, hoards of crazed fans rose up to declare their love for Boxcar 7. and gave them an early lead, which they kept until ending in the top spot, with 179 votes. Since I’d never heard of them before, I decided to see what the fuss was all about.

The band is big.  Seven guys, all with serious chops, some with pro credentials, and all with a love of Blues and Soul. Gerry Tschetter plays piano and organ, and Johnny V plays trumpet and flugelhorn.  V probably stands for veteran, as he’s got a long list of pro credits, including work with Slash, Eric Clapton, and Percy Sledge.  Saxophonist Mark Sample completes their horn section. Robert Lopez plays lead guitar, and the rhythm section consists of bassist Jim Keena and Andrew Shreve on drums.

Fronting the band is the larger than life figure of Scott Griffith.  He’s really a great guy but, if you feel just a bit scared when you see him, it may be because he played one of the bad guys in the sleeper hit movie, Boondock Saints.  I asked him how the band got started.

“I was singing with a punk rock band,” said Scott, “and Mark and Robert came to see me. They have been playing music together since HS in Lakewood. We got to talking about our love for old school blues and soul.  That was about 5 yrs ago. The band went through some changes since then to get the personnel just right. I found Andrew through a service called Musicians Contact. I found Gerry and Johnny V through ads on CraigsList. We found Scotty on the side of the road!”  [laughs]
   
“This has been the lineup for the last two and a half or three years,” Scott continued. “The band’s mission statement is to recreate an old school blues and soul feeling. We all dress in suits, and have bandstands, just like it was done originally. Every song is a booty shaking song. That’s why people love us. That’s what is so great about being a cover band. We have so many great tunes and artists to choose from.”

I asked Scott about where they play.
 
“The Eldorado has really blown up. When we started, they had no stage. Now, its remodeled with a new stage. What I love about the Eldo is the crowd is really friendly, and they love to dance. Its always packed and our following was really built there.

“We love Harvelle’s,” said Scott, “because its so dedicated to blues and soul. Its like a speakeasy, and you get transported back in time, which fits our mission statement to a T.

“We also play the Gaslamp on PCH. We do Sunday afternoon gigs there about once a month. Its great because, being a day gig at a restaurant, people can bring their kids.

“Then we have done big events,” Scott continued, “at places like the Grove in Anaheim, and numerous things for cities, like Concerts in the Park. We made the front page of the Press Telegram last year when we played Martin Luther King Jr Park, the first ever concert there for that part of the city.

“This summer we will be playing the Irvine Lake Blues Festival with Walter Trout and Anna Popovich. We also go up, every year, to Pine Mountain to play their Concerts on the Green. We are also playing the Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe Festival this summer in Fallon, NV, so we do it all.

“The Irvine Lake Blues Festival,” confessed Scott, “which takes place on June 30th, is a big deal for us because lots of people thought a cover band couldn’t get that type of gig, but we have an energy that really has to be heard. No sequencing. No prerecorded tracks. Just in your in face Blues and Soul played like its supposed to be played.”

I asked Scott how playing large festivals compares to playing small local venues.

“With a festival, we only get 1 set. We have to be ready, mentally, to play. With a club gig we probably get 2, even 3 sets, so you can maybe afford a warm up tune. At a festival you really have to be on your game from the first note. Also, the crowd seems further away, so it is harder to feed off their energy. At clubs, when I sing, I can really read peoples faces, draw on their emotion, and add it to my performance.

“What we do,” Scott revealed, “is rehearse a lot so, when we hit the stage, we are confident and ready to roll. Also, we are honest with each other, and not afraid to say when something doesn’t sound good. You hear a lot of bands say they don’t have time for a lot of rehearsal, but we rehearse more then we play. That’s one reason we sound so good, and play so well.

“We recently played the NAMM show in Anahiem,” said Scott. “It is the biggest music industry convention in the world. We played the Hilton lobby, filled with lots of hard rocks fans. Even they were swing dancing in the lobby! The great thing about this music is it really can span multiple genres. Anyone who likes good music will like our show.”

—

For more information about Boxcar 7, including upcoming performances, visit Boxcar7.com.