jeanne crump interviews the funk ‘n’ grooving band out of asbury…
Wakah Chan recently put the groove into Pop-Break’s Shipwrecked at The Shore Music Showcase at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on Thursday April 26th. Pop-Break’s Jeanne Crump sat down with the band to talk about all things groovy.
Pop-Break: So you recently released an EP in February. Do you have any plans of recording a full length anytime soon?
Wakah Chan: Right now all of our energy is going into playing as much as we can in our new practice space, expanding our fan base, and getting our resources in line to head out on a big tour in October. But you never know, it would be really cool to kick out a full length before hitting the road. It’s not a top priority though, recording is great and all, and we were lucky to record the EP in 1 day almost completely live, but Wakah Chan is really a live band. Were a band you could see three nights in a row, and even though we may play the same song twice, each time comes out differently depending on the venue, the crowd, us, everything really.
PB: What is your tour schedule looking like this summer? Are you playing any large festivals?
WC: For the summer were really focusing on new material, getting our improvisations more inventive, and saving up money so we can start hitting the road come October. Our singer Chloe is in massage school so were digging our roots into a great art and music collective and seeing where this great experiment takes us. So far were playing a great little festival in PA, Flora Fest 3 on May 4th. In June we’ll be heading up to Maine to play. Our friends Turtle Soup are putting on their first ever Souper Groove Festival Sept. 28th, great lineup. Were kicking off summer Memorial Weekend May 26th at Trinity & The Pope with our friends Moreorless. We have so many great things coming up, best way to stay in the loop is to connect with us on Facebook or our website. We are also planning weekend runs to NY, PA, Conn., and as far as we can get before we have to turn back. We are also trying to win a competition for a slot on Gathering Of The Vibes. If you go to and like the Vibes facebook page. go to Road to Vibes, and vote for our video, its on the 2nd page of videos. The site is a little glitchy, so make sure your number goes up!
PB: If you could headline one festival, which one would it be?
Matt Van Houten: Voodoo Fest
Gabe Bertolo: Coachella, although Burning Man would be wild.
Joshua Mayes: Bonnaroo
Chloe Demos: I really want to play Jam Cruise or All Good.
PB: You play quite a bit in Asbury Park at Chico’s House of Jazz and The Saint. Is there one room in particular that the band seems to like the most?
CD: We just love our Asbury Park! Every venue is really fun and all the owner’s/music crews are always very accommodating and devoted. The music scene in this area is unbeatable.
GB: Each room brings its own energy to the mix, I feel that we are inspired so much by the diversity of stages and the great options musicians have in Asbury Park, we are lucky to have so many venues and people that support the scene with so much love.
PB: You are a very community-focused, co-op kind of music group. What do you think about The Bamboozle coming back to Asbury Park? Are you excited that the town is bringing back such a large-scale event or would you prefer for it to stay away?
WC: It’s great to see all these huge events coming to, and returning to Asbury Park. Whether it’s Bamboozle, All Tomorrows Parties, anything that brings awareness to Asbury as a musical and artistic hub is great for all of us in the scene; from musicians and artists to local business. One of the things that was so cool about All Tomorrows Parties was how well the town capitalized on it, meaning every venue having music and creating a very vibrant experience everywhere, it’s a win win. There’s a real renaissance happening here.
PB: If you could only make one last playlist to listen to in your life, what 5 songs would you have on there?
MVH: Jimi Hendrix- ‘Castles Made of Sand,’ Pink Floyd- ‘Great Gig in the Sky,’Rolling Stones-‘Country Honk,’ The New Mastersounds- ‘Carrot Juice,’Stevie Ray Vaugn- ‘Life By The Drop.’
JM: Mars Volta- ‘Cassandra Gemini,’Colosseum- ‘Valentyne Suite,’Miles Davis- ‘Bitches Brew,’ Gabriel Faure- ‘Elegy Suite in C# Minor,’ Jethro Tull- ‘A passion Play’
GB: Mr. Bungle- ‘My Ass Is On Fire,’ Railroad Earth- ‘Mighty River,’ Beats Antique-‘Shrine,’ The Clash- ‘Guns Of Brixton,’ The Cult- ‘Fire Woman.’
CD: ‘Blue Nile Alice Coltrane – ‘Blue Nile,’ Codona – ‘Que Faser,’ Sly & The Family Stone – ‘In Time,’ The Roches ‘Damned Old Dog,’ Joni Mitchell – ‘Twisted.’
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