Local musicians ready to hit the road

By Jessica Cabe

A crazy train is about to depart from DeKalb.

Folk punk singer-songwriter Davey Dynamite and grunge punk heroes The Stockyards are going on their first tour, and they will kick off the string of shows 7 p.m. Friday at the House Cafe, 263 East Lincoln Highway. The Phantom Scars, Nobelium 102 and Seasonal Men’s Wear will also perform at the House that night. It will cost $6 to get in.

Both Dynamite and the Stockyards have made names for themselves in DeKalb with regular shows and album releases. The natural next step is to take their music on the road. The bands are playing multiple shows in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York.

“The main thing that I am thinking about now is what I should play,” said Dave Anians, a.k.a. Davey Dynamite. “I need to win over a crowd of people who I do not know at all, so I need to ask my friends what my best live songs are and narrow them down.”

Both Dynamite and The Stockyards have plenty of old material from which to choose, but brand new songs are in the making. The Stockyards are planning to release a single later this year consisting of two new songs.

“The two song single would be very different from anything else we’ve ever released,” said Stockyards vocalist Danny Collins. “They’re a lot more political and a step out of our comfort zone, sound-wise.”

Dynamite released a split EP, called Brooder, with artist Willange in April. Dynamite is currently writing material for a new album which he hopes to start recording soon, he said.

“I have no idea when I will have that out by, but the plan is to make it really, really good, with a bunch of my friends singing along and playing instruments,” he said.

Both Dynamite and The Stockyards have music available on their bandcamp websites with a name your price option made famous by Radiohead’s album In Rainbows.

“I think that artists should be honest and ask for what they need from people who like their music,” Anians said. “At shows, I generally give out my merch for free, but since I am going on tour, I’m going to need to ask that people pay whatever they can.”

While Dynamite and the Stockyards play different subgenres of punk, it is easy to see why the five DeKalb musicians are friends just by listening to their music.

“We love [Davey’s] music, and it’s cool to have something in your life that gives it worth and makes you feel more alive than you ever have,” said Stockyards drummer Kevin Sawa. “So when we had this option, we had no choice but to take him across state lines against his will.”