April 2011 Magazine33 North Carolina, Featured Articles, Greensboro, Rock, Electronic

The Illiest of Citizens

By Correspondent: John Winn   Sat, Apr 02, 2011

Greensboro may have been more sedate than usual the evening of March 12, but as the street hummed with traffic, one tavern nearly throbbed with the sound of ear-splitting bass.

While motorists hurried from their weekend jaunts to get home, a crowd of dozens gathered at the Somewhere Else bar on West Friendly Avenue to hear some of the region's hottest bands in a concert for the ages.

First at bat was Drunk and Disorderly.  The foursome of John Thomas, Robert Wofford, Jody Wallace, and Dale Crouse rocked the house with a mix of rock, covers, and a special blend of blues and punk that left the motley group of fans and fellow artists screaming for more.  Tearing through a frenetic set of original songs including "Don't Give a Damn" and "Light It Up", the band demonstrated their ability to rock, yet it was their punk rock covers of traditional tunes such as "Man of Constant Sorrow" that blew the house away.

However, the night was only just beginning.  Next up was Driven, a metalcore band making its way up the charts.  Throughout an hour-long set of thrashing guitar and intense power chords, the quartet of Jesse Jones (vocals), Mark McKinney (guitar), and Rod and Joe Locklear (drums and bass respectively) dominated the stage, performing single after single including "Memory," "Breather (Under the Gun)," and "The Wait."

Last on deck was Illicitizen.  The Charlotte-based alt-rock duo may have been the last to grace the stage, but they still rocked the house, wooing the crowd with a collection of hits including the YouTube sensation "To Arms," "Minervamerica," "Two Eggs Any Style," and a host of others.

Eccentrically dressed in a 70's style leisure suit, frontman Eric Cavanaugh pulled the crowd in with his eerie, David Byrne-like voice, even as he alternated between quirky sets and some of the band's heavier material.  Not to be outdone, bassist (and Cavanaugh's girlfriend) Maria Zaccaro managed to keep the crowd entertained with her own mix of bass and keyboard that kept the quirky vibe going well into the midnight hour.

As the evening wound down, the crowd spilled into the street, but the party isn't quite over.  Illicitizen is scheduled to pay a visit to Elliot's Revue in Winston-Salem April 8, while Driven rocks the house at Deep South the bar in Raleigh on May 21.

By day, the duo composed of Eric Cavanaugh and Maria Zaccaro are average, well-meaning, law-abiding citizens, coloring within the lines that society set for them.  By night, they don their Chuck Taylors and latex skirts, breaking all the musical rules as indie group Illicitizen.  The couple's rebellion against the tyranny of the Top 40 has earned them the praise of critics and a legion of fans from Boston to Savannah.  Yet there's more to them than horn rimmed glasses and PBRs.

Magazine33 caught up with Eric and Maria.  In a brief interview, they discussed their love of Parker guitars, animal rights, and the spark that started them on their musical journey.

33: When did you realize that you wanted to perform professionally as a musician?  What were your musical influences?
Eric Cavanaugh: I think it was after college, as far as "professionally."  I've always felt like a songwriter and a musician, but I tended to feel more like a composer or experimentalist.  But after years of listening to punk rock records I realized that the people I valued just did what they wanted.  That was an aesthetic I liked.
Maria Zaccaro: When I met Eric.  Collaborating with Eric sparked a creative urge I forgot I had.

33: Your music has been described as a cross between the Talking Heads and the Clash.  Any plans to don a giant suit while you're on tour?
EC: I have a fancy turquoise suit I think you'd dig.  It's not BIG in the Byrneian sense, but larger than life.

33: You're an outspoken defender of animal rights.  What sparked you to make that decision?
MZ: We both feel very strongly about this.  The kindness and regard we show (or do not show) to other living creatures can indicate how we treat humans.  That being said, humans are by and large not defenseless against cruelty while animals cannot defend against atrocities.
EC: Man is a bad animal.

33: What is the most unusual instrument you've ever played?
EC: I have an old analog synth that is pretty crazy.  I think my first instrument choice of 5-string banjo speaks volumes.
MZ: Hardly unusual but...clarinet.

33: Why the love for Parker guitars?  You must hate real America.
EC: Haha, my Parkers were made in the U.S.A. by Americans, paid a living wage to craft amazing instruments.  I've always liked oddball looking guitars, but the Parkers are just worth the hyperbole.  Nothing plays like a Parker.  Also, you don't see many other people with them.

By Correspondent: John Winn

Born in an age of legwarmers, boomboxes, and MTV, John Winn still remembers a time when mixtapes were cool.  The product of a musical family, from an early age he showed a precocious interest in rock 'n' roll.  Finding the world of an ink-stained wretch much cooler, John traded his Fender guitar for a Bic pen, traveling the world interviewing musicians and non-musicians alike.  His work has been featured in Racket magazine, Times Square.com, and Buzzy Multimedia, among others.

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