A crowd of approximately 50 shoppers, music enthusiasts and curious passersby filled the ear-X-tacy on Bardstown Road Friday, Sept. 29 for a free concert featuring local Indie-rock band Lucky Pineapple.
The scene was laid back, as usual, at ear X-tacy. Most of the audience was flipping through new and used CDs, perusing and laughing at psychedelic posters, and enjoying the mellow tunes played throughout the Louisville music store’s loudspeakers until Lucky Pineapple manned their stations and began playing. Then, like rats following a piper, the crowd gathered at the edges of the makeshift stage and the band jammed for half an hour.
Lucky Pineapple played four songs from their new album “Moment in an Empty Soul” which was met with a positive response from the audience.
“It was nothing I’ve ever heard before, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise,” Ashley Springer, Jefferson Community College Spanish freshman, said.
Springer and her friend Melanie Scroggins said this was their first time at an ear X-tacy concert, and would be coming back for future shows.
David Cundiff, Lucky Pineapple bass player, said Springer and Scroggins are the type of people up and coming bands want at small venues.
“We want people who would be here shopping for CDs or looking at posters, because it’s a great way to draw new fans and get your music out to a new audience,” Cundiff said.
Lucky Pineapple has played several popular events and venues in Louisville including Forecastle, Lebowskifest and the Waterfront.
Lucky Pineapple mixes traditional rock and roll percussion, guitar and bass with keyboard, trombone and trumpet for a unique and upbeat sound.
Susan Crocker, trumpet player, said it was bizarre playing a marching band instrument in a rock band, but the most fun/frustrating part for her was writing the music.
“I was a total band geek,” Crocker said.
Lucky Pineapple got their performance debut at an IU Southeast battle of the bands.
J.C. Dennison, drums, and Brian Sweeney, keyboards, are both graduates of IU Southeast.
Sweeney said he credits IU Southeast for giving him more insight into music.
Lucky Pineapple said they get a lot of their musical influence from artists such as Devo, Miles Davis, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Talking Heads and the Butthole Surfers.
By MICHAEL MARCELL
Staff Writer
mdmarcel@ius.edu