Friday, February 9, 2001
By Jim Washington
Staff writer
Like any good wedding, the band CamelToe includes something old and new, something borrowed and something blue.
The old: Local music veterans Roger Mort, formerly of Dimestore Indian, and blues/rock solo artist Stephanie Cox.
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Staff photo by Jim Washington Stephanie Cox, left, and Laura Lea play guitars in CamelToe. |
The new: Guitar player Laura Lea and drummer Rick Martinez, in their first Fayetteville band.
The borrowed: For the time being they are a cover band, throwing down tunes from Led Zepplin to Britney Spears.
The blue: Their sense of humor. The band name is something of a dirty joke.
"It was my boyfriend’s idea and we couldn’t come up with anything better,’’ Cox said.
CamelToe, a marriage of styles, influences and personalities, will play its’ first-ever public gig Saturday night at Broadstreet Cafe & Billiards in Tallywood Shopping Center. They plan to videotape the concert.
"We’re going a different route with this band,’’ Mort said. "With Dimestore Indian we did the club, club, club thing until everyone got burned out.’’
Mort was drummer and then bass player for DSI, a popular alternative cover band. He left the band in 1999 and joined CORE, a Christian-themed group.
Mort met Martinez, his neighbor in Hoke County, when Martinez’s daughter wandered into his yard.
"Roger discovered me,’’ Martinez said. "I hadn’t played the drums in years.’’
Martinez, a soldier originally from California, had played in a Mexican-style band and took over drums in CORE.
When that band folded, Mort and Martinez decided to start their own.
"I knew Stephanie from when I was in DSI, so I called her up,’’ Mort said.
Cox, who is 22, has been playing her blues-influenced guitar rock around Fayetteville since she was a teen-ager. She’s been in a number of bands but made her name as a solo performer. She had not been playing much when Mort called.
"I was noodling around,’’ she said.
Stephanie’s father, Bennie, noticed Lea wailing away on a guitar in McFayden Music one day and approached her about jamming with the band. The lineup -- featuring two female guitarists and singers -- was set. That was in November.
Early on they sat down to compare interests and influences. Despite some stark contrasts -- Lea studied classical voice and piano in college but listens to death metal -- they came up with a list of songs. They learned three songs a night, three times a week until they had a setlist that includes alternative, metal, rock and pop.
"We have broad tastes, that’s one thing we have in common,’’ Cox said.
As they become comfortable playing with each other the band plans to start writing original songs together.
Mort and Cox have learned from experiences not to worry about the future and just have fun playing.
"I’ve been in bands before and it was never what I wanted it to be,’’ Cox said. "In this band we play rocking music and have a good time and be buds.’’
"We’re just a rock band, a good-time band,’’ Mort said.
INFORMATION
CAMELTOE
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 10, 10 p.m.
WHERE: Broadstreet Cafe & Billiards, Tallywood Shopping Center, Raeford Road
TICKETS: $3 cover
INFORMATION: 486-7832
Staff writer Jim Washington can be reached at 323-4848, extension 384, or washingtonj@fayettevillenc.com
