Getting Ugly In Sacramento

By Daniel Morris

I first saw the band “Ugly” last year at the Speak Easy Lounge in Old Sacramento. They struck me as a band with a lot of positive energy and I was certainly anxious to meet in person for this interview. The first thing I noticed upon entering the practice space of the local band “Ugly” was the style of the room. The tiles are red and black, the lights are dim for mood, and their space contains a full kitchen and bath (including a shower). It was like an apartment that was set up for band rehearsal. I asked them if they’d had any after-parties and vocalist Adam replied, “We’ve had a few little somethings here.” I took the “somethings” to mean that they had in fact partied there. They offered me some tea, and we all sat down and began to talk.

First, I wanted to get to know everyone. Adam is the vocalist and has been a part of the band since it’s beginning along with guitarist Elvis. Johnny plays drums and has been with the group for about a year while Nick, who plays the keys, is the newest member of the group. Nick was introduced to the band during a recording session. Their previous keyboardist had just quit, and they were in desperate need to replace him. That’s when Nick came into the picture. Learning all the songs on bass and keys, Nick was described as the “most polished” of all the try-outs. He’s been a member for only three months, but is already a fully integrated part of the group.

After talking to all of them, it would seem they’ve known each other for years, and they all share one thing in common: a passion for playing live shows.

Asking how often they’d like to perform, Elvis replied, “a lot.” So how much is a lot? Every weekend. I asked them how they planned on playing every weekend, “Don’t you guys have jobs?” They told me that they’ve all been trying to get fired from their jobs simultaneously so they can devote their lives to music, while funding their tours with their unemployment checks. I laughed when I heard that, but they were absolutely serious. We then joked about making the “Ugly” movie, a candid camera film about all the crazy antics each member would attempt in order to get fired.

After finding out that playing shows is this band’s passion, I asked about their future plans. They all want to tour California first before moving any further. “How do you plan on getting across the Golden State?” I asked. “In our tour bus,” said Adam. “We call it the ‘little big’ tour bus.” They want to take this tour bus to L.A. and possibly Las Vegas this summer. Ugly is serious about playing shows. Elvis claimed that playing shows “keeps him alive.” During the interview Adam was taking phone calls, booking shows and making connections. I was impressed by the professionalism they all displayed.

I asked how they’d describe their music. This is typically a hard question for a band to answer, and an even more difficult question for a band to agree on. After tossing around a few descriptive words, it was agreed by all that the music can only be described as “ill-sonic.” I was curious what “ill-sonic” music sounded like, so I had them play a song for me. Their music is exhilarating, to say the least. The bass from Nick’s SVT 8×10 cabinet chattered my teeth. During their much anticipated break down, I felt as if the world was melting around me. I’ve never experienced an earthquake before, but I must be very similar to their live show (without the danger of dying). Johnny described an Ugly live show as, “if you went at a small world with an M-16, an atomic bomb.” What direction is this band going? They want to “make it.” They’d like to “blow the f*** up, but not go commercial.” Elvis chimes in, “maybe a condom commercial, but not Pepsi.” Ugly has too many shows booked in the local Sacramento area to list in this article, but you can visit their MySpace page.

Ugly is a band who loves to entertain, watch the ladies dance, and move people with their music. Check them out live before they hit the road this summer, you won’t be disappointed! Also, while you’re at the show, ask Elvis about his side project the “Traveling Lady-bugs.”