If you hear the thudding bass and feel the pounding vibration of an enormous racket emanating from the air around the Chestnut Street area of Lewistown this Saturday night, don’t be alarmed: It’s probably just Electrolust.
The band is making its debut appearance at the 717 Club ‘N Pub at 125 Chestnut Street on Saturday, but don’t let the word ‘debut’ fool you. Each member of Electrolust has a local musicianship resume that spans decades.
Three of the group’s members, Craig Matthews (vocals), Jim Gross (guitar), and Joe Rocco (drums) are former members of Friction, arguably the most popular band to come out of Lewistown. If you’ve listened to local music in the Lewistown area in the last 40 years, chances are you’ve heard of them.
The spirit of Friction wasdefinitely present in the group’s practice space. Matthews explained his reasons for starting Electrolust while standing beneath what appeared to be an altar to the now-defunct punk band: a display made of old Friction guitars, drums, albums, and other relics from the band’s heyday. “Friction hasn’t played in five years,” Matthews explained. “I’ve just been itching to get something together with some quality guys.
“Stan hasn’t played with us before,” the singer continued, gesturing to Stan Orndorf (bassist and freshman of the group). “But he’s been a fan at shows, ran lights and sound for us, etc.”
“He’s always been extremely supportive,” Rocco chimed in.
After this, the conversation began to devolve into a jumble of the (notably varied) combinations in which they’d all played in past bands together. Matthews reigned things in with a smile, saying, “We’ve been playing together in various bands… well, forever.”
When questioned about where the band’s (eclectic, let’s be honest) name came from, Matthews excitedly shared the story, saying, “What I was thinking about Electrolust was you walk in a room and see all this stuff, and it’s all electric.” As he explained, Matthews waved his arm around a practice space you couldn’t cram more music equipment into if you tried. “And we love it. That’s it right there. Electrolust.”
Matthews assured fans to expect some surprises, but that the band would also play some crowd favorites–including Friction songs (and to the Friction fans in our readership, the group performed Little Miss Romance when the interview concluded, much to this reporter’s delight).
“When you can go out there after 40 years and play your original songs and everyone is singing along…” Gross began.
“It’s awesome,” Matthews finished. “Nothing short of awesome.”
When asked about the type of covers they’d be performing, Matthews read a laundry list of music icons from a sheet of rehersal songs: Iggy Pop, Elvis Costello, David Bowie, rockabilly, Friction, New York Dolls, Talking Heads, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Clash, Lou Reed, and more.
“We’re kind of like retro alternative music,” drummer Rocco added. “People who like Bowie are gonna love this, and people who don’t like Bowie… They’re gonna love this.”
Bassist Orndorf also offered his thoughts on the matter, saying, “People who came out to see Friction liked that punkish, alternative rock sound, and if you go anywhere around here… if you go up to State College, you won’t find anybody doing this stuff.”
Matthews was eager to talk about the 717 venue when asked why they chose the club as the location for their debut. “It’s the best live venue in Mifflin County. It’s along the railroad tracks, and from the outide, it looks like a brick building that should be condemned. But you walk in, and it’s a night club. It’s really cool.”
Regardless of how you feel about their style of music, the four musicians in Electrolust are local rock legends, and a huge part of our thriving community art scene.
The show begins at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15. Doors open at 7 p.m., and there is a cover charge of $5.
To keep up with Electrolust and their upcoming performances, follow the band on thier Facebook page.