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Arena rock, rocks, Club 199
By: K.R. Laurent
You experienced or maybe just heard about it; that big wall
of sound that permeates your chest cavity. You know, the kind that
you feel at those big rock shows. Every song makes you weave your
head to the power of the beat, shake your body around and just have
a good time. In Vancouver, Wash., Club 199 featured that experience
and more, as the band Crush took the stage.
Crush, four talented performers, commanded the venue with
hit after rock hit. They cranked out rockers such as AC/DC’s Highway
To Hell, to rock anthem gem, Carry On by Journey. If you
know any of these songs, you know there is some pretty demanding
vocal work involved. Leo Curry steps up to the microphone to fill
that need. Curry, by the way, was asked to be part of the band after
his current bandmates heard him singing at a Karaoke night. Curry
was a find for sure; his relaxed vocal quality and powerful delivery
inspires the audience to weave, shake and have a good time.
Adding to the show, Crush has the sound gear to make the experience
true. Curry is in good company in the vocal department as the remaining
trio all have abilities of their own. Clay Harn, who harnesses the
guitar into a rock machine, is also one of the vocal songsmiths of
the band, either blending or leading vocal lines. You can tell playing-them-like-you-remember-them
is a fine honed craft for Harn.
Dan Bower, the thunder of the band, aka the drummer, keeps
the Crush train pushing right through the station. Clicking off tempos
is one thing for a drummer, but only one thing for Bower; he nails
the drum and vocal parts, has fun at the same time. And, it all looks
and sounds natural for him.
Helping drive the train is Troy Phipps, on bass guitar and
vocals. Phipps didn’t really need any introduction, as you could
feel that bass guitar vibration within you. Creating that sensation
and delivering the performance on both bass guitar and vocals, Phipps
also injects fun and the audience enjoyed. They all created fun together.
Mix that with the high quality indoor arena rock they perform and
you’ll have a good time.
The musician’s job is to create quality; it’s also the job
of the sound tech, and Crush has Mark McMurphy running all the knobs,
buttons and sliders brilliantly. It’s indoor arena rock that is not
overly distorted, overbearing, or obnoxious; instead, a wall of sound
with clarity, is all enhanced by the talents of McMurphy. Crush gets
the crowd weaving, shaking, dancing and having a good time.
The staff at Club 199 kept up with the audience. With a variety
of offerings Club 199 keeps the patrons happy and the entertainment
enjoyable. The main stage and dance area has live entertainment Fridays
and Saturdays and host Karaoke Sunday through Thursday. Not to be
outdone by the entertainment, Club 199 provides a full-service restaurant
with a wide variety of appetizers ranging from sandwiches, salads
and pizza to full entrée dinners. A knowledgeable, well-staffed bar
provides your mixology requests. Besides the full menu, Club 199
also provides indoor and outdoor catering services.
If you want to be entertained or have a great meal, check
out Club 199, located at: 7005 N.E. Highway 99, Vancouver, Wash.
98665. To find out more information about Crush, you can find them
on the web at: www.myspace.com/nwcrushlive or www.crush-live.com.
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