Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 5, 1992                   TAG: 9203050095
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-11   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By JOE TENNIS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

CRAYON'S PAST IS COLORFUL, ITS FUTURE NOT BLACK AND WHITE

Tapes from 22 musicians were entered in the Feb. 10 contest, part of a larger competition pitting college-oriented bands from across the country against each other to find which had the most diversity and unique qualities.

Though they failed to pass through regional competitions, Crayon's members are pleased with their success. No one expected to win, said guitarist Scott Flory, 24, a carpenter and 1990 Tech grad.

In addition to Flory, members are singer-bassist-trumpeter Yax (pronounced "Yosh") Lacy, guitarist-bassist-trumpeter Duncan Macomber and drummer Doug Veit.

"We're all getting pretty serious," Flory said, "but it's all up in the air because Duncan's graduating."

Macomber, 27, of Mount Vernon, is a Tech senior studying mechanical engineering.

Flory adds: "If we're not really rolling in the band, then we may have to break up at the end of the summer. . . . All we really know is we're definite through the end of the summer . . . then we'll see if Duncan wants to hang out or get a real job."

Replacing Macomber would not be an option, Flory said. "If any one us left, it wouldn't really be Crayon. It's almost like a marriage."

Still, the band may not be Crayon, in name, much longer: A Boston band has just released a single under the same name and Flory fears his band may have missed winning a copyright for the moniker. "We're still going to add something to the Crayon name because we still like it. We're going to be Crayon something-another," Flory said.

The band won the Virginia Tech contest by entering a tape of four originals: "Boxcar Skeleton," "Selfish Eyes," "Catch My Drift" and "Everything." "Selfish Eyes" begins with a spacy guitar passage reminiscent of Van Halen's "Jump," then creeps into a funky romp.

The band's influences combine Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa and King Crimson.

At present, the group is recording tracks at a local studio for an upcoming debut tape. So far in '92, Crayon has performed at Buddy's in Blacksburg and at parties. It also performed on Tech radio station WUVT's "The Local Zone."