THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606200181
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: John Harper
LENGTH: 66 lines
IN A MUSIC scene packed with powerful guitar rockers and angst-driven alternative bands, you would think Richmond folk-rock combo The Pat McGee Band would be fighting for success.
But the six-man band, which appears at Kelly's in Nags Head on Sunday and Monday, has built a solid following with its melodic, three-part harmony.
``I was basically a songwriter and got a band,'' says the 23-year-old McGee. ``The players I wanted became available.''
Before putting the band together, McGee independently released his solo CD, ``From the Wood.'' Drummer Eddie Hartness, bassist Mike Clem and singer Julie Murphy - musicians of Eddie from Ohio who appear frequently at Kelly's - play on McGee's disc, but won't be joining him on stage.
``I did it incredibly fast,'' he says of his first record release. ``I wrote the songs and recorded the album in about two months.''
``From the Wood,'' released in 1995, has already sold about 3,000 copies. The album showcases McGee's husky voice, nimble guitar playing and a storyteller's ear that belies his young age.
``Nothing too deep,'' McGee says of his songwriting. ``Most of my songs are about real things and real people.''
In the song ``Who Stole Her From Heaven,'' McGee writes: ``She's perfectly not perfect, but that's exactly what he sees. It's her that he loves and protects, he's wondering if she's here to stay.''
McGee's ``Girl from Athens'' captures the restlessness of youth without being sappy or sentimental. ``So, this girl from Athens, slides into the bar. If only she knew that she'd take it this far. Like a leaf without a tree she lost her roots. In your world of fiction, you'll meet fact rolling like a train so thanks for the chat, thanks for the chat.''
But if you think The Pat McGee Band in concert will be some sort of lovefest, think again.
``We're definitely a rock band,'' McGee says, ``with lots of percussion and bass.''
John Small provides the bass. Chris Williams and Chardy McEwan are the percussionists. Piano player Jonathan Williams and guitarist Al Walsh, who played as a duo called Two Flights Up before joining the band, add their voices to McGee's for some soaring harmonies.
``People who heard my record liked the songs,'' McGee says. ``Now they hear the live show with the three-part harmony and they go, `Wow.'
``Even though we're mostly acoustic, we're danceable,'' McGee says. ``We throw in a 10-song medley that starts with `Mustang Sally' and ends with `The Jefferson's' theme song. Because we have three singers, we can do it differently every night.''
Some major record labels have already come a'courting, says McGee. But the band is still finding its groove.
``We know what happened with the Dave Matthews Band,'' he says. ``And right now we have the right people listening in. But we don't want to sign up too quick.''
Get your pen ready, Pat. Crosby, Stills and Nash carved a decent career with three-part harmonies, acoustic guitars, percussion and strong songs. Besides, you guys have more heart than Hootie and the Blowfish. MEMO: AT A GLANCE
Who: Pat McGee Band
Where: Kelly's, MP 10.5 on the U.S. Route 158 bypass
When: Sunday and Monday
Phone: 441-4116 ILLUSTRATION: Photo by CHET RANSON
Pat McGee leads the folk-rock combo. by CNB