
DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709120255

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 20   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: AFTER DARK 

SOURCE: John Harper 

                                            LENGTH:   58 lines

FUNKY D.C. BAND WILL GET ``PHAT'' AT THE PIT

OF ALL THE GROUPS band members might name as a prime influence, Red Hot Chili Peppers isn't likely to leap to the front of the pack.

But that's who comes up for guitarist Rob Hornfeck of Babyfat - a D.C.-based band that's returning to play The Pit in Kill Devil Hills on Saturday night.

``We have that same high-energy rock with a groove,'' Hornfeck of his fellow funksters. ``They're able to mix ska, funk, rap and rock.''

With their three-part harmonies, snarling guitar leads, jack-hammer drumming and bottom of the Mississippi River bass, Babyfat filters old-school funk through the grunge of alternative bands like Soundgarden.

Rapidly becoming The Pit's most popular band, Babyfat is on the road promoting their five-song EP, ``3 Hits and a Party.'' Recorded at Oz Studio in Baltimore, the extended-play disc captures the rough-around-the-edges freewheeling funkiness of the 5-year-old band.

``We were happy with the way it turned out,'' Hornfeck says of the disc. ``It's selling well at our shows. We plan to shop it around to record labels.''

The funky four-piece band - guitarist Hornfeck, singer/guitarist Charlie Hornfeck, drummer Rick DeJong and singer/bassist Jamal Jones - has earned a reputation on the East Coast club circuit for its outrageous stage show.

Expect to see The Pit's Cyber Cafe filled with smoke and lasers while a disco ball splashes the dance floor with a coat of many colors.

And don't be surprised to see band members decked out in clothes that look like something out of Sly Stone's storage shed.

``The last time we were there (at the Pit),'' says Hornfeck, who often wears a cape, ``I got passed up to the balcony. And then I dove into the crowd.''

Hey Rob, one question: Does your mother know what you do?

Although Babyfat plays mostly group-written originals, a handful of covers are thrown into the mix.

``We play some Jimi Hendrix, maybe James Brown,'' Hornfeck says. ``Sometimes it's Elvis. We twist it up and make it our own.

``Our show varies every night. Nothing stays predictable.''

Who would have guessed? ILLUSTRATION: FILE PHOTO

Babyfat, a D.C.-based band, will bring its mix of ska, funk, rap and

rock to Kill Devil Hills.

Graphic

HOW TO HEAR 'EM

Who: Babyfat

What: Party-funk masters

When: Saturday, after 9 p.m.