 The Feds
by Jason Meier
This was one group I was looking forward to seeing, because
it's been about 10 months since I had seen them last. That last time was the Lazer's
Clubhouse Christmas Battle of the Bands in December of 1997.
The Feds hit the stage of Spirit Fest on Sunday at around
2:00 like a house on fire.
The Feds sound is a mix of rock, alternative, funk, and
hip-hop. They remind me a lot of bands like 311, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and even a
little bit like Primus at times.
The members of the Feds are: Matt Lider - vocals; Jason
Jones - guitar; Gary Wray - bass; and Glen "Tool" Crain - drums.
It was cool to see these guys again because Glen and I go
back about four years to when he went to the University of Kansas and played drums with me
up there in all the different bands. These guys put on a lively show with a lot of energy
and emotion tossed in for good measure. They give their fans about 110% and make the show
worth attending. The band has been around about two years but has only been playing clubs
for about a year or so. Most of their shows have been in Westport, but they have also
played in Lawrence and Topeka. They have also played quite a bit in Missouri.
Set highlights included the songs "Hotty,"
"Not Here" and "Tee it Up."
This is a band that projects a ton of energy in their show
and that energy rubs off on to the crowd. The band is also powered by some absolutely
awesome drumming by Glen Crain as he displays a lot of chops, but can also lay down a
solid groove. (I'm not just saying that because we're good friends - it's very true!)
The band has a CD out entitled Demo 1997 and they will have
a full-length CD out in December after they master it and get it sent off for production.
(Synapsis will review it as soon as the first box of discs arrives.)
The Feds have played shows with such National bands as The
Urge, Booggie Shoes, and House of Large Sizes. They have also played with some of the
local bands on this bill including, 8 Degrees and Ruskabank.
"We are very glad to get to share the stage with
fellow Kansas City bands Season to Risk and the soon to be dead, Molly McGuire," said
Matt Lider. "Right now those bands and that sound are what's influencing our sound
probably more than anything else and we hope to get play with them more in the
future."
Other bands the Feds want to play with include Rubber,
Reflector, Big Hairy Apes, and Shiner.
"The big thing with the Kansas City scene is that it
is very cliquish," said Jason Jones. "It's more that way down here than it is in
Lawrence or any other place, and that can make it very tough to get to play with who we
want to."
Future plans for the Feds include looking for a new bass player. "Gary has hit the
burnout stage I think and is ready for something different," said Matt. "We have
a couple of possible replacements and we wish Gary the best in his future endeavors."
Besides getting the bass player thing fixed, the band will
have their new CD by the end of the year and will keep trying to play as many shows as
they can.
Future gigs for the Feds include September 15th at the
Synergy House Benifit at Hodge Park and September 25th at the Hurricane with Big Hairy
Apes.
For more info and show dates, make sure to stop by the Feds
Web site at www.serve.com/feds/.
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