Let's Active - In Gear With 'Every Dog'
The Atlanta Journal And Constitution
Friday November, 11 1988
By Forrest Rogers
Call them Robert Plant's favorite band or the group with the guy
who produced R.E.M.'s first single.Say what you want about Let's
Active but don't call them Mitch Easter and his band.
Although the 33 year old singer - guitarist wrote or co- wrote
every song on the band's fourth and latest record, "Every
Dog Has His Day," Mr. Easter views himself as an equal
partner in his pop quartet which also includes keyboardist -
guitarist Angie Carlson, drummer Eric Marshall and bassist John
Heames.
"I've always really believed in just having a band"
says the musician from his Columbus, Ohio motel room during a
break in the tour that brings Let's Active to Atlanta's Center
Stage Theater on Sunday. "Because people see me as a
producer they think it's a hobby band or something."
A very successful hobby indeed. Nearly as successful a hobby as
Mr. Easter's career as an independent record producer. Working
since 1980 out of his Drive - In Studio (located in his parent's
Winston - Salem, N.C. garage), Mr. Easter has produced acts such
as R.E.M.. Suzanne Vega and Love Tractor.
In 1981 he crossed to the other side of the control console to
form Let's Active with bassist Faye Hunter and drummer Sara
Romweber. They received critical kudos for their 1981 EP 'afoot'
and had a college radio hit with 'Room With A View.'
"Every Dog Has His Day," released in August, features
hook heavy power pop with '60s musical references. It marks the
first time Let's Active used an outside producer. Tapped to co -
produce the album with Mitch was Englishman John Leckie, whose
credits include work with such diverse acts as Pink Floyd and XTC.
The collaboration promises to be the band's most commercially
successful effort to date, but Mitch believes the odds are
stacked against any band trying to make it in today's harsh
musical climate. He points out that 'Every Dog' has reached #2 on
the College Music Journal chart, but adds, "that's not
enough, commercial radio is a closed shop, MTV is like that too."
From his perspective on both sides of the recording industry Mr.
Easter expresses concern about today's musical climate, "It's
stagnant" he says,as it was in the '70s, and that's not the
worst of it.
"It's a politically boring time" he says, "music
doesn't stand for anything except recreation, it's kind of like a
leisure activity so that's kind of a drag."
But there's been precious little leisure time for Mr. Easter, who
this year has produced records for Game Theory, Canada's
Monuments Galore and other artists. Not exactly household
rock'n'roll names, but Mr. Easter is respected for his ability to
get the best out of a young band in the studio.
The attention Mr. Easter paid to his own music shows on "Every
Dog Has His Day". Let's Active's current line-up has been
playing together since '85 and Mitch points out that recording of
the record was a group effort. "We did every track with
everybody playing. These songs are direct", he says,
referring to the perceived obscurity of the band's lyrics on
previous LPs.
Let's Active counts former Led Zeppelin singer - strutter Robert
Plant amongst it's fans. "He really likes us", says an
obviously flattered Mr. Easter. "And he said he makes his
band listen to us."
Let's Active with Velvet Elvis, in concert at 8 P.M. Sunday.
Center Stage Theater, 1374 West Peachtree Street. General
admission tickets $13.50 available at the box office and all
SEATS outlets. Information : 873-2500
