“Steve Knowlton and the Knowl-Tones emerged from the twisted wreckage of another band.  I think the lead guitarist joined the Movementarians or kicked his muse out of his house, or something, so that left Ken and Steve.  The three of us played for a while, and we decided we needed a bassist.  We found Mike, and then Jason.”  -- Jason Justian

 Nineteen ninety-nine was not a great year for rock and roll.  Teeny-bopper pop schlock dominated the charts, nü-metal poseurs like Korn and Limp Bizkit screamed over endless drop-D guitars, and Woodstock was turned from a festival of peace and love to a massacre of middle fingers and capitalist exploitation.  In the midst of all this, Steve Knowlton, Jason Justian, and Ken Pope gathered in a carpeted garage a few miles outside of the small town of Waterloo, Michigan, to jam their way through a bunch of garage-pop tunes written by their grizzly guitarist.  By July 20th the group had added bassist Mike Koch and, although Knowlton suggested the far more amusing The Jupiters (“we’re large, round, and gaseous”), the group was branded Steve Knowlton and the Knowl-Tones, a reference to ludicrous names of 60’s pop groups like Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones.
 Far too mature to entertain dreams of world domination, the group set its sights on smaller targets.  Steve Knowlton: “Honestly, I hoped we would become sort of a local attraction, able to maintain maybe a steady gig somewhere and a local independent record deal.  We never got very close to that at all; in fact, I don’t think we had any fans who weren’t related to us by marriage or friendship.”  Under Steve’s vision, the Knowl-Tones project sounds like a failure.  However, when rated against keyboardist Jason Justian’s less ambitious aims, the group’s success rate ranks up there with all of rock’s legends.  Justian: “Our primary original aim was to play music, and we followed through at least once a week.  Our secondary original aim was to drink beer, and we pretty much always followed through.”  And of course, the simple pleasures one can get from listening to “Auburn Mist” or “Saskatchewan” will never disappear.
 The Knowl-Tones found their beginnings in the summer of 1998, as then bassist Steve Knowlton set out to join a rock and roll band.  Already an established songwriter as part of the pop/rock duo The Pseudonyms (with Ian Kabell), Steve hooked up with a guitarist named Keith Meisel and a drummer named Ken Pope to form the Keith Meisel Conglomerate.  Though the group was not terribly productive, Steve and Ken formed a strong musical bond and set the stage for the emergence of a new force in rock and roll.
 The Keith Meisel Conglomerate performed only once together and Keith, feeling a lack of inspiration, pulled out in January 1999.  Steve and Ken immediately began searching for a new frontman, a quest they would never conquer.  In the midst of this search, Steve managed to convince his good buddy and keyboard player extraordinaire Jason Justian to join this emerging project.
 Auditioning guitar players, never a fun task for anyone, proved to be too stressful for the new combo and it was decided that Steve would assume the guitar playing and vocal duties himself.  Though he may not consider himself the Pavarotti of rock and roll, Steve’s Elvis Costello/Bob Dylan hybrid of a voice (i.e., he sounds like Tom Petty) gave the Knowl-Tones’ material a decidedly human edge, and his understated guitar playing allowed Jason Justian’s pretty keyboard passages to shine through.
 After a couple months of rehearsing and recording, the band released their debut, entitled Knowlton Road.  The record catches the band in their early, formative stages and is padded by Steve’s solo material.  The muddy production hinders things to a degree but there are plenty of solid songs to keep the listener entertained and the tight, minimalist approach to the playing allows the quirky lyrics and playful melodies to be brought to the forefront.  Three of its tracks have found their way into this collection of the group’s best work: “Knowlton Road,” “Garbage Man,” and “Sea Sick.”  Amongst the better tunes not featured in this hit package are the somber “Decoration Day,” Steve’s sweet ode to his wife, “Jessica,” and some biting excerpts from Steve’s failed concept album, Tales from the Juvenile Court.
 Bass player auditions continued throughout the recording of the album and a young man named Jason Bickford seemed like the perfect person for the job.  However, Jason found a place in another group at the same time and had to pass up the opportunity to join the group.  In his place, the band found a brave beginning musician named Mike Koch to fill in the bottom end.
 Knowlton Road saw its first official distribution on August 27, 1999, the day of the band’s first gig, at the Lonely Hearts Club in Ann Arbor.  Working their way through 10 originals and two Beatles covers, the lads blew the roof off the deli, bringing the roaring audience of twenty to their feet.
 The momentum was building and the Knowl-Tones returned to the studio (i.e., Ken’s garage) to being work on new material.  Steve: “I was the main songwriter at this time, bringing in basically completed songs to which the Knowl-Tones would add their parts.  The songs were still basic in their structure, with relatively simple chords and rhythms, but as I became more adept at the guitar and the band became more used to playing together, we got more sophisticated.”
 The success of the Lonely Hearts Club gig persuaded the lads to being a mini-tour of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area which kicked off October 3 at an open stage night at the not-so-elegant Elbow Room.  The rollicking show brought forth an encore and laid down the foundations for the infamous “Night in Hell” gig later that year.
 Working as their own managers, finding gigs proved somewhat difficult for the guys.  As Steve point out: “Our method of getting gigs involved a lot of cold-calling, dropping off demos, and not hearing back.  None of us had any connections in the live scene, so it was hard to break in.”
 On November 6, Steve had a birthday bash at Mr. Mugs’ coffee bar and the Knowl-Tones hit the stage to run through two sets of originals, with some diverse covers thrown in for good measure.  Attendance was encouraging and the band garnered $23 for their hard work.
 Unfortunately, the next gig would not be so successful.  The group returned to the Elbow Room on account of the success of their last gig for an “Up and Comers Night.”  Cobra Youth and the Delinquents, two ultra-hardcore punk bands from Detroit, were paired alongside the Knowl-Tones and, needless to say, the band didn’t exactly light up the stage.  To paraphrase Ken: “I’m glad I’m a Christian because now I know what Hell is like!”
 Major recordings for the group’s next album took place in late December and were followed in early 2000 by a relatively successful gig at the Blind Pig and a triumphant return to the Lonely Hearts Club, with the gentlemen now donning upscale attire rather than the band t-shirts of yesteryear.  Having erased the memory of the “Night in Hell” gig and with future classics like “Pound Away” and “Saskatchewan” in the works, the Knowl-Tones were ready to move on the bigger and better things.  Unfortunately, Mike Koch would not be part of it.
 An aspiring electrician, Mike felt the need to focus on his studies and played his last gig with the band on March 29 at the seedy Cross Street Station.  Steve on Mike’s contributions to the band: “Mike had a unique voice, just made for backing vocals on the ‘garage-y’ type of songs like ‘Pound Away’ and ‘Marco Polo’; he also relied on his ear to guide his basslines, so he developed some sounds I wouldn’t have imagined, like playing ‘Saskatchewan’ in the relative major to the piano.”
 The search for Mike’s replacement was not a long one, as a talented bassist named Jason Bickford, the guy who’d auditioned for the Knowl-Tones back in June of 1999, emerged from the shadows and took over.  Immediately upon his arrival, Jason changed the dynamics of the band, not only musically, with his aggressive chops and quality backing vocals, but on a personal level as well.  Steve: “Jason Bickford was always eager to get in his ideas, and that was a big part in opening up the songwriting.”  Jason made his Knowl-Tones debut on May 2 at the Blind Pig and by all accounts, he made his mark just fine.
 However, two Knowl-Tones gigs at TC’s Speakeasy over the summer began to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the band members.  Despite an abundance of quality material and their ever-improving live act, the Knowl-Tones did not seem to be developing anything resembling a following.  As Steve put it: “Attendance at all our shows seemed to consist of whatever regulars the bar had and our friends.”  Jason Justian is a little more blunt: “Crowds?”
 Nevertheless, the finishing touches were laid onto the group’s second album, and after a fun gig at Steve and Jessica’s housewarming party that included special guest performances by Ian Kabell and Steve’s brother John, the band geared up for their first outdoor gig at the Liberty Plaza as part of Ann Arbor’s “Music in the Park” series.  It was at this August 23 gig that the band’s second album, entitled Half Jasons, received its first distribution.
 Within the first few seconds of the albums opening track, as the band settles into the dark latin-inflected groove of “Saskatchewan,” the improvement from the last record is clearly evident.  Not only is the sound quality much improved, but there is not a song that isn’t a mini-gem in its own right.  I’m always left astounded by the end of the record that there could be so much pure pop joy packed into 45 minutes.
 Both on a songwriting and a performance level, Half Jasons stands on its own two feet as an undiscovered classic.  Musical lines intertwine with carefree joy, the band plays with a loose confidence and no one gives in to the urge to overplay.  Ken’s drumming is as sturdy as ever, Jason Bickford’s bass work propels the record forward, and Steve’s singing actually proves to be the highlight of some tracks. The real star, however, is Jason Justian, whose subtle piano stylings give these songs the rich color and musicality that makes them so infectious.  Highlights are in abundance, as shown by the inclusion of no less than seven tracks on this collection: “Saskatchewan,” “My Love is a Rock,” “Michigan Stomp,” “Stand Over Me,” “Medicine Head,” “Aluminum Foil,” and “Pound Away.”  Amongst the best not to make the cut for this package are the harmony-drenched “Downriver Girl,” the 60’s garage-rock throwback “Marco Polo” (complete with shouted backing vocals courtesy of Mike), and the incredibly catchy “So Glad I Fell in Love.”
 In a sign of things to come, Jason Justian was unable to perform at the CD-launching Liberty Plaza gig due to work commitments but the gig went over well with the crowd, with John Knowlton filling in on keyboards for a number of tunes.
 Coming off their most successful show to date and with some of their finest songs in the works, things were looking up for the Knowl-Tones.  But on September 20, the band was dealt a shocking blow when Jason Justian decided to leave the group.  Unable to balance a heavy workload and family with the late night rehearsals and gigs, Jason felt that if he could not put 100% into the band, then they would be better off without him.  Though thoroughly disappointed by the departure of their talented keyboard player, the group managed to convince Jason to stay on for a one-night-only farewell tour and a final, Abbey Road-like recording session.  Jason Justian on his contribution to the group: “Nobody else brought a keyboard to rehearsals.”
 Though there was potential for a huge breakthrough, Jason’s final show with the Knowl-Tones was a major disappointment.  The Knowl-Tones hoped to build a new audience in Ann Arbor’s student-oriented Touchdown Café, but the audience never seemed to reach beyond a couple dozen.  Nevertheless, Jason did receive a wonderful parting gift: a signed t-shirt stating, “I played with the Knowl-Tones and all I got was this stupid t-shirt.”
 The final recordings with Jason took place on September 27 and from these sessions came the jaw-droppingly good Spackle and Grout EP.  Sparkling, spare production (on Jason Bickford’s suggestion), clever, thoughtful lyrics and a brilliant set of chord patterns and melodies easily mark this record out as the Knowl-Tones’ masterpiece.
 The beauty of these songs lies in their simplicity.  With only the occasional guitar or trumpet overdub, the quality of the individual players is on fine display.  Listen for Ken’s metronome-like sixteenth-note snare drum pattern during the verses of “In My Veins” or Jason Bickford’s understated bass accompaniment on “Auburn Mist” for some fine examples of individual brilliance in a group context.  Steve’s lyrics show great depth, whether comedic (“Good Neighbor”), political (“I Don’t”), or introspective (“Auburn Mist.”)  The vocal performances are also among his finest, adopting an “I-don’t-care-if-I’m-hitting-the-right-notes” attitude that give the songs a brewing confidence.  Four tracks from the EP are included in this package (“Good Neighbor,” “Successful Mistake,” “Auburn Mist,” and “I Don’t”), but my personal favorite track is the Zeppelin-esque romper “Fester,” a powerful piece about “the scabies” with some dynamic drumming from Ken and Jason providing the replicated strings on his keyboard.
 With Jason Justian gone from the band for good, the remaining trio decided to carry on, opting to search for a lead guitarist rather than a replacement keyboard player.  Excited by the prospect of an additional guitar, Jason Bickford suggested the band move into harder rock territory and towards a more democratic approach to songwriting.  Always open to new ideas, Ken and Steve helped arrange several of Jason’s rockers into more Knowl-Tonesque pieces and Steve even contributed his own rocker, a tune entitled “Days of Rage.”  While Jason totally dug the blistering shouter, Ken was strongly opposed.  Steve: “Ken had played in lots of Megadeth-style bands in the early ‘80s and had no desire to recreate his experience now; in addition, he didn’t see how it would fit in our repertoire.”
 On October 18, Jason Bickford called Steve and decided he was opting out of the band.  “’Days of Rage,’ and its subsequent demise, had gotten him thinking that he wanted to play heavier music,” says Steve, “but [Jason] didn’t think the Knowl-Tones were the band to do it, even with our new structure.”  Nevertheless, Jason looks back fondly on his days as a Knowl-Tone.  “Every band member contributed a good attitude, strong work ethic and one quarter of good band chemistry.  Sounds cheesy, but it’s true.  This is one of the most productive bands that I have ever been in.  Oh yeah, Ken provided a fair amount of beer from his refrigerator!!”
 With the line-up down to two, the Knowl-Tones seemed on the verge of extinction, prompting Ken to quip, “So, it’s Steve Knowlton and the Knowl-Tone?”
 But Steve and Ken’s partnership had produced three records of fabulous pop and the duo decided to give the group on last shot.  On election night 2000, Charlie Magiera successfully auditioned for the role of lead guitarist.  “I was pretty impressed with how much he had learned in just a few days,” says Steve.  “I was especially pleased with the solo he played on ‘Medicine Head.’”
 Though the group discussed continuing on as a trio, a bass played named Joe Toro called up Steve to ask for an audition.  “I was knocked out by his bass skills,” says Steve.  “He was by far the bast player who ever auditioned, on any instrument, for the Knowl-Tones.”  A week later, with Ken equally impressed by Joe’s bass skills, the Knowl-Tones Mark III were formed.
 The group began rehearsing and running through the group’s back catalog to decipher which tunes would ride the new wave of the harder-rocking, more jam-friendly sound of the band and which would remain etched in the annals of rock and roll history.  Steve also began writing new material for what would ultimately be the last Knowl-Tones album.
 Finding gigs was never Steve’s favorite part of the job but he did manage to put together a couple of shows in early 2001 for the new line-up, including a fairly successful open mic performance at the Tap Room.  Unfortunately, the second gig, a two-setter at the Solid Rock Cafe on March 31, seemed to such out whatever enthusiasm Steve had left in him.  “We played two sets to about a dozen people (including both Jasons) and earned $25,” he says.  “Shortly afterward, the Solid Rock went out of business, confirming the Knowl-Tones curse: most of the places we played went under (including the Lonely Hearts Club, Mr. Mugs, and Cross Street Station.)”
 Recording for what would later be dubbed III began in April with Steve opting to hand the producing duties over to Joe.  “I thought it would be interesting to have another brain at work, and to learn what it’s like to be on the ‘produced’ end of things.”  Joe’s technical expertise produced what is likely the best-sounding Knowl-Tones recording, and his demand approach got Steve to lay down some of his strongest vocal tracks ever.
 The album holds up well as part of the band’s discography, boasting some strong musicianship and good tunes.  (“Rock and Roll Machine,” “Oar to Oar,” “Grass Skirt,” and “I Stand Corrected” represent III on this collection.)  “Debt,” a six-minute bass-driven funk jam, gives a good indication of the direction the group might have taken had they continued, while “Billions of Bacteria” boasts some of Steve’s most clever lyrics.  Joe and Charlie both make their mark on the group in positive ways, although some might miss the color of Jason Justian’s keyboards.  Nevertheless, the album would have been a solid start to a new beginning for the band.
 But Steve decided time was up for his role in the group.  “Changes were happening in my life,” he begins.  “Jessica was pregnant, and I had decided to make a career change and enroll in graduate night school.  It seemed that the time involved in keeping a band together wouldn’t be available to me.”  On April 11, Steve announced he was leaving the band.  The rest of the group decided to all go their own ways as well, marking the end of an era.
 Ken Pope now plays drums in a Christian rock band called Damascus, and has landed a spot playing occasional gigs with Ann Arbor’s roots-rock favorites Delta 88.  Charlie Magiera is also playing out, in a rock and roll cover band called Second Hand Smoke.  Jason Bickford currently plays bass with a garage punk band and has recorded his own album (for limited release) as well.  Mike Koch currently focuses his energy on his work.  Joe Toro is working as a solo artist and plans to release a CD in the near future.  Jason Justian put out a solo album in the summer of 2001, entitled Fin de Siècle.  Steve Knowlton, like many failed rockers, has reverted to music criticism and runs his own review site, Steve and Abe’s Record Reviews, located at www.angelfire.com/mi4/steveandabe.
 Although the group’s swan song was not completed until December 31, 2001 (due to delays in organizing the overdub and mixing sessions), the Knowl-Tones’ story is now a part of rock and roll history.  While the group may not have reached the heights of rock and roll stardom that at least one member aspired to, the project is looked upon by all with fondness.  But although there are always rumors floating about, the former bandmates’ busy lives dim the chances for a Knowl-Tones reunion.  “Reunion?  [Steve’s infant son] Abraham will be in high school by then,” quips Joe.  Jason Justian is somewhat more optimistic: “I’m in!  But now that George Harrison’s dead, what are the odds?”
 It seems the Knowl-Tones have reached greater heights posthumously than they did during their lifespan, with several of the band’s albums traveling all the way to Maryland, New York, and Toronto.  This package, a career-spanning retrospective, will hopefully continue to spread the music that many Michiganders already hold close to their hearts.
 
Marco Ursi is a Toronto-based freelance music writer.  His work can be seen in NOW magazine, and on the web at his Rock is Dead – Long Live Rock site, https://www.angelfire.com/ab/reviews/

A NOTE ON THE SELECTIONS FOR THIS COMPILATION

“I tried to be objective in making these choices; a few were easy because they are just great songs, e.g. ‘Auburn Mist,’ ‘My Love is a Rock,’ ‘Oar to Oar.’  Most of the others I think stand on their own merits as good songs, good performances, or hopefully both.  A few might be open to debate, but here is my reasoning.  I know ‘Grass Skirt’ was originally intended as filler, but I’ve had some positive comments on it.  In fact, [my wife] Lois and [niece] Melissa both said it was their favorite song on III.  ‘I Don’t,’ ‘Medicine Head,’ and ‘Aluminum Foil’ are all personal favorites, but I included them because I think they show a lot of creativity and diversity.”
- Ken Pope