On the Road
Chris Jordan
Compact performance.
Surrounded by several dozen young fans, a few bemused parents and aisles of CDs, Catch 22 trumpeter Kevin Gunther got on the mic during the band's promotional in-store performance Tuesday at Compact Disc World in Edison.
"Who thinks it's as weird to see a show inside a record store as it is to play one?" Gunther asked the crowd from the cramped stage.
It was a little odd, seeing a high-energy ska-core group like Catch 22 blister through a set while fans barely nodded heads. No wonder, it was 5:30 in the afternoon. Not exactly moshing hour.
But for the East Brunswick-based Catch 22, an in-store performance is another sign of the band's growth. The group's first CD, "Keasbey Nights," sold more than 30,000 copies, according to a spokesman for Victory Records, the band's record label. Tonight at the Birch Hill night club in Old Bridge, Catch 22 will celebrate the release of its second full-length CD, "Alone in a Crowd."
Welcome to the near-big time, Catch 22.
Even if it means that you have to play under the florescent glare of record store lights.
"This is fun to do and we'll do it, but it doesn't compare to a show," said Gunther of Spotswood, before the performance. "When you play at a show in front of a 1,000 kids, you can hopefully reach 900 of them with an energetic show, music, and your stage presence. When you're here, you can reach 50 kids personally, meet them, shake all their hands and learn all their names. But we can't give them in 25 minutes what we do at a show."
Still, Catch 22 packed a lot of energy into those 25 minutes. Singer Jeff Davidson of Verona delivered his rapid-fire lyrics with verve and the band's horn section punched out brisk accents and rolling breaks.
The early 20-something band performed songs from its new album, which is a seamless mix of the Catch 22's ska, pop and punk roots, and ended the show with a cover of Bob Marley's "One Love."
Catch 22, named for the Joseph Heller novel, was formed in the fall of 1996. The band has been though several changes and only Gunther, drummer Chris Greer and saxophonist Ryan Eldred remain from the original lineup. The group -- also Pat Calpin, guitar, and Pat Kays, bass -- will have another in-store appearance, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sam Goodys on 6th Avenue and 8th Street in New York City.
Next month, Catch 22 will begin a national tour with Reel Big Fish.
Indeed, the band seems headed for the bright lights. But fan Randy Fuson, 18, of New Brunswick, remembers a simpler time.
"I've seen shows when there were only 30 people there," Fuson said. "They used to wear suits and they tried to be old school."
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