photo courtesy of myspace.com/kevimeanTaking a break from the stage and feeling like a whole new band
By: Rachel Nelson
http://www.amarilloscene.com/
Some people blow off steam by playing sports or going to the club, but local three-piece Kevimean gets down every Friday night in their bedroom-sized practice room preparing to play shows that rock Amarillo.
"We get through our week knowing that there's an exclamation point at the end," said drummer and lead singer Jason Burt.
Although they haven't played since the Brian Deneke Memorial Festival in December and don't plan to play again until late February or March, Kevimean has a lot going on. The boys are currently taking a break from the stage to focus on learning new music.
Bassist Ryan Putman is looking forward to a fresh beginning, but noted that the band will still take old requests from the audience.
"It gets old for us to play the same songs over and over and it just makes it more interesting," he said.Putman is a long-time friend of Burt. Kevimean formed in 2002 after they met lead guitarist Steven "Stevo" Galan who, according to Burt, was itching to do something with his life. They began writing songs their first practice.
"It was awesome. I knew it was right the first night we played," Galan said.
Burt also was pleased with the trio.
"We're so good together as three. I know what each of us has to offer. We have so much to offer, and we have so much fun doing it," he said.
Kevimean took their name from Burt's brother, Kevin, who passed away in 1997.
"Sometimes our music gets kind of mean, kind of dark," Burt said.
The name also is meant to sound like the animal tranquilizer ketamine.
Today the band counts themselves as brothers.
"We just kind of feed off of each other," Putman said. "We play for fun. In 2008, we're probably up to about a two-hour set."
Galan said the new set includes a diverse mix of covers and originals. Kevimean likes to mix things up, playing everything from heavy metal to jazz, blues and even rap.
"We've taken on a new approach. The covers we've taken on are probablycovers that no one else
has taken on in town," Galan said.
The break has provided an opportunity for growth in the band.
"It's pushed us out of our comfort zone," Putman said.
The band's creativity is being rejuvenated, and Kevimean says the audience will see that at their shows. "You can see everybody revived, so it's nice," Galan said. "We feel like we're a new band almost."
Kevimean plays well with others. "We like to share the stage with people who like music and are serious about it," Putman said.
According to Galan, the next thing on the agenda is making a recording. Until then, get a taste of Kevimean at myspace.com/kevimean. Also keep checking The Scene event calendar for show dates.
SNEAK PEEK: Go to Kevimean's upcoming shows to hear the obscure three-piece play covers by
the Deftones, Tom Petty, Ween, Cracker and more. Also, request original rap/metal song "Saturday"
