Called By The Road: The Packway Handle Band Comes Of Age

by Kelly Brooks
05/07/2006

photo of the packway handle band taken by Allison Carter

photo by Allison Carter

If you've seen local talents The Packway Handle Band play live, you've probably wanted to tell them to quit their day jobs. And quit their day jobs the quintet has, with the exception of guitar player and vocalist, Josh Erwin. "We had a retirement party," they quipped.

The band launched an extensive, 7-week tour around the western U.S., using their 15 passenger van as transport, which according to members, wasn't cramped as much as it was dirty. Band members seemed enthusiastic about response overall, noting California as one of the most receptive places they played. "It's a totally different thing when you're the main attraction," mandolin player and vocalist Michael Paynter said. "We've come a long way as a band," fiddle player and vocalist Andrew Heaton added.

photo by Allison Carter

On their tour, PHB literally graced the streets of Austin during South by Southwest. The band didn't have an official gig lined up, so they played on street corners and managed to make the local evening news. "Our guerilla warfare tactics worked much better," Heaton commented. Additionally, the band members were privileged enough to see a hip-hop show where Beyonce's little sister, Solange Knowles, broke it down. "Some of it was good, and some of it was really, really mediocre," Heaton added.

PHB, of course, has never been a group to follow the rules. The members say there's nothing they won't try musically, including possibly incorporating electronics in the future.

Although bluegrass dominates PHB's sound, they refuse to restrict themselves to that genre. According to banjo player and vocalist Tom Baker, bluegrass is actually the least listened to type of music within the band. Their tastes, apparently, are "all over the place." A Southeastern Bluegrass Associationreview of PHB's latest album, Sinner, You Better Get Ready, appropriately commented that the band may not be for lovers of "strict adherence to traditional bluegrass," but it's perfect "for those with open ears and a willingness to be engaged by the Packway Handle Band's witty synthesis of diverse influences."

photo by Allison Carter

Confidence and originality saturate their performances, both recorded and live, with their strategic arrangements and sardonic lyrics. "Our on stage performance is very close and connected," Baker said. "Our voices blend when we play, we sing into one microphone, and the sound guy mixes it. So if you can't hear someone's voice, it's our fault and it has to do with the lineup."

The band may produce darkly hilarious tunes like "Satan in Space," an oft-requested song in Athens, but they also mix in lighter, poignant tunes like "All the Time in the World," Madonna's "Like A Prayer," and other '80s covers that will make you nostalgic in a completely new way.

photo by Allison Carter

PHB will continue touring intermittently until September, soon after which they aspire to produce two more releases, one being a live album. They typically record at Heaton's home in Athens, and unfortunately, they may have to move inside from the front porch due to technical difficulties.

Before the new releases, the members of PHB will travel up and down the East Coast, stopping at North Carolina's Smilefest in early June. They don't despise traveling with each other in their relatively spacious van, as every means of transportation seems to pose some problems. "A corporate affair flew us down to Miami to play, and on the plane ride on the way back, I had trouble getting my fiddle on board because of strangulation risks with the strings," Heaton commented.

photo by Allison Carter

According to bass player Zach McCoy, the band is waiting for the invention of teleporting to travel quickly from show to show. Until then, the PHB is content with their current progress in the gradual process of establishing themselves as professional musicians.

PHB will also play Athfest. June 24 at the Georgia Theatre with Hope for Agoldensummer.

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