The Standard-Bearer of Original Arkansas Bluegrass www.RunawayPlanet.net * Bookings/Inquiries: [email protected] / 501-960-9609 traditionally based blue- grass band with modern lyrics? ACheck. Tight, three-part vocal harmo- nies, highly skilled instrumentation with rock, folk and jazz influences? Check. Songs soaked in longing, loss and heartache, featuring lyrics that tell stories ranging from tales of murderous revenge to humorous, tongue-in-cheek “I told you so’s” to fond memories of Grandpa’s farm? Check. Runaway Planet, a four- piece acoustic band based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has a lot to offer, and brings over a decade of experience as a band, having played their first show together in the fall of 2001. The group has been compared to ing fathers of bluegrass as well as the the Clinton Presidential Library, as Old Crow Medicine Show, Trampled likes of The Seldom Scene, Old and well as internationally broadcast By Turtles, The Avett Brothers, In The Way, New Grass Revival and radio and television appearances, Yonder Mountain String Band Old Crow Medicine Show. Runaway Planet offers a level and others for their modern spin on With two full-length albums of professionalism and talent unpar- the traditional bluegrass sound. under their belt, many accolades, alleled among bands in the state of Runaway Planet’s mem- high-profile appearances at major Arkansas. bers say their style and sound have festivals and events such as South been heavily influenced by the found- By Southwest and the opening of Continued on Next Page LINKS: Click here for Music, Video, & Band Photos RUNAWAY PLANET : What To Expect at Their Mulberry Mountain Harvest Fest; Shows: A rousing, danceable Riverfest (five times); South by THE BASICS performance featuring uncom- Southwest Music Conference in promising musicianship, grip- Austin, Texas (2005); Opening Compared To: Yonder Moun- ping vocal harmonies and songs ceremonies for Clinton Presiden- tain String Band; Avett Brothers; that keep toes tapping and hands tial Center and Library. Keller and the Keels; Del Mc- clapping. While Runaway Coury Band; the Steeldrivers; Planet’s members are well- Major Broadcast Trampled By Turtles; Old Crow versed in many genres, their love Performances: Appeared on Medicine Show. of traditional American string and helped produce AETN’s band music is showcased by their documentary of the First Annual Influences: Bill Monroe; Flatt depth of talent, producing a hard- Arkansas Acoustic Festival; state- & Scruggs; The Seldom Scene; driving bluegrass performance wide televised programs include New Grass Revival; Old Crow that inspires audience members of “Good Morning Arkansas,” Medicine Show all ages to get up and move. “On The Front Row” for PBS (2012); performed live on Na- What’s Playing In Their Have Played With: tional Public Radio for Michael Van: Porcupine Tree; Magma; The Gourds, Derek Trucks Band Feldman’s “Whad’Ya Know?” Django Reinhardt; The Grateful Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury Band (2008); music featured on NPR’s Dead; Brave Combo and Sam Bush, among many “Car Talk” program with hosts other regional and national acts. Click and Clack; and performed on NPR’s Michael Jonathan’s What They Perform: Originals “WoodSong’s Old-Time Radio and covers including everything Accolades: Winner of the Arkan- sas Times Musicians Showcase Hour,” (2008) broadcast to from the traditional (Bill Monroe millions around the world. and Flatt & Scruggs classics and (2002); Runner-up in Arkansas Old Crow’s “Wagon Wheel”) to Acoustic Festival (2002); Mem- The Beatles, Pink Floyd and even ber of Arkansas Arts on Tour (on What the Media Says: the Violent Femmes. Originals their “notable artist” roster for the “Runaway Planet is the virtuoso feature everything from story- Arkansas Arts Council program). bluegrass quartet that defies the songs about revenge for love gone hillbilly image that the genre all wrong to childhood memories of Major Live Performances: too often begets.” — Arkansas farming with Grandpa. Arkansongs Music Festival; Times MEET RUNAWAY PLANET’S MEMBERS Runaway Planet is made up of three founding the Fab Four, as well as members: Greg Alexander, Steve Brauer and Michael with the vocal harmonies Proveaux. The band also includes a fourth guest member of the Beach Boys and on mandolin, a spot that is now being filled regularly Three Dog Night. by Matt Stone. Here’s an introduction to each member, Other early influ- their musical influences and backgrounds, and how they ences — besides his par- came to be bluegrass musicians. Enjoy! ents’ country and blues records — included a GREG ALEXANDER wide range of artists, from Elvis to Hank Wil- The lead singer and acoustic guitarist, Greg Alexan- liams Jr., Rick James to der also is the primary songwriter for the group. Alexan- Ozzy Osbourne, and in der recalls that The Beatles — and a version of “Octo- his teen years, even punk pus’s Garden” — started it all for him as a child, and he rockers like the Sex began acquiring records soon after falling in love with Continued on Next Page Pistols and The Clash. Violent Femmes, King Crimson, The Grateful Dead, It wasn’t until his 20s that the talented longtime Jimi Hendrix, Brave Combo and even classical giants singer — he NEVER misses a note, whether singing like Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. lead or backup vocals, which depends on the song being More recently, Brauer’s musical influences have played — and burgeoning bass and acoustic guitarist included Django Reinhardt, Samla Mammas Manna, would discover a penchant for bluegrass and jambands Bill Keith, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Magma, Gong like the more folksy Grateful Dead, the Allman Broth- and Porcupine Tree. Brauer’s 2011 solo release “Still ers, Marshal Tucker Band, and a then-young band called Life With Guitar And Banjo” showcases arrangements Widespread Panic. by J.S. Bach, Scott Joplin, Villa-Lobos and more. More recently, Alexander says his biggest influences This wide variety in musical tastes could help ex- have included Peter Rowan, the Dead, Railroad Earth, plain why Brauer has been described as a banjo virtuoso Bob Dylan and Old Crow Medicine Show. and why his banjo handiwork has been featured on two All these influences are reflected in his songwriting albums by The Salty Dogs, country music veterans also for Runaway Planet. A major theme of his songs? based in Little Rock who have regularly shared the stage Loss. with Runaway Planet for the better part of a decade. “It’s like blues to me, in the sense that it feels good Brauer’s banjo lines are anything but traditional, of- to sing about the thing that makes you feel bad,” Alexan- ten borrowing from jazz melodies and other genres that der explains. “Funny, huh? I love the religious numbers, are not typically heard on his instrument, he says. too. They just seem to make everyone in the audience “I am attracted to music with intricate melody lines, feel good.” unconventional harmonies and unusual chord progres- Other favorite songs that Runaway Planet per- sions. I want to do things on the banjo that other banjo forms include the original tune “Wrong,” written about players haven’t done yet,” Brauer explains. Alexander’s last relationship. “It was over and yet she “I try not to think like a bluegrass musician when I kept popping into my life,” he recalls. “And when a song perform on banjo, but it’s difficult because so much of the comes together just right, it seems to embody all those sound of the instrument is linked to bluegrass. So doing real emotions that we all feel at some time, and it takes anything different at this point in the history of the banjo you back to that moment. That is real.” is going to be a challenge. But that’s one of the things I Yes, that is real, and that’s what good music is all like most about playing original music: the challenge.” about: Human emotion. And as any Runaway Planet fan will tell you, Alexander and his crew are skilled MICHAEL PROVEAUX at reflecting the human experience in the most fun way possible, with upbeat rhythms and melodies that make Runaway Planet you want to sing and dance along. bassist and vocalist Michael Proveaux plays STEVE BRAUER the upright bass with a fiery passion unlike any- Banjo player and thing you’ve likely ever vocalist Steve Brauer seen, bouncing along grew up to the sounds with every note he picks, his father’s large music as his fans well know. collection that included But when he sings everything from Cat Ste- lead on songs such as vens, Simon & Garfun- Johnny Cash’s “Delia,” kel, Creedence Clearwa- Proveaux’s voice is ter Revival, The Beatles, smooth as milk, with a Linda Ronstadt and Flatt broad range and a tonal & Scruggs to The Stones quality reminiscent of the high lonesome sound common and The Yardbirds and among great bluegrass vocalists. even Clint Eastwood’s Like his bandmates, Proveaux grew up on the clas- “Spaghetti Western” sic rock greats, and in fifth grade acquired his own cas- soundtracks and “the absolute worst of his collection”: sette recorder, which he recalls using to tape his favorites Slim Whitman’s yodeling records, Brauer recalls. off the radio: Styx, Fleetwood Mac, J. Geils and others. His own musical tastes — and his guitar and sing- The hit-makers of the 1980s ruled his musical collection ing skills, beginning with his father’s instruction around throughout high school, and in college, he says, Pink age 10 — developed to the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zep- Floyd was his biggest musical influence. pelin, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, The Doors, U2, The Continued on Next Page The 1990s brought him new alternative and pro- MATT STONE gressive rock tastes and favorites, and it wasn’t until around 2000 when he finally got “bit by the bluegrass The newest ad- bug”.