August 10, 2007

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ US. POSTAGE PAID POSTAL CUSTOMER GLASTONBURY CITIZEN, INC. LOCAL RIVEREAST PRESORTED STANDARD NewsServing Amston, Andover, Cobalt, East Hampton, Hebron,Bulletin Marlborough, Middle Haddam, Portland, Colchester and Salem Volume 32, Number 22 Published by The Glastonbury Citizen August 10, 2007 Clockwise from top left, Eric Heath, Jon Coates, Chris Bowes, and Grayson Minney make up the band Columbia Fields. The group will play at the Hebron Harvest Fair next month and is one of four finalists in the Mohegan Sun Battle of the Bands competition. Local Band Performs Next Month at Hebron Fair by Sarah McCoy Columbia Fields, a band that features they began auditioning drummer, they performance, especially that of the bass- three RHAM High School graduates, immediately knew Bowes would be the ist, Coates. He jokingly said to his girl- seems to be really going places. The en- perfect fit. Unbeknownst to the two friend, “Tell your friend I’m going to steal semble is one of four finalists in Mohegan Hebron residents, Bowes had gotten a his bassist.” Sun’s Battle of the Bands competition, and copy of the aforementioned demo tape and But as it turned out, he didn’t have to. next month the group will perform at the had been drumming to it. So, when he Coates’ band broke up shortly thereafter, Hebron Harvest Fair. came to audition, he knew all the songs freeing him up for a new endeavor. The Hebron performance seems fitting and could integrate his style into the duo’s Along with finalizing their band mem- for Columbia Fields, as that is where the already present groundwork. bers, The Acoustic State also finalized its band’s story really began. With Bowes in the fold, the group be- name. Having added a bassist, and with Back in 2002, Hebron residents Grayson came known as The Acoustic State. They the keyboard becoming a stronger presence Minney, a member of the RHAM Class of continued to play at Marlborough Tavern, in their music, band members decided their 2002, and Eric Heath, a member of the but also added shows at Webster Theatre name was pigeonholing them. After Class of 1998, started playing simple jam in Hartford and several Massachusetts col- months of debate, the group settled on sessions together. Minney would start on leges. The band also opened for national Columbia Fields, a popular location for his guitar and Heath would add in a key- recording artist Edwin McCain, whose hit parties for high school and college-age stu- board line. The pair clicked so well that “I’ll Be” reached number 5 on the Bill- dents. the very first song they created, “Elephant board Hot 100 chart. It seems hard to believe that Columbia Song,” is still one of their biggest hits. But the band wasn’t done growing. With Fields is only a year old. During that time It wasn’t long before the duo began a lead guitar, keyboardist, and drummer the band members have written all their playing regularly at Marlborough Tavern. in place, members of The Acoustic State own music, built their own website, re- Initially, Minney and Heath simply wanted one more thing, a bassist to fill out leased their first album, all while perform- played instrumentals. In 2004, though, their sound. They found him in Jon Coates. ing a couple times each week. They con- they began writing their own lyrics, and “Like a lot of things with our band, add- tinue to play at local bars, small venues, recorded a demo tape. But still, it seemed ing Jon happened by chance,” Bowes said. and fairs across the state, attracting “a that something was missing. “It was all luck.” couple hundred people” each show, ac- So, in 2005, the two took on a drum- Last summer, Bowes’ girlfriend talked cording to Heath. mer, Chris Bowes of Marlborough, who him into going to Sully’s Pub in Hartford Part of the band’s success is due, in large was also a RHAM graduate (the Class of to watch her friend’s band. Despite initial part, to its unique sound. The band has 1999). Minney and Heath said that, when reservations, Bowes ended up enjoying the Continued on Page 2 Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Senior Tax Plan Goes to Continued from Front Page drawn comparisons to the Dave Matthews Band designed the group’s CD cover and had a hand and Counting Crows, two bands that have gar- in their website. Finance Board in Colchester by Jim Salemi nered much success but don’t rely on the key- But when it comes to the music, they all take The Board of Selectmen Wednesday, Aug. the proposal, would result in more children in board like Columbia Fields does. The group their hand at writing and work together to form 1, voted to send a tax relief plan for town se- classrooms and a decline in the quality of edu- could be described as similar to Coldplay, but a song. “Gray[son] writes the lyrics to the songs niors and totally disabled residents to the cation. with a more rocking sound, or like a more eclec- but the music will start with someone playing Board of Finance. “It is our opinion that it would be finan- a few lines,” Bowes explained. “We all add in tic Tori Amos. The plan, called the Senior Tax Stabiliza- cially prudent to be proactive on this issue in- our parts, make suggestions, and keep practic- “It’s hard to describe us,” Heath said. “We tion Program, calls for the creation of a stead of waiting for the inevitable greater cost ing until it’s right.” don’t try to be like anyone else and we all come $30,000 in the annual town budget to help off- to our town and the degradation of our school,” The songs vary in terms of topics. “We sing from different backgrounds.” set the tax burden of those who meet certain the STSPC members said in their proposal. about life, loss…” Minney said, and then Heath Heath is a classically-trained pianist turned age and income criteria. The cost of educating more than one child interjected, “But 99 percent about women.” keyboardist. Bowes is into metal, while Minney If the finance board gives it the green light, from a single typical household outweighs is into rock. And Coates likes a little of every- The band’s song “Trust” deals with women, the town will have to pass an ordinance to the tax dollars the home generates, Conrad thing. while in “Fly Away” the group wrestles with make it official. said. She said that if seniors who currently “Our sound? [Expletive] awesome,” de- uncertainty, “wondering where will I be and The program was pitched by a local com- own two-, three- and four-bedroom homes scribed Coates. when I get there what will I see.” And in “She mittee, the Senior Tax Stabilization Program sell them, more families will move in, further And it seems others agree. When Columbia Says,” Minney sings of pure belligerency: “She Committee (STSPC), and the plan is intended burdening the town’s tax base. Fields released its first CD, entitled When the says she loves me. I say she don’t. She says she to help seniors who would otherwise be forced “It’s not good for the seniors or the town,” Night Falls…, in June the Marlborough Tavern needs me. I say she won’t.” to move out of state. she said. “The seniors don’t want to move from ran out of room. Over 300 people packed the With one album under their belts, the men “If a spouse dies, they are often left with- places they lived all their lives, and it will cost walls for first grabs at the band’s 11-track de- of Columbia Fields show no signs of slowing out the souses income, yet have the same ex- the town more in services. If that happens, but CD. Tracks from the album can be heard down. They’ve written eight new songs for their penses that only increase when it comes to we’ll need more teachers or have larger class on Columbia Fields’ MySpace page: next album and plan to write about seven more keeping a home,” Georgette Conrad, who sizes, plus the possibility of future school ex- myspace.com/columbiafields. before sitting down and carving out the finished spearheaded the program and drafted the pro- pansions.” The group is also one of four remaining product. In the meantime they continue to play gram with the STSPC, said. “The insurance, Conrad said the program her committee pre- bands in the Mohegan Sun’s Sizzling Summer shows virtually every weekend, attracting a big- mortgage, keeping the house heated and the sented is modeled after a program in place in Showdown. The competition began last month ger audience along the way. lights on, all stay the same.” the town of Orange. with over 70 bands. Columbia Fields will per- Next month the band will return to its roots, The STSPC was formed out of members of If approved, the plan would offer a tax credit form next Wednesday in the semi-final match- as Columbia Fields plays the Hebron Harvest the political action committee Seniors Help- of up to $8,000 for seniors 68 or older and to up. Depending on how they fare, the band could Fair Friday night, Sept. 7. This is an event close ing Seniors, which began work on the program seniors who are 65 or older if they are a sur- perform again on Aug.

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