This Saturday, Bowman Park will be livelier than the usual recreational soccer and mud paths for students on campus. Fitz & The Tantrums, a nationally known indie pop/ soul group, will perform at 7 p.m. as a part of the university's 175th anniversary celebration.
Hailing from Los Angeles, this pack of performers has a revolutionary taste. With lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick and wing-woman Noelle Scaggs, the group brings Motown's soul feel to a modern indie pop atmosphere.
In the past year, Fitz & The Tantrums has become a national showcase, touring major festivals across the country, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella, FireFly and many more.
Their debut album, "Picking Up the Pieces," received wide support from coast to coast. Ann Powers, music critic of the Los Angeles Times, wrote, "Fitz & the Tantrums is the kind of band that communicates best in concert, but this album serves as a fine proxy and party-starter."
In addition, Vogue Daily credited Fitz & The Tantrums as being the "Hardest-Working Band" in June of 2011.
The DePauw spoke with bassist Joe Karnes about the band's sophomore record, traveling and much more.
The DePauw: "Pickin' Up The Pieces" was a standout hit and received a lot of great publicity. You guys have a new album, still unnamed, coming out soon. Frontman Michael Fitzpatrick described it as "a little less retro, a little more modern," as an expectation to Rolling Stone in April. What's your take on the sophomore record?
Fitz & The Tantrums: The album is currently delayed, as we're finishing touches to try to make it as good as possible. It should be out early winter, but not sure yet. [Fitzpatrick's description] is very accurate. Recording it has been very great. Over the past two years we've had these instrumentations with piano and organ and sax and vocals. We have to expand on that to diversify production. We'll do so, even with some guitar. What we're trying to do is serve the new songs that we're writing. If the song needs a different sound, we will set up to find it and not limit ourselves. All in all, it has a wide variety of moods and melodies. Definitely more 80's influence than
the last one.
TDP: While on tour, you have opened up for a lot of well-known artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Grace & The Nocturnals, Maroon 5 and many more. Has this helped the development and progression of the band?
F&T: There is a professionalism that is so nice to see. Take Dave Matthews Band, they've been doing it for 20 years with the same amount of passion in every single show. It's a huge inspiration to play anywhere as long as that. You never stop giving 110 percent.
TDP: How would you describe the overall style and message that Fitz & The Tantrums represents to someone who doesn't know the band very well?
F&T: The sound is definitely a soul-influenced indie pop. There is some bass and soul for indie pop fans - all elements in there. Eighties pop is in there with the melodies, with a indie-rock quality approach to it. It's a lot more, even without guitars, of a rock element. We're definitely trying to make a new sound using older idioms - 80's and such - and then put them together to make a new musical dialogue. Don't want to be a straight of electrical band, want to be found to make something new.
TDP: What made DePauw appetizing for you and the rest of the band to play at?
F&T: Our booking agent came to us and mentioned it. We love playing at universities. We love the crowds and the response they bring. Greencastle is in a great spot in Indiana right by Bloomington and Indianapolis, too. We're really looking forward to the show. Hopefully we can all have a really fun time together.
TDP: You guys had a truly unique experience of intertwining politics and music by playing an acoustic set during "Occupy Wall Street." How did the band benefit from such an engaging outing?
F&T: We went down there, did a little capella of "MoneyGrabber" and "Dear Mr. President." We were concerned about that whole thing and being there really resonated the most with us. It's something that everyone can get behind. That's what the whole movement was about. It was a real pleasure to give a voice to people on Wall Street to know they have a little more responsibility. Give people a break for a second.