Band revives on-campus music

By Nate Seltenrich

There's a new name to learn in the on-campus music scene. Backporch Majority, formerly known as the Recipe, are experienced Santa Clara musicians who have been making student bodies move since winter 2000.

The name change, which took place in January after the band discovered that a popular east coast bluegrass band had the same name, has encouraged the four juniors to focus and refine their music.

Backporch Majority is made up of Dave Cordua on vocals and guitar, Seth Cummings on bass and vocals, Jake Cunningham on lead guitar and Chris Garber on drums and percussion. The band took a major step by releasing a seven song demo in January that they hope will get their name out, get them booked at a wider variety of venues in the Bay Area and help test the waters of the industry to find out what they're worth as a band.

"I'm sure it'll be a reality check," said Cordua. "It's been so comfortable here. We have our fan base here. We're gonna go out there and see what we're really made of."

The demo was recorded over the course of 18 cathartic hours at a small recording studio in Santa Cruz last June immediately after finals. Additionally, said Cordua, the band spent every last dollar of their funds in the process.

But it was worth it, because the disc shines as an impressive representation of the group's talent and begs the question: if they can do this with a demo, what will they be able to accomplish with a full-length album? Although Garber says the idea of a full-length release is still up in the air, this self-titled demo indicates that at least they're on the right musical track.

Cordua, Cunningham and Garber have been playing together under a variety of names, such as Banana Hammock, Tubesock Burrito and Buster Brown and the Prophets, since winter quarter 2000. Cummings joined the band in fall 2001 after their previous bassist, Peter Mancina, transferred to another university. Cordua credits Mancina with helping to kick-start the band by bringing together the other three members.

Backporch Majority's sound is a jam-infused jazz/funk blend that's just as clean and studio friendly as it is suited for upbeat and cut-loose live performances. All four musicians are technically proficient and each of their unique styles brings to the band a distinct element. The end result sounds something like rainbow sherbert - a refreshing, tangy and sweet mix of four flavors brought together in perfect, smile-inducing harmony.

"It's good times music," said Cummings. "We play best to a young crowd."

Last night, Backporch Majority did just that during their fourth headlining performance at The Bronco since its opening in January 2002.

Cummings, who also works for Santa Clara's Activities Programming Board (APB), helped to improve the acoustics of The Bronco over this past summer and says the change makes a huge difference.

"Its come a long way," he said of the unique campus venue. "Its nice now. Its definitely changed a lot."

Garber added, "I think The Bronco is a great place for bands to try things out and for students to play without having to be too serious. I'd just like to see more student bands playing there."

The band members also have their own opinions of the Santa Clara music scene, which has been somewhat lackluster in recent years despite complaints voiced by student musicians and attempts by the administration and the APB to foster musical inspiration and expression on campus.

"Being a small community, the good thing about the music scene here is that people are really interested or at least curious about the people involved," said Cordua. "It's bad for the same reason. Because it is small we are not as exposed to different types of music. Tastes tend to be pretty conservative."

Although he admits that The Bronco is a big plus, Garber expresses another concern in regards to Santa Clara's campus music scene. "There are plenty of students who play instruments or are even in bands, but they don't really get together or play together," he said.

Perhaps these kinks will work themselves out, and perhaps it will take a more concerted effort. In the meantime, the members of Backporch Majority aren't going to sit around and wait.

Besides playing frequently at The Bronco and CandJ's, Backporch Majority has also played a wide array of campus events and venues, including open mics, parties and theater performances. For Cordua, the most memorable of these was a high-energy, four-hour long set at a party last year in which the band stuffed 150 people into the basement of a frat house.

Another treasured memory for the band came from their position opening for Ozomatli along with Pseudopod and Blackalicious at last year's APB Spring Concert Festival.

"That was like a dream come true," says Cordua.

Although they enjoyed sharing a stage with Ozomatli, Cordua and Cunningham cite the Doors as the band that they'd most like to open for or play alongside. For Cummings, playing with George Clinton or Santana would be fun, as their funky styles complement Backporch Majority's sound well.