Thursday, October 05, 2006
Q&A with Phil Kominski of Lloyd Dobler Effect
He's the singer/guitarist from the Washington, D.C.-based alt/rock band
Clockwise from top left: Chris Bruno, Phil Kominski, Donnie Williams and Rusty Williams
IO Jukebox
Lloyd Dobler Effect
Hear them live
- When: 10 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Corned Beef & Co., 107 Jefferson St., downtown Roanoke.
- Tickets: $5
- Call: 342-3354
- Net: www.lloyddoblereffect.com
Gaining a loyal following through nonstop touring, energetic live recordings and ever-evolving shows, Lloyd Dobler Effect's model for earning and keeping fans isn't rocket science -- just lots of hard work.
Don't believe us?
LDE logged 245 shows in 2005; played in Japan, Guam, Hawaii and the Marshall Islands this summer; and recorded 18 songs when it wasn't touring stateside. The band will add to its 2006 show tally with a return visit to Corned Beef & Co. on Saturday.
Q: It seems that a lot of bands with heavy touring schedules are in front of new faces every night, and then it's on to the next city. But you seem to have family in every town you stop in. What do you think it takes to win over that longtime fan?
Phil Kominski: We are very fortunate to have such wonderful fans. The first thing that attracts a new fan is honesty in the music and the way that it is performed. We dress, act and perform the way that's most comfortable to us, and we try to deliver the best versions of our songs each night. That's step one.
Step two is making the effort to meet, greet and converse with new fans. I enjoy hearing what they like about our music, where they're from and what they do.
Lastly, it's important to provide an incentive for new fans to come back, like performing a few new songs or playing a different version of an older song.
Q: Does your show in Roanoke change much compared to, say, a D.C.-sized performance?
A: We have been performing here for over two years; however, we always seem to get booked with odd frequency. We'll perform three months in a row, start to build a loyal following and then won't return for seven months. This is a terrible thing to do to new fans. I'm pretty sure that we've gotten this problem fixed.
Our performances in Roanoke are not too different from anywhere else we play. We try to make the sets different every time that we return. We're noticing that Roanoke is starting to build really well for us. We sincerely appreciate our friends in Roanoke who have been so supportive of our music. We hope they'll continue to be so kind to us!
Q: Look into the crystal ball and tell me about 2007.
A: We'll be signed to our new label and release our first major label disc. If we aren't signed, I'm going to put myself into a state of deep depression and hide in a sewer for three years, then emerge and sell fish tacos in some beach town.
Honestly, we'll have our new label family. We'll also have our trio acoustic record released. LDE might release two studio CDs in 2007. We'll tour in support of some major artists, and we'll go overseas again. We'll be planning for another live CD in '08 and will release new LDE swag. Lastly, we write an average of 10 songs a year, so we'll conjure up new material. 2007 will be a blast ... or I'll be living in a sewer!
