Stretch Lefty

Local Band on lineup at Hookahville XXX this weekend

by Dwayne Steward
The Advoacte
Entertainment Coordinator
August 28, 2008

Cramped in a small back room of an abandoned industrial building amongst Fender, Gibson and Kraig Phillips guitars, the Columbus-based band Stretch Lefty takes a step back through time to explain themselves.

Some of their first thoughts go back to the band’s inception at Northridge High School — four of the five members are Johnstown natives. They’d practice at bassist Matt Jago’s house before sneaking through the woods into the biannual Hookahville music festival — then only 10 minutes away at Frontier Lake in Pataskala — to catch a glimpse of their rock idols.

More than eight years later, the band finds itself back where it began. But their excitement about the festival, celebrating its 30th installment this weekend at the Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground in Thornville, has a different meaning. This time around, the eclectic funk band, mixing the sounds of hip-hop, reggae and punk rock, will be among the lineup of artists they’ve always counted as their influences.

“To be on the other side is blowing my mind completely,” said drummer and backup vocalist Johnny “Coco” Williamson.

The band — consisting of Jago, Williamson, guitarist and keyboardist Tyler Starkey, guitarist Anthony Fancelli and lead singer Brian “Tabu” Thomas, who joined the band almost four years ago, after meeting Starkey at the Columbus College of Art & Design — will take the stage Saturday afternoon, wedged between festival headliners Arrested Development and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

“When we were 16 years old, Hookahville was always a fantastic musical event, and it’s really a great honor to be a part of it,” said Jago, who is also a music instructor at Newark’s Martin Music, 910 N. 21st St.

Stretch Lefty’s Hookahville debut comes on the heels of the release of their second album, “Universe Box,” just last week.

The album received a warm welcome during its release party Saturday at Skully’s Music Diner, 1151 N. High St., Columbus. The album also received the seal of approval from producer Ron Saint Germain, who mixed a few of its tracks.

“When they were brought to me, I thought the band was fantastic,” said Germain by phone from his offices in New York. Throughout his 35-year career, the producer has worked with pretty much anyone who’s anyone in the music biz, from 311, Creed, The Cure and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the likes of U2, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.

“They’ve created a unique hybrid by marrying hip-hop, rock and reggae, which is refreshing, and I think they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the popular stuff that’s out there,” Germain said.

The release party, sponsored by the band’s newly formed label, Big Bounce Boombox, also featured their sister band, Street Corner Rockas, which includes a majority of Stretch Lefty and also was formed under the Big Bounce umbrella.
So, it seems Hookahville is just the beginning.

Led by manager and producer Austin Briggs, formerly of The Barber Shop Studios in New Jersey, the record label and band are hoping to use the new album and exposure to launch not only their own careers but promote the rest of the local music scene as well.

“Their dedication to Columbus is unheard of,” said Briggs, whose belief in the band’s potential led him to leave the big-city recording company and move back to Ohio to work with the band. “The music scene here is still pure. It’s untouched.”

Germain agrees, citing the success of Bruce Springsteen and Creed, who each built home fan bases of 25,000 to 75,000 before hitting it big nationally.

“It’s really not something new. You have to deal from your position of power, and that’s your home base,” he said. “I endorse that policy wholeheartedly. It shows they’re organized and can be a working unit. It’s not rock-star status but a great start.”