From opera in the rain to ballad-shouting bums, UCLA musicians have seen and reveled in it all. Today, Fowler Out Loud presents two bands who have learned to face oddities with a smile and a song: soft-rock groups Sharpless and the Jane Carrey Band.
Sharpless, originally called the Sean Pawling Group, is returning to campus in its first performance here since Spring Sing 2008. The band consists of past and current UCLA students Sean Pawling, Nick DePinna, Charlie Domingo and Jake Jamieson.
Pawling, a 2007 trombone performance graduate and now a USC graduate student, has had plenty of experience performing at UCLA as a music student, but the show with Fowler Out Loud will mark his first performance as an alumni. He leads a double life, sporting a tuxedo and trombone during the day and a guitar ““ fully equipped with indie/folk rocker vibe ““ by night.
The name “Sharpless” reflects Pawling’s multi-dimensional personal experiences with music, although sometimes he likes to leave the meaning behind it a mystery.
“People hear the name, and they’re unsure. They’re like, “˜What do you mean? Is it dull? Are you blunt? Is it like scissors for kids?'” Pawling said with a laugh.
In actuality, the name comes from a character from Pawling’s favorite opera, “Madame Butterfly,” and represents the edge instilled in his classical upbringing.
Although he has been brainstorming band names his entire life, this particular name struck a chord with Pawling when he participated in a music festival in Aspen as part of the orchestra in a rendition of the opera. Despite the fact that they were performing in a giant tent in the midst of a downpour, Pawling sat back and took in the music.
“I wanted a name that represented my life, and my life is a whirlwind of music. It’s an eclectic mix of everything,” Pawling said. “I just like doing everything.”
His mind is so filled with music that he even slips out of class to record melodies that suddenly strike him, with a recording device he brings everywhere.
“It’s been a very long process, figuring out the most efficient ways to get down my ideas. They’re just floating around in my head, and it’s more a matter of how I catch them,” said Pawling of his composition process.
The songs of both Sharpless and the Jane Carrey Band are appealing because of their intricacy and honesty. They utilize mixes of electric and acoustic instruments to create a folksy, subversive sound.
“We picked these bands because they’re really edgy and have really great energy,” said Kingsley Irons, campus coordinator for Fowler Out Loud. “They sound like mature musicians, but they’re still young.”
The Jane Carrey Band, consisting of members Jane Carrey, Ian Sloane, Daniel Sahagun and UCLA third-year jazz studies student Terry Goldberg, has lyrics that carry a heavy weight, yet Carrey’s voice rings with an innocence that may appeal to younger audiences.
“We still haven’t figured out exactly what our fan base is because we’re playing clubs that are 21 and up. I feel like a younger crowd would be into Jane, but obviously they can’t come see us if we’re doing 21-and-up gigs,” Goldberg said. “But Jane’s lyrics are complex, and you need to be older to understand.”
Goldberg said a lot of the songs hit home with the collegiate crowd.
“We are the age of college students and we’re living the lives of college students,” Goldberg said. “The music reflects that: what we’re going through, this stage in our lives.”
Although many of the band members specialize in all different genres and are involved in side projects, the Jane Carrey Band is the No. 1 priority for all of them, they said.
They plan on starting weekend tours in California, and in the meantime the band is enjoying performing at venues in Los Angeles such as Ghengis Cohen and Molly Malone’s.
It was at Ghengis Cohen that one of Goldberg’s funniest performance memories was built.
“We were doing a ballad ““ you know, quiet, soft, emotional ““ and this bum walks in the side door and starts yelling.
“The song was called “˜Wishing and Waiting,’ and he was like, “˜Yeah! I’m waiting! I’m just drinkin’ a beer and watchin’ her play!’ Jane was like, “˜Hi there!'” Goldberg said with a laugh.