Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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> SITE OF THE DAY kHB WS vjr jy^VJjB ?1 1 K^ VUBS^B^^fiBSftiiA^^H > ; F eelir , Hobex just might ha\ its hybrid off KAREN LAYNE News Editor Once upon a time, there was a band called Dillon Fence from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. At age 18, singer and guitarist Greg Humphreys started the band and he played in it for about eight J? _ ft***** jgnH^ j33R.1I * -,,. f UnBH I i. l,,lMM1|iMMMg|Ma<B,|^^J ' ?|lP P| SPECIAL TOT fi I I 9hk9r By.~ M wjm WmSp" ^^Ky?M |^B m^mJSk Ip^x^L ::%jjH Ww*Hp1 * S^^HPt - 4 '11 ra|ki 'i ETC. C i I ) a lit >e the cure you're lool unk, soul, R&B to Col years. < After all that time, Humphreys decided to change things around, and tonight he and the two other members of his new band, Hobex, will be bringing their soulful blend of rock and R&B to the Elbow Room Humphries formed Hobex about a year and a half ago, , and the band's sound is a definite departure ^ from the Southern i pop rock that made < y* Dillon Fence a 1 popular party band. < Hk "It's like soul and funk-influenced rock'n'roll," Humphreys said about the band's B music. "And all this m music grows from the H; same roots. It's all from R&B and the B blues. If you follow it B back, it all comes from B the same place. "It's all about ELpeople trying to express themselves and vent their feelings I through music." Humphreys BJ started Hobex in the fall of 1995, and the lineup for the band was solidified when drummer Steve "the HE GAMECOCK Sti/Sm mil * mm h$ jsj Hf . i mum* k EI* ^ PW ^ -v / s?>. x BF Kf IhH S f\ IN WEDNESDAY Check Out S F1 ;tle dc ring for. The three-ma umbia tonight at the . doctor" Hill, who used to play in the punk band Johnny Quest, joined the oandlast spring. Former Dillon Fence member Andy Ware has been playing bass for Hobex since the band started. Humphreys said the Dillon Fence break up did not happen under bad nrcumstances but that he felt it was time to move on. "We were a band for nine years, and all good things must come to an and," he said. "By the time we broke up, I was the only original member af the band left. "I had to do my own thing," he continued. "I'm proud of what we did, but I just live in the present. I remember when it was a really alive and exciting thing." And now Hobex is also an alive and exciting thing. But the new band has more in common with James Brown and Marvin Gaye than with the three-chord pop rock Dillon Fence played. Hobex's first recorded material, a six-song EP called The Payback EP, takes its name from an LP by James Brown called The Big Payback, and the album deals in part with Humphreys's negative feelings after negative experiences on Dillon Fence's record contract. "It's a cutthroat business," Humphreys said. "I feel like I'm still an optimistic person, but I've been seasoned by my experiences. And ^EpKpjj^. iSp^Njjjp^ L^f %^M ^^BfEv^JjA' ^ H^wKP \ ? *JBM lE3r 1 i m Muni tome Recent Music Releases >wn? n N.C. band brings Elbow Room. that's what The Payback EP is about It's a sorta kiss my ass to record people who drive musicians crazy." The songs on the EP vent some of this frustration and convey TT 1 J: *4. ^^4- "D,,4 riuiiipiircys s uisappuiiiuiieiit. dui while the music may have negative associations, the music is about dealing with these negative emotions. All six tracks are smooth, grooveoriented songs that beautifully combine elements of funk, soul, R&B, rock and blues. "I was always into the R&B side of the coin," Humphreys said. "And I brought that to Dillon Fence for a while, but it wasn't the focus. And as time went on, I got a hankering to do this." Humphreys said artists who have influenced him include Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder among others and that it is the music of these R&B artists he turns to when things get rough. "They're the kinda people that give me hope," he said. "And I guess I always wanted to make that kind of music that uplifts people. It's the kind of music that lets people know the next day won't be as bad as the one before." Since Hobex started playing, Humphreys has written about 22 songs, and the band is currently considering options for recording a full-length album, but Humphreys said they don't want to rush into t f ? m &9P1I9L ' ^ijraL ^PBm *y? ^bCT' ly^ j ./ ,..,J1 BL_ Hobex comes to the Elbow Room above, is, fVom left to right, singei bass player Andy Ware and drummt anything. He said one of the most difficult things about starting all over again has been the slow process of developing a new fan base. But Humphreys said the band but has been worth the effort because it is a more accurate representation of himself. "Hobex reflects my state of mind as a person approaching 30," he said. "I'm more at peace with myself. And I'm more into enjoying the process than the results. "We knew when we started a new band that there would be some tough shows," he said. "But as time goes by and word spreads, the good shows have come more often than the bad. "I guess Fve been singing for about 10 years in the clubs, and I think this is about the time for me to do what I want to do." Although Hobex's sound differs taurant and^a\ ^ P W' 9 Jr '" * fl ]S* ^ '^ajr 41 < s \>?9| ' . I .. 44 I guess I always wanted to make that kind of music that iplifts people. It's the kind of music that lets people know AM. A. J %A 1 1 I me next aay won i w as uuu as the one before. Greg Humphreys singer, guitarist of Hobex VV v fe. * SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK tonight. The N.C. band, pictured r and guitarist Greg Humphreys, ;r Steve ^he doctor1" Hill. greatly from Humphreys's early work, he said that he has found former Dillon Fence fans have been receptive. "I'd say the reaction I've been getting the most from former Fence fans is, If s not what I was expecting, but I like,m he said. "Ifyou're in a band that's established, sometimes you're imprisoned by what you've already done. I'm glad people liked Dillon Fence, but Hobex is an expression of who I am now and not who I was when I was 18. "And if the fans think about it, I'm sure they wouldn't want to watch me just going through the motions." Humphreys said the positive feelings about his new musical pursuit carry over into the live show, and so, if you'd like to check them out, head to the Elbow Room tonight. $ I V