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Frontman absent: Local band enjoys watching singer compete in national competition
(Times-News (Burlington, NC) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 16--Since Chris Daughtry has been a contestant on "American Idol," a lot of attention has turned to his band, Absent Element.
The Burlington-based group has gotten 120,000 hits on its Web site in the past three weeks. And the three musicians are having a hard time keeping the self-titled CD in stock.
"I've ordered 1,500 more that should be here soon," said Ryan Andrews, bass guitarist.
Not bad for a band that struggled to get its name recognized for three years.
"It doesn't seem real," said guitarist Mark Perry in an interview from his parents' house on Tuesday. He leaned back on the couch as he said, "When people come up and ask 'Do you know Chris Daughtry?' We're like yeah, he's family." Ryan Andrews, Mark Perry and Scott Crawford are very much like family; the three will keep you entertained and laughing, even without the use of musical instruments.
"It's like this all the time," Crawford said in between bouts of laughter that had this reporter so tickled that her eyes were watering. "When we play, it's a comedy act with music." The guys started mimicking some of the past shows, one in which fire broke out (from a nearby monitor) and another one in which Daughtry's attempt to spit water (to cool Crawford off) went wrong.
"He couldn't see because Chris spit the water in his face and it got in his eyes," Perry laughed.
And the hip rocker that is their lead singer -- what about him? Perry said that "what you see on TV is what you get. That's Chris. He's a real guy." The down-to-earth quality, plus the raw rocker edge, is what all three of the bandmates feel will not only keep Daughtry in the competition, but may win him the title of "American Idol." "What I love about him is that he doesn't go out there and pretend to be something he's not," Perry said. "He's good at singing; he can sing anything." On Tuesday night, Daughtry took on Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." Judge Randy Jackson admitted that he was a little nervous about how Daughtry would handle the song. But as he has done in past performances, Daughtry took the song and made it his own. He used the Red Hot Chili Peppers' version to "rock up" the song a bit. The judges loved it.
"Thank God for Chris Daughtry," judge Simon Cowell said. "We had some good performances tonight, but this was the only real-world performance. Best tonight by and large." Why does Daughtry pick the songs he sings? There is a method to this songchoice madness, or so the guys in Absent Element say.
"You won't ever hear him pick a song that he doesn't listen to or like," Andrews said. "That's the mistake some of the other contestants make. They try to impress the judges by doing different songs. That's not Chris." (Daughtry is a self-taught singer. Actually, everyone in the band is selftaught except for Perry, who is trained as a classical jazz guitarist.) "They make me sick," Perry said with a laugh, as he looked toward his fellow musicians. "Chris always has this beat in his head," he said as he took his arms and began to strike at an imaginary drum set. "But the thing is, they can all understand each other." While Daughtry is pursuing his dream in Los Angeles as one of the Final 12 'Idol' contestants, it is the camaraderie that this band of brothers misses the most.
"There's a part of us missing," Perry said. "That large part of your life's not there anymore." The band used to joke that "Absent Element" meant they were "absent of talent," but nowadays, it could be used to describe Chris's absence.
For now, the guys settle for cell phone calls that at times are too good to be true. Petty cited the call from Carl Bell, guitarist for Fuel, who wanted Daughtry to know how much he enjoyed his rendition of "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)." ON TUESDAY NIGHT, the band went to Hugo's, a bar in Greensboro, to watch Daughtry perform on "American Idol." The show airs at 8 on Tuesday nights, with the voting-results show airing at 9 on Wednesday nights. And yes, Absent Element supports its bandmate through phone-in votes.
The band, however, won't be doing any performing while Chris is away.
"We could find another singer, but there wouldn't be that same chemistry," Andrews said.
For now, though, the guys are going about their daily lives. Perry teaches guitar lessons and plays guitar for Grace United Church of Christ in Elon.
Andrews, a husband and father of two, is Internet service manager at Burns Information Systems in Swepsonville and plays bass guitar for Just Like Jesus ministries in Burlington.
Crawford is an independent contractor in Greensboro; he does carpentry, painting and maintenance work.
None of the guys, however, are surprised that Daughtry, their friend and fellow musician, is now on a TV show.
"He tried out for 'Rock Star: INXS' last year and was told if someone's visa didn't come through, that he could step in," Perry said. "But he's now glad that didn't work out. And so are we. We have no doubt that he could be the next 'American Idol.' " For more information on Absent Element, go to the Web site: www.absentelement.com.
For information on "American Idol," go to www.thetimesnews. com/featured_links and click on the "American Idol" icon.
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