Sitting in a 1988 RV may not seem like the rock star life too many people dream of, but for the five guys in Mile Marker Zero, a Connecticut-based progressive rock band, there is no place they’d rather be.
On April 26, their rickety old RV with black trailer sat on the street outside the Webster Theater in Hartford. Inside, it seemed more like a frat boy’s dream than a rock star’s as the smell of chicken lo-mein filled the nose. The Yankees and Red Sox battled it out on the radio while girlfriends shuffled through a Playboy magazine they “had” to purchase to get over a $5 credit card minimum at a nearby store.
Bassist, Tim Rykoski, poured individual sized bags of Cheez-It’s in his mouth, washing them down with Natural Ice in a forty ounce bottle.
Guitarist John Tuohy strummed away on an unplugged electric guitar, giving a reminder as to the group’s identity.
But even that sound got drowned out as Mark Focarile, the band’s piano player, joked with Rykoski, and Tuohy about whether or not the RV could run on a nine-volt battery.
Finally Dave Alley, the lead singer, handed out individually labeled envelopes of tickets to old friends.
That night, Mile Marker Zero prepared in their own way to be the last of five opening acts for headliner Spock’s Beard. It was a progressive rock show combining local acts and a headliner with more of an underground following and appeal.
Alley described Progressive or "prog” rock, usually characterized by changes in tone and tempo reflecting the projected changes in feeling through out the often very long songs in the genre.
“It’s an underground artistic movement that gets people to feel more emotion than the more mainstream music,” Alley said. “Let the music speak for itself. People aren’t one-dimensional and their music shouldn’t be either.”
Inside the Webster, drummer and younger brother of the lead singer, Doug Alley, stood in the doorway leading into the main auditorium. He oozed of rock star image with his spiked hair, t-shirt and formal sports coat covering it up.
College friends and childhood friends stood with middle aged fans sporting their Spock’s Beard t-shirts in the rear bar area. A younger crowd gathered near the stage showing off their local high school pride on their shirts and jackets.
Between the $4.50 draft beers and snack stand complete with popcorn and nachos, this mixed crowd found ways to keep themselves entertained between sets.
At 9 p.m., Mile Marker Zero took to the stage for setup and sound check. At smaller shows like this, where six bands shared sets on one stage, some of their stuff was already up there and ready to go.
The short time between sets allowed a quick sound check of drum microphones and an monitor volume adjustment. Soon enough they’re ready to go. 9:30 hit, and the rock star came out of all five guys. Lingering thoughts of the RV and Chinese takeout were in the past, and the performer in each of these guys came out.
During the third song a solo from Tuohy sealed the deal for this opening act. Even the Spock’s Beard t-shirts started to gather around the stage. The band performed with a sound that goes from thrashing loud metal filling the room to soft acoustics that come out of nowhere.
This is how progressive rock is supposed to sound. The feeling is ever changing. At times Dave Alley’s voice came ranges from operatic to signature rock star edge that comes out of nowhere with a throaty scream.
Once off of the stage, the life of the trying to make it rock star reemerged back out. The five guys took down their own equipment and begin the rounds of thanking their fans individually.
After the set, the elder Alley ran back to the RV and returned with a stack of CDs to strike while the iron was hot and sell to their newly found fans.
Dave Alley stood by the exit for a while and made small talk with passers by and fans that stopped to chat.
He said there’s always a chance that someone in the crowd can offer that big break. This is especially true when opening for a band like Spock’s Beard, which is already signed to a label.
Whether they make it big or not, Dave Alley said he’d rather continue making music he’s proud of, that expresses as many emotions as possible in the time he is allotted.
“I will never cater to one sound as long as I am proud of the music I am writing,” he said.
From the pre-show RV festivities to the after-show conversations it’s easy to see the draw of the rock star life. Even when it means traveling around in an RV with a refrigerator that smells of a sour combination of old Chinese take out and rotten clementines and sleeping in cramped conditions with five fully grown men. These guys love what they do and love the music they are able to make. They go on stage to evoke emotion and create a lasting impression on everyone in the room. This can seem like a lofty goal, but for Mile Marker Zero it’s turning into their everyday life.
The next night Mile Marker Zero went on win the Kappa Chi Alpha battle of the bands at Western Connecticut State University. They will open for Ok Go at Western Connecticut May 3.
Their LP “The Haunted” can be purchased online at CD Baby or on iTunes.
Check them out online at MMZBand.com or on MySpace.