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| Where will the Big Wu be playing next? |
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[9/17/2010]
Ames, IA
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[9/18/2010]
Franklin, MN
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[10/30/2010]
Aberdeen, SD
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[10/31/2010]
Fargo, ND
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[11/25/2010]
Minneapolis, MN
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| Extra! Extra! Read all about the Big Wu's recent appearances. |
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[7/11/2009]
Geneva, MN
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[7/10/2009]
Geneva, MN
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[7/3/2009]
Minneapolis, MN
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[6/18/2009]
Minneapolis, MN
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[5/23/2009]
Geneva, MN
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Whenever the Big Wu is in the news, we try to track it down and post it here. However, this doesn't happen without help! If you know of an article we're missing, please let us know by sending us a note.
Arizona Heads - February 2003 - Band of the Month
2/11/2003
Read Article
Author: Arizona Heads
Al Oikari, keyboardist of the Big Wu, recently answered some questions posed by AZHeads.com. Be sure to catch the Big Wu's only Arizona show at the Bash on Ash in Tempe on Tuesday, February 25th!
Tell us a piece of Big Wu history that not many people know about....
Terry, our drummer, was originally the "front man" lead singer for the band (long before my time), and there was a different person playing drums. I wish I could have seen that - wonder if he did back flips or wore spandex or something!
How has the Minnesota music scene treated you guys?
As the band had been virtually a cover band exclusively for the first 4 or 5 years, and wasn't playing mildly major venues in the Twin Cities area, it was ignored, then eventually dismissed by the media as yet another "hippie dippie" band trying to capitalize on Jerry's death. Not the case - the band started in late 1991- early 1992. The originals started flowing about 1996 and it's taken quite awhile for any twin cities media types to warm up to the fact that we have good songwriters in the band.
There aren't many bands out of Minnesota, save the Jayhawks or Low (and not counting Prince!), that draw the way we do here with original music, and eventually some media persons may acknowledge that we've built something pretty strong. We tour the whole country, we've taken great steps to ensure our latest studio recording can compete sonically and artistically with anything out there, and the crowd we draw is, I think, a nice cross section of the population....we're lucky to have 'em. I am not sure what other musicians in the area think of us, as we're not here that often anymore. I haven't had any opinions offered me, and I am not into soliciting them. So, in the Minnesota scene many fans like us, employers like us, metropolitan reporters are still trying to look the other way (while non-metro media have been pretty good to us), and I don't know what musicians think.
Who are your primary influences, and whose styles come out most notably in your music?
The band is drawn to American roots, probably rural rather than urban, so obviously it was influenced by the Dead, some Allman Brothers, blues, country. I was the last to join - I hear they were into Phish too in the early days. I knew nothing about Phish. But everyone in the band has their own influences and when they're all brought to the table it's like eating a meal with all the food groups. Chris is into old time country and bluegrass, as well as blues or roots rock players like Stevie Ray Vaughn - I think he and Jeff Austin from YMSB wish they were twin brothers....Andy's a metal guy, Ozzy or early Metallica for instance, and he likes Neil Young and the Who, maybe because their rebellious nature mirrors his own....Terry likes country and bluegrass, and jazz, especially Wes Montgomery - he's the quiet guy in the band, but I think I hear a little Fishman in his drumming.....and I grew up on blues oriented rock such as the James Gang, Little Feat, Clapton, Rory Gallagher, along with acoustic artists including earlier Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, Michael Hedges.
.I like innovation in the musicianship, as opposed to being drawn to the songwriting. Maybe that's why I don't sing much. It was after I joined the band that I first started listening to the Dead on a certain level - the main thing I learned to appreciate about them, besides their songwriting, sense of community, and adventurous ensemble playing, was a sense of priority in resurrecting or preserving old songs and pay homage to roots. I think it's great to find old musical treasures and keep them in the ears and minds of listeners.
What music are you currently listening to?
I can't speak for the others. Right now I'm listening to Little Feat "Waiting For Columbus" as I write, the newer double disk set from that classic live release, with some killer outtakes that didn't make the final cut to the original album
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