BOBAFLEX, , HEADLINING ROCK ON THE RANGE
By Dan Kester
One of the greatest challenges of any band is maintaining relevance despite longevity. For some, this challenge becomes insurmountable and they are unfortunately lost by the wayside. Based on their current course, however, that is not going to be an issue for Bobaflex who is headlining at the Rock on the Range Music festival next weekend.
Part of that comes from the band’s innate ability to reinvent themselves from album to album. “The last thing we want,” said Marty McCoy, guitarist and vocalist, “is to sound the same from track to track, album to album. It’s about staying fresh. “
Another part of what keeps them fresh is the amount of synergy within the band. Unlike the traditional format of having one lead singer and front man, one guitarist, one drummer etcetera, Bobaflex resorts to alternating instruments and vocal duties.
“We weren’t trying anything groundbreaking,” said McCoy. “We were actually surprised that more bands weren’t doing it.” When asked how the band developed the idea, he responded, “I grew up listening to Bluegrass. After each song, they would trade instruments and someone new would sing the next song. Shaun and I just thought that’s the way it was done.”
After 14 years of success for a few different labels, and currently working independently, it is surprising that more haven’t adopted their style.
Their latest album, Hell in my Heart, is reaching great success on charts in both the UK and US. Some of that success can be attributed to their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s classic hit, "The Sound of Silence". “It’s great. Older fans recognize it and think we did a great job with it. Younger fans just think we’re amazing writers. Who are we to change what our fans think?” he noted.
When asked about covers and future albums, he said, “It might be a little cliché, but I would love to do something by Pink Floyd.”
This will be Bobaflex’s second year at Rock on the Range. However, they are no strangers to the Columbus area. “Columbus is really great. We have a great time whenever we come here. We’re actually surprised more people don’t come here; it’s a big city and has some great venues. But that’s fine, more stage time for us.”
When asked about the future of the band, McCoy said, “We are of course writing and working on new stuff all the time.” Although he couldn’t give out details about the release of any new material, he did discuss some hopeful plans for the future.
“We are bummed we missed a chance to go to Europe when we had the chance, So we are definitely hoping to get out there sometime in the future,” he goes on to say.
Even after over a decade and going independent, Bobaflex continues to sell out across the country. They headline the Jagermeister stage for Rock on the Range next on Saturday May 19th. For more on the band, please visit the Bobaflex website.
For more info on the 44 bands playing next weekend's Rock on Range, see the full lineup here.
