Local band takes top honors at Seacrets

By Christina Weaver
Special to the Coastal Point

	Special to the Coastal Point • CHRISTINA WEAVER Members of lower case blues stole the show at Seacrets on Sunday, Feb. 19.

The occasion was the Battle of the Bands. And what made the competition unusual for this area was that it was a battle of original music. Not a single cover song was allowed. This first event of its kind at the well-known gathering place and watering hole, which features popular rock and reggae, was organized by Seacrets-owned WOCM 98.1-FM radio station.

Of the six bands playing last Sunday evening at Seacrets, lower case blues, who played third, was different. First, at ages 21 and 22, they were the youngest. Second, the power trio of Jake Banaszak, guitar, B.J. Muntz, bass and vocals, and Paul Weik, drums, had the fewest members; and third, they are based in lower Delaware.

But lower case blues’ biggest differentiator was that they play the blues – albeit a unique, funky kind of blues that caused Banaszak to exalt from the stage, “The blues rock!” And the crowd whistled, roared and applauded in agreement.

“That was fun,” said Weik as the guys hurried to get their equipment off-stage in preparation for the next band. And that was the common sentiment of the audience, many of whom had never seen lower case blues before, and who were caught up in their sound, beat and obvious joy of playing.

Randy Nelson, 98.1’s program and music director and host of the weekday 3-to-7-p.m, time slot, noted on stage after their performance, “Well I don’t want to sound partial but I’ve got blisters on my fingers just watching lower case blues.” The band will be appearing on his show, Friday between 5 and 5:30 p.m., as one of their prizes.

On that Wednesday, just hours after winning and being put up in a hotel at Seacrets to make sure they stuck around, they appeared for a full hour on 98.1’s “Bulldog and the Rude Awakening Show.” Bulldog noted that lower case blues opened at the Bottle and Cork for Buddy Guy last year. “It was the highlight of my life,” said Banaszak.

“They’re so hot, I shouldn’t have worn my turtleneck,” commented the “Phone Girl” after hearing the band play in the studio. “When I heard them last night, my heart sank,” confessed “The Dude” whose own band, Lower Class Citizens, was also in the competition.

In addition to the grand prize of $500 and play time this month on 98.1, lower case blues also won a gig this summer playing at Seacrets. But Coastal Point readers don’t have to go to Ocean City or even Rehoboth to hear the band. They play regularly at Magnolia’s in Ocean View and are hoping that their long running relationship with The Big Easy will continue under the new ownership at the newly remodeled Chalkboard Tavern and Grille in Sea Colony’s Market Place.

“Our fans in Bethany and Ocean View are the best,” said Muntz. “Just look how many came all the way down to Ocean City on a Sunday night to cheer us on.”

To learn more about the band, go to www.lowercaseblues.com on the Internet.