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Shot Baker @ Cobra Lounge, 5/20/17
On Saturday, May 20th, Shot Baker will return with its original lineup and play Cobra Lounge alongside Avenues and Shots Fired Shots Fired. We recently caught up with singer Tony Kovacs and spoke about how exactly this reunion came to be. He explained that the departure of guitarist John Krohn in 2009, followed by the exit of drummer Chris Gach had left the band with only half of its founding members. After years of touring, the wind in the sails of the group had understandably begun to weaken. Kovacs eventually opted to move to Colorado to be with his girlfriend, (now wife) and to pursue a doctorate in audiology. Over the last five or so years, several of the band’s members have started families, while bassist Nat Wright currently plays in 88 Fingers Louie.
When asked as to how this show came together, Kovacs said “We’ve long since set aside our differences and really just wanted to play a show together again. We’re no longer trying to live off this band so we can really just have fun with it, which is how it should be. In the early years, Shot Baker was a total lightning bolt. Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing, but we really wanted to do a show that represented the urgency and volatility of the early years. That’s why this is an ‘original lineup’ show.” When speaking about expectations for the show, he said “I’m mostly looking forward to seeing everyone again. All of the people who helped this band along the way are going to be there: Mike Petryshyn of Riot Fest, Justin Schwier of Underground Communiqué Records, a ton of our close friends…I just can’t wait to see all those people in the same room again. And, obviously, I can’t wait to play again. Five years of academia as a mid-late thirties adult is rough. This show is like breaking out of prison for me.”
Lastly, when discussing the band’s plans beyond this show, Kovacs hinted at possible future endeavors. He said, “Before we broke up, we had written an album with (guitarist) Steven Jenkins that never got released. It’s a shame, because it’s easily some of the best stuff we’ve done. We really want those songs to see the light of day at some point. There have been talks about collecting the very best of that unreleased album with Steven and the best of the unreleased stuff we did with John and meshing it all together as an absolute stunner of a record. I have no idea when or if that record will actually get made, but if it ever does, it’ll be great. Any Shot Baker activity after this ‘original lineup’ show will include Steven as a second guitarist, but who knows when the next show will happen. We’re all so busy right now.” Tickets for what is sure to be a memorable evening can be purchased here.
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