Craig Evans
Bass, Backing Vocals

Birthday

February 22nd

What was the first band you ever played in?

The Kuether Brothers, in Sheboygan, I played Trombone and Corey Klunk (yes Klunk) played Sax

At what age did you start playing?

Played Trombone at 8, Bass at 13

Biggest musical influence:

Hard to name just one, but the Beatles and Eric Clapton were groups I idolized.  I was also way into Black Sabbath, King Crimson, and jazz players like John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Charlie Parker when I first started playing.

Favorite song?

"Let's Stay Together", Al Green.  I really like "Tempted" by Squeeze too.

Favorite Album?

Lately I've really been digging "Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones.  But I listened the the Beatles White album a thousand times.

To this day: what has been the highlight of your musical career? Lowpoint?

Highpoint: 

Steve Grimm sent a copy of "Had Enough of You" to Bill Michaels (sports DJ on WTMJ) and the cut he sent had an extended intro where I was playing the bass lick.  I heard the lick on the radio as "bumper" music on his show and thought, oh shit, I stole someone else's lick, but then I realized it was me.  Got a really big kick out of that.

Lowpoint: 

Put together my own band after leaving Nitelife in the mid 70's, the guitar player and I.  We rehearsed with the lead vocalist of the band too and booked a gig for New Years Eve.  At the last minute, maybe 2 weeks before the date, the vocalist said he wouldn't do the gig, so we hired a woman, her last name was Gale, and she wasn't very good.  Kinda smarmy, vegas style, 10 years past her prime - she had a dance step I can still do to this day.  We called the band "A Catchy Phrase".  I haven't named another band since.  Anyway, we go there and they have a whole food spread, nice place.  Problem was, like 3 people showed up.  We only had a few tunes that we any good and we did them twice "by request".  By midnight the owner was sitting at the bar with his head in his hands, the vocalist we hired told us we were the worst band she ever played with, and the 3 people left.


If you had the chance to do one thing over, what would it be?

I was in an excellent 7 piece horn band that toured throughout the midwest in the mid 70's.  We were starting to do some original stuff and we had some interest from a lable in Nashville.  But the guitar player (from the previous story) was a whiner and convinced me to quit.  So we both quit, I ended up marrying my first wife not long afterward and never really had another serious shot at making it full time.  Yea, I should have stayed in the band and told the bitch to fuck off.

Fondest memory of playing in Bad Boy?

Rockfest 2000.  We kicked ass, great crowds, fun parties.  We had worked out some cover tunes that we did some really cool jams on.

Worst memory?

Getting out of our record deal.

Besides music, what hobbies or interests do you have?

Fishing, golf (although I don't do that much), biking.

Besides Bad Boy, what other bands have you been in?

Starting from the beginning - Kuether Bros, Wandering, Nitelife, Rockin Robins, Cimmaron, Justice, The Rockerfellers, Real Fiction and a few I've forgotten...

When not playing with Bad Boy, I also play in the following bands:

Pretty Grimm, The US Project