EAST TROY — Last weekend Erik Buell unveiled his new motorcycle at the Indianapolis Dealer Show, the nation’s largest annual event for motorcycle dealers from around the world.
The EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition street-legal super bike marks Buell’s return to the consumer motorcycle business after Harley-Davidson shut down its Buell division in 2009.
“Reaction from the industry people at the show on just the first day has exceeded our expectations by a lot,” Buell said.
While East Troy’s Buell is an industry legend when it comes to motorcycles, that’s not the only headlines he makes. Buell has another passion — music.
He specializes in a brand of music that incorporates elements of post-’60s Chicago blues, and he’ll perform Saturday with his band, The Thunderbolts, at Bobby Rockets in Lyons.
“I love lots of different types of music and like to play the blues, but musically I most often write rock songs. I can write a wider range of feelings more easily with the freedom of rock.”
Like so many rock musicians before him, Buell’s inspiration to first pick up the guitar in his youth was fueled by one primary factor, which was — as he was quick to point out — girls. During his first year in an institute of higher learning, he dropped out to dedicate himself to his music, but after a few years, he instead decided to pick up where he left off in college. “I didn’t play again until about 12 years ago,” he stated. “Then I started tinkering (with my music) again and finally got serious about five years ago.”
This led to Buell’s 2007 full-length album with his band, The Thunderbolts, entitled “Riders of the Edge” which they produced themselves using Pro Tools digital audio software. Despite the lion’s share of Buell’s energies going into his motorcycle company, he was able to find time to record and release his sophomore album with the Thunderbolts entitled “Anthem.”
Released last summer on the New Hampshire-based indie-label Rat Pak Records, “Anthem” is brimming with muscular rockers built on a foundation of high-energy blues. Buell’s gruff whiskey-and-nicotine vocals prove the perfect complement to many of these explosive tracks, such as the stomping opening rocker “Anthem X,” the snaky burner “Landslide” and “Get Up And Dance,” a number guaranteed to throw your next party into hyper-drive.
Buell’s guitar work is often breath-taking, shifting from raunchy riffs on “Wrong Way Home” to sublime leads on the poignant track “Runnin’ Blind” that hearken back to Scott Gorham from Thin Lizzy’s glory years in the mid-70s.
“Anthem” was produced by Lake Geneva resident Mike Stone, who not only fronts his own band Speed X (think an even edgier Stone Temple Pilots) and is now a resident member of local blues band Kings Highway, but was also lead guitarist for the renowned prog-metal band Queensryche from 2003 to 2008.
With mutual interests in music and motorcycles, and only living miles from one another, it didn’t take Stone and Buell long to hook-up. “Mike’s life is in reverse of my own,” Buell reveled. “He’s made music a career and rides/races bikes in his extra time, which is just the opposite of me. We have become very good friends. He’s a great musician, but also a truly nice and fun person. All of the songs we recorded together on “Anthem” are originals, and other than “Landslide” (which was entirely composed by Stone), the rest are either mine or co-written by myself and Mike,” Buell said.
“The band name The Thunderbolts has been around with me for about 10 years,” Buell said, “although we’ve been through many different members. The band’s current lineup has been together about three years now. Ed Laben (guitar/vocals) joined me about five years ago, and Dave Stone (drums/ vocals) and Greg Peklay (bass/ vocals) have been with us for the last few years. Ed works with me (at Erik Buell Racing) and used to also be a full-time musician who went back to school for engineering,” Buell said. “Greg is a journeyman musician from Illinois and also Ed’s cousin, and Dave is Mike Stone’s brother. I traded Mike some motorcycle parts for Dave,” Buell laughed. “This lineup is really fun; we get along well and play together well. We all work hard to make the music tight, but then are able to be very cool and relaxed at shows. Drama free,” Buell said.
When asked if his recordings and performances have ever interfered with his motorcycle business, he was quick to reply, “No, it’s definitely the other way around! We’ve played about 20 shows over the last year, but had to turn down quite a few requests due to my workload getting the new business started. I enjoy every show where people are there to let go and get wild. One of my favorites was a show we did in Germany last summer, which was a big one with a real party atmosphere during the World Cup. My music is more than a hobby, it’s definitely a creative outlet for telling stories and personal artistic expression for me, and I want to do more with it.”
As Buell explains, his record label seems to be the perfect fit for him and his music. “Rat Pak has a lot in common with my own company. They are crazy passionate about music there, just like we are about sport motorcycles. They’re really innovative in new ways of trying to make the business grow and entertain people; and can get a whole lot done with a small staff that works really hard,” he said.
While Buell already has started writing new songs for the follow-up to “Anthem,” with about half the songs roughed-out, he doesn’t sound as if he’s in too big of hurry to release anything new considering that he’s “still having a lot of fun performing the current CD since it’s still so fresh.” And while there aren’t any tour plans carved out in stone yet for this spring and summer, he’s hopeful that his business schedule will allow for more live shows. “We’ve talked about this with a couple of other bands, and there is a lot of interest, but the motorcycle business startup mode is still changing so much on a weekly basis that I’m not comfortable committing to a firm tour schedule just yet.”
When all is said and done, Buell is hard pressed to say whether creating motorcycles or music gives him more joy. “Either one when I do it well,” he admits, “although currently I have to say I do motorcycles better than music. But I’m getting closer on music! I love having fun and creating fun for others.”
Erik Buell and The Thunderbolts will be performing at Bobby Rockets in Lyons this Saturday at 9:30 p.m., and the motorcycle/music enthusiast sounds positively charged about this local live show. “There’s no substitute for live music, just like there is no comparison between playing a racing video game or watching a YouTube clip compared with riding or going to a live race event. I’ve never performed at Bobby Rockets but have been to other bands’ shows there, and it’s a great rock atmosphere, very much a loud and wild party place. It’s going to be really fun to play there!”
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