2008 Woodie Awards
In The Spotlight: Furlong
Allison Johnson, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/15/06 Section: Entertainment
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Unlike any band I've met, Furlong is the star of Paul Keller's "Rockumentary." so we first had to set up the equipment; video cameras, microphones, the works. After the band was all settled we began our interview. First I asked them the basics: where did you meet, how long have you been playing, what genre do you consider yourselves. After getting some interesting answers I realized that normal questions wouldn't get anywhere with them. Furlong is different; like their music they're a little bit of everything and so we discussed a little bit of everything.
The first two members of Furlong were Matt Palmieri and Schell Scivally. They met here at SSU, established their passion for music and had jam sessions. Palmieri plays the guitar and Scivally plays the drums. A band needs more than drums and guitar so it wasn't too long when bass player Jeff Lata entered the picture. At the time Lata was also a Sonoma State student. The last member to join was Eliot Whitehurst. Whitehurst is the lead singer and takes full responsibility for the lyrics.
As I mentioned before, Furlong isn't your typical band. Their last show at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma involved a fight with The Immortal Trendsetter, an amateur wrestler. It seems that The Phoenix Theater has added a new feature. "Punk Slam Wrestling"; its first show was March 4th. Furlong along side Teenage Harlots and Ashtray were the first ever bands to participate in this event. The show started at 8 p.m. and it opened with several bands. After the last band finished their last set the wrestlers were introduced. When Furlong performed at Punk Slam Wrestling it seems that there was a little confusion about time. Furlong wasn't finished playing when Adam Thornstowe aka "The Immortal Trendsetter" introduction music started. Furlong's drummer Scivally was almost attacked by "The Immortal Trendsetter" and in defense threw his drumsticks. Palmieri, already bruised by his guitar, wasn't going to let some big scary wrestler end his show; Palmieri had to be escorted off by the manager and bodyguards.
You never know what is going to happen at their show, similar to how you never know how their music is going to end. When I asked Furlong about what genre they would classify themselves they all had a different idea. It seems that Furlong isn't classifiable. Their music may start off with a rock beat but mid song it transgresses to a fast techno style. With each band member introducing a new element it is no surprise that Furlong is so unique.
One thing Furlong will never do is get stuck into one particular style. Furlong members often encourage outside critique and advice. Not wanting to be classified in one particular style the members are often adding their own two sense. Palmieri will often present a riff, the underlying tone, to the band and let everyone experiment with it. Everyone has the liberty to play around and do what they want. Scivally often adds some tapping to the beat and Whitehurst is the sole producer of the lyrics. He shared that he writes all the lyrics because it is a "personal experience".
Big fan Tessa LiMandri shared her opinion of the band, she too claimed that "You can't categorize them," apparently they're just too broad. It's a little bit of everything minus country. When I asked Furlong why people should listen to them, Whitehurst gave me an honest reply, "It's up to them, all that matters is that we like it and that we want to play."
If you want to catch these guys in action then you're in luck. Furlong has a list of shows coming up. Currently they are working on releasing some new songs. Currently on their myspace account they have already set up four songs. Visit them at http://www.myspace.com/furlongband.
So if you're up for a refreshing change here is where you can watch them.
March 25, 8 p.m. at The Shop; April 21, 8 p.m. at The Phoenix Theater; and April 27 at the Tradewinds .
At the end of my interview they put me on the spot and asked that I name their song in progress. Of course my first thought was a tribute to myself but then I decided to name it "Attack of the Double Letters." It seems that everyone at the interview had double letters in their name. They fight wrestlers, let strangers name their songs, and have cool t-shirts with dinosaurs on them ( thanks to Loud and Clear Printing) what more could a band ask for?