Piano keys are rarely seen in live venues around Baton Rouge, and music that sounds like Ben Folds Five, Keane or Coldplay usually stays on the radio. But one local band is taking the piano rock genre off the airwaves and onto the stage. Field Day is playing Friday night at North Gate Tavern with local band The Casuals and North Carolina band Brad Sweitzer and the Young Sophisticates. Andrew Callaway, his brother Dan and his father William or Billy form Field Day. The band is an up-and-coming family trio that sounds more like Radiohead than The Partridge Family. The Callaways have a diverse background – from the places they have lived to the music they listen to. From Georgia to England to Baltimore to Baton Rouge, the family has lived together and separately in many cities. Andrew Callaway, the main creative force behind the band, said he learned to sing in England and sometimes sings with a British accent. “I don’t think people understand what I’m saying sometimes,” he said. “There’s one song where I make up different words every time. I don’t think anyone notices.” Dan Callaway, graduate student in French horn performance, plays bass in Field Day. “It’s a good release from classical music,” Dan Calloway said. Dan Callaway listens to rock music like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and said he is inspired by bassist Flea. Both brothers cited KLSU as the type of radio station that plays music they enjoy listening to, and Andrew Callaway said he is a fan of bands like Sigur Ros, The Kooks and Kings of Leon. Billy Callaway is a lifelong musician and is well-known locally as a former member of the rockabilly band Zenbilly. Music clearly runs in the bloodline. Andrew Callaway also has an old album of his grandfather’s band, William Callaway and the Counts. Andrew Callaway said his dad has been in one rock band or another his whole life and has a much more commercial taste in music. “He tries to get us to sound like something that’s on the radio,” the singer said of his dad. “And I try not to.” The three family members recently reunited in Baton Rouge after living in different places. Andrew Callaway graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio with a degree in electroacoustic composition – music composition with computers. He played in the Oberlin Steel Drum Band, which has performed in the University’s Free Speech Alley twice in recent years. Andrew Callaway said Baton Rouge and the University are a big change from Oberlin. “We had a football team, but the running back was in the piano conservatory and didn’t want to mess up his hands,” he said. With so much classical training, Andrew Callaway said he and his brother try to incorporate theoretical elements and unusual chords into their music. “My dad always says it doesn’t matter because people don’t know the difference,” he said. “But I just want people to realize that it’s not what they’re used to hearing, not ‘Oh, that’s a diminished fifth.'” Many of Field Day’s songs are low-key and introspective, according to fans. “They’re pretty chilled out, very indie,” said horn performance graduate student Linda Elliot. “I think what they’re doing is pretty unique.” Andrew Callaway said this style of music has been challenging to play live because on weekends, people want to let loose and hear high-energy music. “It seems like it’s hard to play indie music down here,” he said. “If you heard Radiohead at North Gate Tavern, would anyone care? I don’t think they would.”
—-Contact Lauren Walck at [email protected]