The instruments began in disorder before blending into harmony to commence Fatter Than Albert’s last practice before their CD release show this Friday at The High Ground in Metairie. And as the disarray of many sounds melt into one melody, so does the story of these seven performers. The band formed just over two years ago and began seeing heavy turn-outs at shows shortly thereafter. An EP was released and a debut album was put into production all within a year. But then came Hurricane Katrina. “The hardest part of the storm was not knowing where everyone was going to end up, and if we would be able to get back together at all,” said Greg Rodrigue, bassist and unofficial spokesman for the band. Members of the band had been split between states. Recording plans were completely halted and regular practices would take months to align again. This also caused the loss of the band’s original practice studio. “The place was already in pieces,” Rodrigue said “After the storm there was no electricity even.” Similar obstacles broke up other local acts, or sent them to more stable scenes in other cities. Fatter Than Albert stuck around, playing shows when possible and pursuing the album that had eluded them during the complications of the fall. “After the storm everyone had a lot of questions as to what was going to happen, but I think it ended up even better than we would’ve imagined,” Rodrigue said. “And instead of our songs catching a snapshot of our band at one place in time, it’s been able to follow us through the past year. I think it’s better than it would’ve been.” The band has always been careful not to overlook the under-18 crowd usually excluded from the music realm. And this younger faction has returned the favor and provided the core of the band’s support. Kelsi Schreiber is one of these fans; a high school student known for sporting her “fatter-than-albert” sumo-suit unfailingly at every show. “I remember the first clear night when not a sound could be heard except for ska,” Kelsi said. “I ran into the bathroom to change into my inflatable sumo-suit and then out to wait for FTA’s set. During the show they let me up on stage to sing along. This made me feel like I had never felt before, almost as if I were a part of something. And to me, that’s what Fatter Than Albert has always been: being a part of something special.” The band find it hard to view themselves as leaders the way that their fans do. “We definitely have people we look up to,” Rodrigue said. “But it’s hard to take the perspective of seeing ourselves as role models or of having kids look up to us.” They are following their own heroes’ tradition of keeping the ska scene comprised of underground bands and independent records. “Essentially, if we were on a label we would end up owing someone money that we don’t have,” Rodrigue said. “At this point, with a little bit of hard work we can do everything and more that a label could do for us. So, we’ll do it ourselves, as opposed to having someone with money tell us what to do, and it’ll be more fun.” For a city like New Orleans that was once the most potent musical export of its time, little influence seems to come from the Mississippi Delta these days. But, the band agreed, it isn’t for lack of contemporary aptitude. “New Orleans is full of talent, but it’s also full of musicians who are completely content with what they’re doing,” said Rodrigue. “They don’t want to spend their lives on the road; they’d rather play the local bar. Music thrives here in a way that isn’t cohesive to an industry environment. People don’t think of music as a commodity, it’s a way of life.” Music is certainly a major factor in the lives of those that live in the FTA scene. “All I know is that when they are playing, my troubles of daily life slowly fade,” Kelsi said. “And all that’s left is me, my sumo-suit, and FTA’s crazy ska beats to make everyone feel good.” Fatter Than Albert is excited to have another opportunity to play for its fans at the release party for their first full-length album “Erin’s Runaway Imagination.” “I think it’ll have a really good feeling,” Rodrigue said. “The walls are black. The kids are sweaty. It’ll be electric.”
_____Contact Kelley Crawford at [email protected]