chips.luther.edu

04-23-98

"Rearview Mirror Entertains Area with Alternative Sound"
By David Wake
Chips Staff Writer

One of the loudest complaints about weekend entertainment in the Decorah area is the lack 
of local music. In strong defiance to this misconception stands the band Rearview Mirror. 

Ranging in ages 14 to 16, these Crestwood High School students have been playing in the 
area for almost two years and are now beginning to play the local bar scene. Band members
Jason Ptacek, Matt Olson, Adam Ptacek and T.J. Kammer prowl the area looking for audiences 
and opportunities to play their music. 

In an interview at Marty’s, we conversed on topics from the nature of alternative music to 
the atmosphere in local bars. Look for upcoming appearances of local bands like Rearview Mirror 
listed in the weekly A&E calendar in Chips.

Dave: So, where did you get the name? I know there’s a Pearl Jam song called 
“Rearview Mirror,” is your name taken from that?

Band: -that’s mostly it, actually. 

-it was one we could all agree on. 

Dave: What genre of music would you say you fit into?

Band: -alternative rock 

-you ever listen to rock 108 or anything, we're pretty much like that.

Dave: Imagine you’re playing at a typical concert, what’s a cross section of the audience 
that’s usually there?

Band: -well since we usually play at bars now, it’s just sort of the people that are there
already.

-yeah, it’s typically older people

Dave: Would you say that you, as a band, are reasonably well known at your high school?

Band: -we’ve got friends who come to a lot of our concerts

-most people know who we are. Whether or not they like us is a different matter.

Dave: Do you play at any high school functions?

Band: -we played at a high school dance.

-yeah, that was pretty cool. It was a crowd of people closer to our age. A lot more energy.

David: Lets go back to the music... Do you write original music?

Band: -yeah

-we play mostly covers, actually. we’ve written a couple of songs, but at the bars, mostly people want 
to hear music they’ve heard before.

Dave: Who writes the music when you do original stuff?

Band: -we all do

-usually, I’ll have an idea or something and then I’ll bring it before everybody else,

-then I’ll work up a drum beat to it

-we do a lot of jamming when we’re trying to work on writing

-yeah, do what you feel, and it comes out.

Dave: What band would you say has been most influential on your own writing?

Band: -Pearl Jam

-yeah, they’ve changed, but change is good.

Dave: What about the future? Where do you see yourselves going as a band?

Band: -opening for Pearl Jam

Dave: Where do you see alternative music going these days?

Band: -well, I thought it was dying down, but just recently I’ve heard a bunch of new good bands 
come out, so I guess it isn’t gone yet.

Dave: What about ska and techno? Do you think they might corner in on the alternative scene soon?

Band: -well, it might but I don’t think they will just block it out totally

-yeah, it might all change, but no one type will kill any other type.

Dave: What about you guys? Do you see yourselves changing as music changes?

Band: -well, we don’t really want to become, like, a death metal band, but otherwise I think we’ll be fine.

Dave: How many concerts have you played since you’ve been together?

Band: -seven or eight

-yeah, we’d like to play more places like this [Marty’s] than the bars we’ve been playing.

-sometimes the smoke starts to get to you after a few hours playing in a bar