The American folk band, America, with such hits as "You can do magic", "Horse with no name" "Ventura Highway", "Sister Golden hair", "Sandman" among others will perform live on December 9 at 6.30 pm at Palace Grounds, Gayatri Vihar entrance, Mekhri Circle. They will also be performing in Mumbai on December 11.
America is an English-American folk rock band, originally composed of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members were barely past their teenage years when they became an overnight musical sensation in 1972; they reached a peak in popularity in the early to mid 1970s and early 1980s.
The band survived the loss of one of its original members near the peak of its success only to see Beckley and Bunnell return the act to the top of charts as a duo with "You Can Do Magic" in 1982. Consistently touring for well over three decades, America still maintains a strong following and performs over 100 shows per year. On January 16, 2007, America released Here and Now, the band's first major album in over twenty years.
The tickets are being sold at select Cafe coffee day outlets, Call 39895050 and through bookmyshow.com. The outlets are: 100ft road, Banashankri, Brigade Rd , Commercial street , Cunningham Road , Forum, Frazer Town, Jayanagar 4th block, Lavelle Rd, & Malleshwaram. Or Call 39895050.
Excerpts from an interview with America’s Dewey Bunell:
Are you coming to India for the first time?
Yes we are playing India for the first Time and are really looking forward to this. We have been told by other bands that Indian audiences compare with e Best in the world.
What are your expectations on this tour?
Not much we always look forward to playing in a new Country for the first time it’s kind of like going on a date for the first time with a new girl … you don’t know how it will turn out but you are excited all the same.
Music has evolved a lot since you started playing. What changes have you incorporated in your music?
Yes it has thru the years. We have been thru Disco, Rap , Hip Hop , Heavy Metal and all the new genres that have evolved ... But at the end of the day a good song and a good melody will always prevail. We enjoy our own music so it’s never been really tough to stick to our roots. We like to do what we do best - accoustic folk rock with vocal harmonies .
What special treat do you have for Bangaloreans?
I don’t know about this being a treat but they will hear all our 70s and 80s hits which is what has made the Band what it is. We will also play some of our songs from our new CD release “Here and now.” Gerry will be doing a lot of his ballads including a solo version of “All My Life” and for the Rock aficionado’s we will play our standards such as “Sandman” and “Hangover.” Basically the set encompasses our entire Career.
What is the status of folk rock in the US today?
Folk Rock is alive and kicking in the US . Bands like the Eagles have just released albums which have gone to No 1. Our new album Here and Now too has got a great response from Radio and the fans proving that folk rock is here to stay
When is your next album expected?
I guess we are always working on the next project so as to say … who knows maybe some time in 2008. I would like to end by saying that me and my partner Gerry Beckley are really excited to be playing in India for the first time and judging what some of our friends have told us the Indian audiences compare with the Best in the World.
