“Our music is rock ’n’ roll with anemphasis on the roll,” says Beach Patrol frontman Nick Marcantonio, who leadsthe band with a voice that wouldn’t be out of place on classic rock radio.
With raw rock ’n’ roll prowess and agood-time mentality, the members of Beach Patrol don’t simply treat eachperformance as just another showif their fast-paced rock ’n’ roll doesn’t getthe crowd dancing, nodding their heads or tapping their feet to the music, theyhaven’t done their job.
“We keep the crowd involved and try toget them dancing and moving on the dance floor,” Marcantonio says. “We justwant to have a good time and want to make sure everyone else there does aswell.”
Marcantonio is joined by severaltalented musicians, most of whom have been with him through the band’seight-year existence. Preston Ely provides a classic beat to their songs ondrums, Ian Olvera (a newbie to the band) lets loose on keyboards/lead guitar,and Jeff Van Dreel helps solidify their sound with bass guitar.
“We all started playing instrumentstogether and we kind of learned off each other and that’s pretty much all wedo,” Marcantonio says. “You learn how to play a good song when you’ve beenplaying together so long.”
That chemistry helped the band bookseveral U.S.tours as well as their first European tour. They had the opportunity to play onthe same stage with performers such as Jackson Browne, George Clinton and BlackDiamond Heavies.
With their third album, Daytime Highs, due for release in thespring, the band continues to expand on what they’ve done, adding more drivinghooks, creative melodies and varied instrumentation.
“The new album is a lot more raw rock’n’ roll,” Marcantonio says. “We really seem to have hit a rhythm with thisalbum.”
While containing elements from theirfirst two albums, It’s Only Greener ’TilYou Get There and Riding Dinosaurs,the new album examines more serious topics such as struggles with family andfriends.
To support the album, the band plans totour Europe and play U.S.shows when they can. They’re also in talks to film a music video to air on thepopular “Rock ’n’ Roller Remote Controller” TV show (which airs on MilwaukeePublic Television) sometime next year.
“It’s good to have a video and have itout there on TV and on the Internet,” Marcantonio says. “We haven’t doneanything like that, so we’re excited to shoot the video and have that under ourbelt.”
In a way the band has made Milwaukee a second home,as they frequently play local venues and earlier this year had theirperformances filmed at the WMSE studio. The band returns to Milwaukee on Dec. 31 for a New Year’s Eveshow at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, which they’ll share with The GoodnightLoving, Magic Words and Tim Schweiger and the Middlemen.
