Big Island-bred rockers add spice to Band Camp

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Kailua-Kona born alt-rockers Pepper, from left, Bret Bollinger, Yesod Williams and Kaleo Wassman, are headlining the second go-round of Star 101.9 FM's Band Camp live music festival at The Beach House tonight. Based in San Diego for the last five years, the band is one of Hawai'i's most promising rock exports for national success. Star 101.9 FM's Band Camp 2004 With Pepper, Donavon Frankenreiter, Bargain Music, Wicked YB and DJ Jah-Kno, Plain Jane, Linus, Sam's Garage, Living In Question, The Nono Boys, Missing Dave, Battle Royale, Bubble 7 p.m. today The Beach House $15 advance, $20 at the door 21 and older only 566-0644 Additional Pepper shows: On the Big Island at the Second Annual Kona Town Music Festival, 6 p.m. Saturday; $15 advance, $20 door, Kona Brewing Co., (808) 334-1133. On Kaua'i at The Carriage House, 7 p.m. Sunday; (808) 246-0564. The guys of Pepper find inspiration in these CDs Kaleo Wassman (vocalist/guitarist) "Facing Future" — Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, 1993. "No other artist sings with more love, kindness, passion and Hawaiiana. He truly embodies 'aloha.' " "Me Against The World" — 2Pac, 1995. "The total package. On this album, he is expressive in an explosive way. Lyrically, he expresses his life in such a clever and passionate way." "Appetite For Destruction" — Guns N' Roses, 1987. "At the time of its release, this was rock the way it was supposed to be." Yesod Williams (drummer) "Reggatta De Blanc" — The Police, 1979. "I've based almost my whole technique on Stewart Copeland, and on this CD he crushes it like no other." "Undertow" — Tool, 1993. "Danny Carey plays like Stewart Copeland possessed by the devil." "Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music" (fourth disc) — various artists, 1993. "It really blew open the world of reggae for me. I heard a lot of key things on that CD for the first time ... (stuff) I always use when I play." Bret Bollinger (bassist/vocalist) "Wolves & Leopards" — Dennis Brown, 1978. "Dennis is just magic. He is spiritual and soulful. The lyrical content of his songs have heartfelt words and global appeal." "Dirt" — Alice In Chains, 1992. "Layne Staley was one of the first alt-rock singers/musicians that really sang and explored melody."

"All we're going to do is eat poke, drink beer and watch thongs all day on the beach as dirty old men," said Pepper vocalist/guitarist Kaleo Wassman, dreamily pondering the band's eventual retirement — only without any of The Who's "hope-I-die-before-I get-old" hoo-ha.

But we're jumping ahead here. These were, after all, Wassman's thoughts at the end of a long chat about Pepper's year in the life since Star 101.9 FM's inaugural Band Camp live music fest in June 2003 — the band's last O'ahu gig.

On the edge of another Band Camp headlining date tonight, the Kailua-Kona-bred alterna-reggae/rock/punk/etc. trio remains Hawai'i's next "next big thing." Our most successful recent musical export not known for re-casting "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," placing third on "American Idol," or named Jack Johnson.

San Diego-based since 1999, Pepper released its third CD, the more mature, musically multifaceted "In With The Old," in March. The followup to the band's sun-splashy 2002 "Kona Town" CD — which featured the radio hit "Give It Up," a gratuitously perverse and altogether infectious ska-punk ode to the sexual shakes — the disc's release kicked off a two-month national tour with Slightly Stoopid.

"We did 48 shows in 54 days," said drummer Yesod Williams, sounding more than a bit road weary. "We went everywhere across this fine land we call the United States."

The payoff? "In With The Old" has sold faster out of the box than any previous Pepper CD — more than 15,000 copies since its March 30 release. The CD has yet to crack the Billboard Top 200, but peaked at No. 18 on the magazine's Top Independent Albums chart in March. It also climbed as high as No. 34 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, which tracks albums by new and developing artists.

Closer to home, "In With The Old" is at No. 5 on Tower Records' sales charts (it peaked at No. 3), and the sublime reggae-tinged hit ballad "Use Me" is in heavy rotation at Star 101.9.

Intent on delivering a third disc that didn't clone "Kona Town," Pepper — whose membership also counts bassist/vocalist Bret Bollinger — has been encouraged by the positive reception.

"We definitely wanted to branch out more, get a little more eclectic and delve into more styles of music. And I think that we achieved that," said Williams. " 'Kona Town' is a lot more reggae with a little bit of punk and a little bit of rock. 'In With The Old,' is a more even balance of reggae, rock, punk, a little bit of country, and some light stuff."

The sales success of "Kona Town" also afforded Pepper the ability to enlist its first choice of producer for "In With The Old." They chose veteran producer/engineer Ron Saint Germaine, who counted collaborations with Tool, 311, Soundgarden, The Cure and other alt-rock notables on his resume. No stranger to whipping bands into studio shape, Saint Germaine proved a strict taskmaster before even recording with Pepper last September.

"We'd wanted to start earlier, but Ron didn't think we had the songs ready yet to record, so he just had us keep writing more songs and recording demos," said Williams. "For me, there was a little bit of intimidation at first ... working with this guy that had done so much stuff that we love."

Saint Germaine even spent a couple of weeks before recording sessions at Pepper's practice house hanging out with the band as they rehearsed, went for take-out, partied and carried on with their lives. The result was a smooth six weeks of studio time at 311's Burbank studio "The Hive."

"Ron Saint Germaine really helped us as far as elevating our musical talent, our writing skills, our arranging skills and the overall feeling of just playing tighter and being a tighter band," said Wassman. "He's a slave driver. But he has to be. He pushes you a lot. But he's open ... not arrogant."

The band called the disc the best work it's done. And they're right.

"Our goal was to finally capture the way Pepper sounds live," said Wassman. "And 'In With The Old' is sonically a great representation of the band and its live music."

Post-Band Camp, Pepper takes to the road again, this time, for its first-ever headlining tour. Plans for the rest of the year include the release of a DVD chronicling the band on the road, some international touring, and life in the black.

"I'm proud to say that we're finally going to be able to turn a profit (this year) after about four or five years up here," said Wassman. "We're a relentless touring band. And the touring really makes us our revenue."

Pepper's ultimate goal? Success on its own terms and that aforementioned, still elusive, semi-early Hawai'i retirement it just might afford.

"That is the goal ... the main goal," said Williams. "Hopefully, in the next four to six years, we'll all be based out of Kona again and just tour when we want to."

Finished Wassman, "Every boy in this band has the same passion. We want to get in here, kill it, make our money, go home, take care of our parents, buy some land for us, and then we're out.

"The three of us have an unquenchable thirst to make it in this music business. ... We're all on the same page. And that's the real reason why it works. If we weren't giving up as much as we are to music, it would never transpire ... plain and simple."

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.