With a sophomore CD on the way, a live performance on WMSE and plenty of gigs to play, the Good Luck Joes have come a long way from the 8th grade talent show.
The band -- consisting of Andrew Citron on keyboards and vocals, Peterson Goodwyn on drums, Andrew Krei on lead guitar and vocals, Andrew Martin on lead vocals and guitar and Joe Scheltema on lead bass and vocals -- has been around in some form since 1999.
Goodwyn says the band was originally assembled by Citron, Martin and Scheltema to compete in their 8th grade talent show. In 2001, he joined the band and Krei completed the current line-up not long afterward.
The newest CD, "What Do You Think of that Noise?," has already been released through iTunes and cdbaby.com, but won't hit stores until mid-July on Lake Geneva's Machine Records. The band says this CD shows a maturity not seen on the first album, which was written and recorded by the Joes during their teenage years.
"I think this latest album shows a huge growth in our musical maturity and our ability to really put together a song that sticks in your head. It also didn't hurt that we had some production help from Chad Fischer, who has worked with Colin Hay, Cary Brothers and Alexi Murdoch, among others," says Krei.
"But, generally speaking, the album is really a testament to how much we've grown up as musicians, and also what spending a pretty large amount of time eating, breathing and living the music can do for you. We hope this is just the beginning though."
Martin says that when writing music, the inspiration can come from anywhere. However, it's easier to be inspired by personal experiences.
"Those types of songs tend to write themselves once you allow your honest feelings to come to the forefront," says Martin. "The great thing about writing, though, is that you can be whoever or whatever you want. Inspiration for those sorts of songs can come from anywhere, and really let you flex your imaginative muscles."
Like most bands, the Good Luck Joes aren't keen on labeling themselves.
"Everyone likes to describe your music for you, which is OK, but I'll say this, most people label us as 'pop/rock.' Yet I think we manage to incorporate such eclectic tastes that most people struggle to really put on a finger on where exactly we fit within that pop/rock spectrum," Krei says.
"One thing we always say is that we never want to write the same song twice -- we always want to keep it fresh and interesting, not only for ourselves, but for our fans, too."
The group takes that same approach when on stage, too, says Goodwyn.
"We just like to rock out and have a good time, and I think most everyone that comes to our shows has a good time, too. Plus, it's a chance for people to see that we really are good musicians, and that we can nail the parts from our album," Goodwyn says.
This summer promises to be a good one for the Joes. For starters, the band will return to the Big Gig for the third time, at 6 p.m. on July 8 on the Potawatomi Casino Stage.
"Summerfest is so well known and so well liked all around the Midwest, and across the country, that people really take notice when they hear you're playing there. So for us, it's obviously nice to get a gig with that sort of reputation and fan base already built-in," Goodwyn says. "This will be our third year performing at Summerfest, and we've got our fingers crossed that this might just be our last year not being a headliner."
Prior to this gig, however, the Good Luck Joes have a few shows to play first including Tuesday night's live performance on WMSE 91.7 and a show on Thursday at Points East Pub, 1501 N. Jackson St. , with Thomas Dolby.
"We've got about a month-long stretch starting May 31 that will take us all along the East Coast, up through Canada, and back through the Midwest that might be a little trying, but something tells us we'll survive," Krei says. "And yes, we usually look forward to getting back to Milwaukee when it's all said and done."
The band's Web site is thegoodluckjoes.com.
Originally from Des Plaines, Ill., Heather moved to Milwaukee to earn a B.A. in journalism from Marquette University. With a tongue-twisting last name like Leszczewicz, it's best to go into a career where people don't need to say your name often.
However, she's still sticking to some of her Illinoisan ways (she won't reform when it comes to things like pop, water fountain or ATM), though she's grown to enjoy her time in the Brew City.
Although her journalism career is still budding, Heather has had the chance for some once-in-a-lifetime interviews with celebrities like actor Vince Vaughn and actress Charlize Theron, director Cameron Crowe and singers Ben Kweller and Isaac Hanson of '90s brother boy band Hanson.
Heather's a self-proclaimed workaholic but loves her entertainment. She's a real television and movie fanatic, book nerd, music junkie, coffee addict and pop culture aficionado.
