Home

Members of the self-described "funky rock 'n' roll band" Speakeasy say they take their audiences on a rollercoaster ride.

"We are a very dynamic band and very danceable and very melodic. We go through it all at once and spin you around," said Shawn Eckels, Speakeasy's guitarist and vocalist. "And we'll do some really silly covers here and there, like (the theme song to) Super Mario Brothers, Black Sabbath, Eddie Money, Guns N' Roses and Nine Inch Nails."

Eckels said the band's improvisational tendencies are fueled by the members' intimate understanding of one another.

"We've played for a long time with each other and can read each other's minds," Eckels said. "We've had different members over the seven years, but the band has rocked since '98."

The "silly covers" nonwithstanding, Speakeasy primarily plays original tunes.

"The lyrics we write are about real experiences," Eckels said. "We end up writing about people we know and what we go through with friends of the band and girlfriends."

Eckels prefers his music to be optimistic and upbeat.

"I hate when songs are so negative that you walk away from the sound all bummed out," he said. "I think lyrically, there should be some positive outcome, whatever the problem is."

And Speakeasy likes to have fun. Its members show their true characters onstage with help from a "box of flair" that contains wigs, cheap Halloween costumes, sunglasses and goggles.

"We'll be revamping it in a week with Halloween," Eckels said. "But I'll try to find something to dress up in this weekend. I have a mohawk with a bald head. I'll try to bring that out."