The West Michigan instrumental super-group plans an ambitious ‘immersive experience’ for its release show at Wealthy Theatre on Saturday. Learn the back story of this unusual project.
‘A Really Cool Test in Ego’: Each player in Public Access represents ‘a musical cog’ in a giant machine.
THE BAND: Public Access
THE MUSIC: Instrumental rock
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE BAND: 8 p.m. Saturday at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids
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Sitting inside Madcap Coffee while snow flurries convene outside the window, Dan Rickabus leans his tall frame over the bar, towering easily over his cup of coffee.
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With detailed precision he takes a small metal tin of honey and drizzles it over the steaming cup, working it into the black coffee. Pinching a shot of espresso between thumb and index finger, he empties it into the coffee. With a single stir the caffeinated concoction swirls luxuriously, gracing the brim up the cup before it stills and steam rises.
It’s with no less precision and carefully measured care that the instrumental rock super-group Public Access creates their nuanced, expansive, cinematic songs.
“It’s kind of freeing. That’s a word I’ve used a lot to describe Public Access,” says Rickabus, drummer for Public Access as well as for folk-rock’s The Crane Wives.
“It’s cool because with other projects that already exist and have more of a fanbase, there’s a little bit of thinking about the how the fanbase is going to react that has to go into it. So personally when I got the message, I just wanted to have a band with Steve (Leaf). I love having multiple outlets because each one will bring out a different side to my playing.”
Public Access digitally released their sophomore album, “Unlimited,” on February 2. The album was self-produced at Ben Zito’s Centennial Sound and includes guest musicians that include Mike Savina from The Go Rounds, Justin Dore of Big Dudee Roo and others. (Listen to “Unlimited” below.)
The band will host a proper record release show at Wealthy Theatre on Saturday (Feb. 10). The band will play two sets, spanning its entire catalog. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15 and can be purchased online here.
The core of the band (Leaf, Rickabus, Zito and Earthwork Music collective founder Seth Bernard) will be joined live by Joe Ridgeway on keys, Nick Young on guitar, James Sauer on guitar, Ryan Anderson on guitar, Alex Atkin on guitar, ‘Niel Haefs, Bill Chesney on sampler and Doug Smith on violin.
“We figure that if we’re gonna get all these people together we might as well not waste the opportunity,” said Leaf, a longtime collaborator in the West Michigan music scene and recent Chicago transplant.
“We’re trying to go for a really immersive experience with two sets, projections, fake TV channel clips, a rock solid band and a bunch of guest musicians.”
On Stage: Public Access returns Saturday for its CD-release show.
Started (and continuing) as a creative side project for a cast of prolific West Michigan musicians Public Access released its debut self-titled album in 2016. At the helm, Leaf began conjuring a plethora of guitar loops and soundscapes that didn’t quite fit in with his primary band, Steve Leaf & the Ex Pats. Instead, a round of spontaneous phone calls to his musical friends led to the connections that blossomed into a full-fledged band.
“It’s a challenge sometimes when there’s no microphone up there,” says Leaf. “But some of my favorite shows I’ve seen have been instrumental. I just love watching people get really into their instruments.
“We’ve learned how to play less and listen: It’s been a really cool test in ego, because you have a bunch of guitar players who all wanna riff and they all wanna hit their overdrive pedal, but getting them all to play in lock-step is a really cool feeling. It’s like a giant machine and each player is like a musical cog.”
LISTEN: Public Access, “Unlimited”
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