Like A Locomotive pulled out of the station and starting thundering down the tracks in 2010 as a collaboration of accomplished musicians who hail from Athens and Atlanta, Georgia. Although the members had experienced success in other projects (including some nationally known touring acts), magic occurred the first time the group played together as Like A Locomotive and the momentum continues to build for the band and the audience every time the members step on stage together.
The music of Like A Locomotive has many influences including rock, alt country rock, blues, jazz, reggae, bluegrass and funk. The members work hard to create a powerful and collective musical experience with its audience. The band is known both for strong lyrical content and explosive improvised jams.
Like A Locomotive consist of band members Wyatt (Vocals, Guitar), Matt Weiss (Lead Guitar), Tony James (Percussion), Derek Morgan (Bass), Jay Hoots (Drums) and Evan Hart (Fiddle, Mandolin). We caught up with vocalist / guitarist Wyatt to ask him a few questions about the band! Check out what he had to say!
What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you at a show?
One time I broke a guitar string during a performance and a fan ran out to his car, grabbed his guitar, ran on stage and through the guitar, strap and all, over my neck so we didn’t have to stop the performance.
What is the funniest moment you have had as a band so far?
Pretty much anything Matt Weiss (our lead guitarist) says while we are on stage is hilarious. Matt is wicked smart and quick so it’s kind of like being in a band with Jon Stewart at times.
This one is probably too involved to print but I will share it with you. A former NFL football player who came to one of our shows decided he wanted to play congas in the band (uninvited of course) and so the following week, he bought the best congas money could buy and hired a film crew to shoot our next performance (without my knowledge or consent of course) so he could ingratiate himself so we would let him play a few songs with us at our next gig.
After he showed up to our next gig the following week with congas and a camera crew and against my better judgment, I agreed but not before telling the sound engineer to turn his mics off and telling him to lay back and not play unless he was confident he was on top of it. When I walked off stage at set break a fan remarked “man your conga player was asleep up there.” To which I replied, “yeah he’s a beginner and so I told him to lay back so he didn’t screw anything up–so I am glad he did what I asked him to do.” To which the fan replied, “no dude, he laid his head down on the conga’s and literally fell asleep. ” He was set up behind me on stage so I had not noticed but the video proved the fan was right– unbelievable– but I was actually relieved he didn’t start wailing on the congas like some crazed banshie. That one was pretty damn funny and could also be the response to question 1 now that I think about it.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Yoga.
If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?
I can’t.
How do you connect with a crowd?
Clearing my head, being present to those in the room and the energy in the room and that coming from the band and the music we are creating.
How did you come up with your band name?
I am a runner and the band had been struggling to come up with a band name for some time. One day while running down Ponce the name just popped into my head and I said to myself, “well that name doesn’t suck” and so that was it. Decent band names are deceptively tricky.
What is the best way [for you as a band] to write music?
I currently do all the writing and what I find is I can’t force it. It has to come from an authentic place and I find it helpful to clear my mind and get present to thoughts and feelings based on events going on in my life or in the life of someone I know and/or events occurring in the world.
Grab some friends, chow down on some crawfish and enjoy live music from Like A Locomotive and others at the Buckhead Crawfish Fest THIS Saturday, April 27! Tickets below!
