Cactus Pears's Notes
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Local '90s musicians Cactus Pears make less-than-prickly comeback
By Courtney Baldasare, Staff Writer
April 18, 2008 | 3 p.m.
The era that is known as the ’90s is frequently associated with Power Rangers, Ace of Base and L.A. Gear high-tops. Here in Athens the name “Cactus Pears” may have just as easily been associated with that same era.
Lucky for local music lovers and fans of catchy, poppy tunes, Cactus Pears are making their way back to shake the Athens music scene yet again, starting with an upcoming show at 10 p.m. Saturday, April 19 at Casa Cantina. They will be taking the stage to prove to willing audiences that they are ready to rock again and recapture their spot in the sun.
“We all feel comfortable at Casa [Cantina]," said Tony Xenos, lead singer and founder of Cactus Pears. "We like it there. We see a lot of friends there.”
Playing with Cactus Pears will be Kaslo, another well-recognized Athens band. Xenos is thrilled to be sharing the stage with such gifted artists, as is the rest of the band. He mentioned how well the bands’ music will complement each other and how magnificent the sound will be overall.
The musicians will be doing several guest sets and will essentially play onstage together for a great portion of the night to keep the music going. They also plan to minimize the change time between sets so the vibe of the night is not as fragmented.
Aside from simply performing a few songs and putting on a live show, the night will be filled with some fun musical activities, including a theme-song raffle game. The band has worked hard to prepare T-shirts and CDs for the night to get Athens back on track with Cactus Pears again.
From the mandolin to the cello to the squeezebox, Cactus Pears seem to cover a great musical spectrum. The band is ready to take this intricate music that it has worked so hard to create and put it back out there.
“We’ve been playing and breaking up and playing and breaking up," Xenos said. "I think after awhile I just kind of wanted to get back to the music that I was playing.”
The band actually has not been in the Athens scene since approximately 2004, but the group is doing its best to keep up with the times in trying to make its comeback. Through MySpace and Facebook, the Cactus Pears have been working to promote themselves with the technology and networking that was not previously available to them when they were at their peak in the '90s. Nevertheless, flyers (even some in different languages) have been posted, just as Xenos remembers doing years ago.
Although this seems like the Cactus Pears’ big debut, they are actually quite accustomed to the scene already. As Xenos said, they have played more than 50 shows throughout the years here in Athens. He remembers Athens as a very “tight-knit” community in terms of music, and the band is placing its focus on personal interaction with fans as a means to squeeze back into the community.
The idea of playing live as a band again seems to excite the musicians. “Music can be downloaded and ripped for free," Xenos said. "You can get anything you want for free, but the live show is still something unique. For me it’s to make the show something even more unique than just playing onstage. I enjoy playing onstage because it’s in the now.”
After the numerous member renounces, reunions and replacements of the band over several years, the group is finally back in order with a fresh sound to top it off. Xenos seemed very satisfied with the group’s practices lately, though it is apparently difficult to accommodate the schedules of every band member, considering all six of them have busy schedules. He also claimed that all of the contributing Cactus Pears’ musicians want to play good music and are ready for it.
The music of Cactus Pears is catchy and whimsical with a twist of childish innocence and enthusiasm. Xenos explained that the lyrics are mostly inspired by real-life experiences, encounters and situations that he or others have gone through. Any of the messages in the songs are easily relatable to the lives of any listener, and even the more carefree parts of the songs can appeal to audiences. The self-described “pop” band with “a little bit of folk roots” has a vibe reminiscent of The Shins mixed with a bit of a Belle and Sebastian kick.
“Now we’re a little older, and we know what our focus is -- just to play music and have a good time," Xenos said. “It’s not about marketing. It’s just about people having fun. I think that students will come to see a good, fun show with good music."
The talented six-piece band consists of Ashley Ford on cello; Dan Dreifort on guitar and vocals; Bryan Gibson on drums; Geoff Osterland on bass; Rob Powell on guitar, mandolin, keyboard and vocals; and Xenos on vocals, guitar and squeezebox. Be sure to catch all six Cactus Pears as they revel in comeback glory this Saturday for the debut gig of their next musical round in Athens.
By Courtney Baldasare, Staff Writer
April 18, 2008 | 3 p.m.
The era that is known as the ’90s is frequently associated with Power Rangers, Ace of Base and L.A. Gear high-tops. Here in Athens the name “Cactus Pears” may have just as easily been associated with that same era.
Lucky for local music lovers and fans of catchy, poppy tunes, Cactus Pears are making their way back to shake the Athens music scene yet again, starting with an upcoming show at 10 p.m. Saturday, April 19 at Casa Cantina. They will be taking the stage to prove to willing audiences that they are ready to rock again and recapture their spot in the sun.
“We all feel comfortable at Casa [Cantina]," said Tony Xenos, lead singer and founder of Cactus Pears. "We like it there. We see a lot of friends there.”
Playing with Cactus Pears will be Kaslo, another well-recognized Athens band. Xenos is thrilled to be sharing the stage with such gifted artists, as is the rest of the band. He mentioned how well the bands’ music will complement each other and how magnificent the sound will be overall.
The musicians will be doing several guest sets and will essentially play onstage together for a great portion of the night to keep the music going. They also plan to minimize the change time between sets so the vibe of the night is not as fragmented.
Aside from simply performing a few songs and putting on a live show, the night will be filled with some fun musical activities, including a theme-song raffle game. The band has worked hard to prepare T-shirts and CDs for the night to get Athens back on track with Cactus Pears again.
From the mandolin to the cello to the squeezebox, Cactus Pears seem to cover a great musical spectrum. The band is ready to take this intricate music that it has worked so hard to create and put it back out there.
“We’ve been playing and breaking up and playing and breaking up," Xenos said. "I think after awhile I just kind of wanted to get back to the music that I was playing.”
The band actually has not been in the Athens scene since approximately 2004, but the group is doing its best to keep up with the times in trying to make its comeback. Through MySpace and Facebook, the Cactus Pears have been working to promote themselves with the technology and networking that was not previously available to them when they were at their peak in the '90s. Nevertheless, flyers (even some in different languages) have been posted, just as Xenos remembers doing years ago.
Although this seems like the Cactus Pears’ big debut, they are actually quite accustomed to the scene already. As Xenos said, they have played more than 50 shows throughout the years here in Athens. He remembers Athens as a very “tight-knit” community in terms of music, and the band is placing its focus on personal interaction with fans as a means to squeeze back into the community.
The idea of playing live as a band again seems to excite the musicians. “Music can be downloaded and ripped for free," Xenos said. "You can get anything you want for free, but the live show is still something unique. For me it’s to make the show something even more unique than just playing onstage. I enjoy playing onstage because it’s in the now.”
After the numerous member renounces, reunions and replacements of the band over several years, the group is finally back in order with a fresh sound to top it off. Xenos seemed very satisfied with the group’s practices lately, though it is apparently difficult to accommodate the schedules of every band member, considering all six of them have busy schedules. He also claimed that all of the contributing Cactus Pears’ musicians want to play good music and are ready for it.
The music of Cactus Pears is catchy and whimsical with a twist of childish innocence and enthusiasm. Xenos explained that the lyrics are mostly inspired by real-life experiences, encounters and situations that he or others have gone through. Any of the messages in the songs are easily relatable to the lives of any listener, and even the more carefree parts of the songs can appeal to audiences. The self-described “pop” band with “a little bit of folk roots” has a vibe reminiscent of The Shins mixed with a bit of a Belle and Sebastian kick.
“Now we’re a little older, and we know what our focus is -- just to play music and have a good time," Xenos said. “It’s not about marketing. It’s just about people having fun. I think that students will come to see a good, fun show with good music."
The talented six-piece band consists of Ashley Ford on cello; Dan Dreifort on guitar and vocals; Bryan Gibson on drums; Geoff Osterland on bass; Rob Powell on guitar, mandolin, keyboard and vocals; and Xenos on vocals, guitar and squeezebox. Be sure to catch all six Cactus Pears as they revel in comeback glory this Saturday for the debut gig of their next musical round in Athens.
From The Post (Ohio University's student newspaper):
Cactus Pears ripe for return to stage
Published: Friday, April 18, 2008
Kelly Kettering / For The Post / kk150206@ohiou.edu
After a four-year hiatus, the alt-rock band with a fruit-inspired name, Cactus Pears, blossoms again.
Originally founded 15 years ago, Cactus Pears has undergone many changes in lineup and instrumentation. The band’s creator and one original member is Tony Xenos, acoustic guitarist and vocalist. Other members are Dan Dreifort, vocalist and electric guitarist; Bryan Gibson, drummer; Rob Powell, guitarist, vocalist and pianist; Geoff Osterland, bassist; and Ashley Ford, cellist.
“The band has broken up and gotten back together about four times. I joined the second time around 10 years ago,” Gibson said. “We haven’t been active in about five years.”
After this time away, the band is finally coming back together, with its first performance Saturday at Casa Cantina.
“We’re all definitely looking forward to it,” Gibson said. “I never really wanted to stop after that last reunion show four years ago, but we’ve all been playing in other bands in the meantime. Tony has been playing on his own, Dan has been in many bands, and I was in (local folk band) The Jarts until recently; in fact, our cellist is still in The Jarts.”
Although the members of the band perform in many other bands, they enjoy coming together to play Cactus Pears tunes. Xenos wrote the majority of the band’s songs with contribution from Dreifort. Most of the songs played at this weekend’s show will be from albums released in the ’90s, such as 1999’s Snacks For Slacks.
Cactus Pears’ unusual instruments — including the mandolin and cello —make the band’s sound different than the music of a typical guitar-heavy rock band.
“10 years ago we were really different,” Gibson said. “We stood out because back then you were either in a jam band or punk band, and there are definitely more bands in our ballpark now … like Kaslo and Russenorsk … we just like that sound, it’s a big, rich, textured sound.”
Aside from its own songs, Cactus Pears plans to spice things up by playing TV theme songs. People at the show will each receive a piece of paper with a song title on it. When the band plays the song on the slip of paper, the audience member will win a prize, such as a Cactus Pears T-shirt or CD.
Cactus Pears ripe for return to stage
Published: Friday, April 18, 2008
Kelly Kettering / For The Post / kk150206@ohiou.edu
After a four-year hiatus, the alt-rock band with a fruit-inspired name, Cactus Pears, blossoms again.
Originally founded 15 years ago, Cactus Pears has undergone many changes in lineup and instrumentation. The band’s creator and one original member is Tony Xenos, acoustic guitarist and vocalist. Other members are Dan Dreifort, vocalist and electric guitarist; Bryan Gibson, drummer; Rob Powell, guitarist, vocalist and pianist; Geoff Osterland, bassist; and Ashley Ford, cellist.
“The band has broken up and gotten back together about four times. I joined the second time around 10 years ago,” Gibson said. “We haven’t been active in about five years.”
After this time away, the band is finally coming back together, with its first performance Saturday at Casa Cantina.
“We’re all definitely looking forward to it,” Gibson said. “I never really wanted to stop after that last reunion show four years ago, but we’ve all been playing in other bands in the meantime. Tony has been playing on his own, Dan has been in many bands, and I was in (local folk band) The Jarts until recently; in fact, our cellist is still in The Jarts.”
Although the members of the band perform in many other bands, they enjoy coming together to play Cactus Pears tunes. Xenos wrote the majority of the band’s songs with contribution from Dreifort. Most of the songs played at this weekend’s show will be from albums released in the ’90s, such as 1999’s Snacks For Slacks.
Cactus Pears’ unusual instruments — including the mandolin and cello —make the band’s sound different than the music of a typical guitar-heavy rock band.
“10 years ago we were really different,” Gibson said. “We stood out because back then you were either in a jam band or punk band, and there are definitely more bands in our ballpark now … like Kaslo and Russenorsk … we just like that sound, it’s a big, rich, textured sound.”
Aside from its own songs, Cactus Pears plans to spice things up by playing TV theme songs. People at the show will each receive a piece of paper with a song title on it. When the band plays the song on the slip of paper, the audience member will win a prize, such as a Cactus Pears T-shirt or CD.
Latest version of Cactus Pears primed for reunion show
By Jim Phillips
Athens NEWS Senior Writer
April 17, 2008
Singer/songwriter Tony Xenos now admits that life as a Cactus Pear has sometimes been sweet, but also very prickly.
“Looking back at it, we had a lot of ideas,” Xenos recalled Tuesday of the quirky, tuneful Athens band he started in 1993. “We just had no clue about how to actually get them done.”
And while the Cactus Pears have cranked out some pure pop glory in their time, they have also suffered from what are known in the music business as “personal and creative differences.”
The band – which has gone through 15 members in 15 years – has had an on-again, off-again existence. With Xenos the main constant, they would play together for a while, shuffle members, break up, re-form, then do it all over again.
Now the Pears are back together once more, with a newfound sense of direction, a mature and forward-looking attitude, and two local gigs in the offing. After that, Xenos said, who knows?
“It just seemed like it was time to get back together again,” he explained. “We’re just checking it out, seeing if we can work together, and checking out Athens.”
The latest lineup is strong on Cactus Pear veterans plus a couple of newcomers. It features Xenos on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dan Dreifort on vocals and electric guitar, Bryan Gibson on drums, Geoff Osterland on bass, Rob Powell on mandolin, keyboards and guitar, and Ashley Ford on cello.
They’re set to play Casa this Saturday, and Jackie O’s on May 9. Kaslo also will be on the bill at the Casa show.
Xenos said that so far, the band chemistry has been great. He noted that this time around, the members sat down ahead of time and thrashed out what they wanted to get out of a reunion, and have a shared understanding of what this one’s all about.
At this point, he said, the band is content just to play together again, do a couple of good shows with mainly old material (plus a couple new songs), and see if something is clicking to the point where they want to take it further. There’s no big recording project in the works, and the reunion “is really just about the music,” he said.
At times in the past, the Pears have essentially been a backing band to realize Xenos’ songs. “We did get to the point once where we started to write songs (as a band), but then we broke up,” he noted.
This time around, however, Xenos said, he’s getting a whole new appreciation for what having a good, seasoned band around you means.
In his various forays into being a solo musician, he noted, he tried such stratagems as “looping” his own instrumental parts electronically, allowing him to, ah, play with himself onstage. But nothing beats having an experienced set of musicians around you, who know your tunes and each other, he suggested.
“I go to practice, and I think, ‘This is great!’” he said. “We’re listening to each other… and we just have high-level musicianship now. Everybody in the band is awesome. I’m definitely the weak link. They make me look good.”
Xenos said he especially appreciates having Dreifort back to take over the main guitar chores, something he found he really missed during his days as a solo artist.
“It definitely taught me a little bit of a lesson, because I can’t play the kind of parts that Dan plays,” he said.
Along with old CP favorites, the band is working on two new originals, Xenos said, “Waiting for Odysseus” and “This New Machine.”
The practices are like Old Home Week with improvements, and the band is rarin’ to go, he reported.
“I am really excited about playing this show (Saturday),” he admitted.
By Jim Phillips
Athens NEWS Senior Writer
April 17, 2008
Singer/songwriter Tony Xenos now admits that life as a Cactus Pear has sometimes been sweet, but also very prickly.
“Looking back at it, we had a lot of ideas,” Xenos recalled Tuesday of the quirky, tuneful Athens band he started in 1993. “We just had no clue about how to actually get them done.”
And while the Cactus Pears have cranked out some pure pop glory in their time, they have also suffered from what are known in the music business as “personal and creative differences.”
The band – which has gone through 15 members in 15 years – has had an on-again, off-again existence. With Xenos the main constant, they would play together for a while, shuffle members, break up, re-form, then do it all over again.
Now the Pears are back together once more, with a newfound sense of direction, a mature and forward-looking attitude, and two local gigs in the offing. After that, Xenos said, who knows?
“It just seemed like it was time to get back together again,” he explained. “We’re just checking it out, seeing if we can work together, and checking out Athens.”
The latest lineup is strong on Cactus Pear veterans plus a couple of newcomers. It features Xenos on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dan Dreifort on vocals and electric guitar, Bryan Gibson on drums, Geoff Osterland on bass, Rob Powell on mandolin, keyboards and guitar, and Ashley Ford on cello.
They’re set to play Casa this Saturday, and Jackie O’s on May 9. Kaslo also will be on the bill at the Casa show.
Xenos said that so far, the band chemistry has been great. He noted that this time around, the members sat down ahead of time and thrashed out what they wanted to get out of a reunion, and have a shared understanding of what this one’s all about.
At this point, he said, the band is content just to play together again, do a couple of good shows with mainly old material (plus a couple new songs), and see if something is clicking to the point where they want to take it further. There’s no big recording project in the works, and the reunion “is really just about the music,” he said.
At times in the past, the Pears have essentially been a backing band to realize Xenos’ songs. “We did get to the point once where we started to write songs (as a band), but then we broke up,” he noted.
This time around, however, Xenos said, he’s getting a whole new appreciation for what having a good, seasoned band around you means.
In his various forays into being a solo musician, he noted, he tried such stratagems as “looping” his own instrumental parts electronically, allowing him to, ah, play with himself onstage. But nothing beats having an experienced set of musicians around you, who know your tunes and each other, he suggested.
“I go to practice, and I think, ‘This is great!’” he said. “We’re listening to each other… and we just have high-level musicianship now. Everybody in the band is awesome. I’m definitely the weak link. They make me look good.”
Xenos said he especially appreciates having Dreifort back to take over the main guitar chores, something he found he really missed during his days as a solo artist.
“It definitely taught me a little bit of a lesson, because I can’t play the kind of parts that Dan plays,” he said.
Along with old CP favorites, the band is working on two new originals, Xenos said, “Waiting for Odysseus” and “This New Machine.”
The practices are like Old Home Week with improvements, and the band is rarin’ to go, he reported.
“I am really excited about playing this show (Saturday),” he admitted.