Born in 2004, kelp was the natural result of the realization that you’re supposed to have FUN if you’re in a band. Kent Meloy (guitars) had been in an ambitious and eclectic band that had at it’s height 9 players, and though the sound was getting there, something was missing for him. He stumbled across his friend Elle Crash’s new band “Lovely Crash” – at that time a raw four-girl punk-pop act and the epiphany was almost unbearable. Watching them play made him realize he had been taking things too seriously, and the appeal of a stripped-down, balls-to-the-wall quirky approach became the holy grail.
He met Rena Hopkins (vox) when she answered an ad in the local arts paper, and the core was formed. Rena’s incredible energy and stage persona became the foundation of what was to come. The first tentative iterations of the band involved a handful of traveling minstrels, day players that would disappear almost as soon as they got settled, but the first catalog of tunes were being written by the two.
Gary Wiemer (bass) also answered the ad, and his road experience and solid chops filled in the low end. Kent met Jim Lipscomb (drums) while working a job in theater and they both realized how much in common they had musically. He came on and with the early addition of Peg Jordan (keys) the band was complete.
At a one-off 80’s-themed benefit concert where the band knocked out show-stopping covers of “Johnny are you Queer” and “Dream Police”, the reaction from the crowd made it clear – that was the vibe the band needed to go for. THAT is what worked. So, they essentially scrapped their entire collection of songs and started over with a leaner, 60s/70s pop-rock aesthetic at the forefront. Eventually they stripped down even further, taking the band to a four-piece vox/guitar/bass/drums, and began to make some real waves.
They were named one of the “Bands to Watch” in 2006, landed slots in the Midpoint Music Fest two years in a row, and instigated the “Suburban Assault Tour” where they took their original act with like minded fellow bands out to the ‘cover band and karaoke’ bars to try and generate some broader support.
Eventually, life got in the way and they disbanded as members moved on and away, but the core of what they started is what led to the release of “Dead Band Walking”, and now the freshly remixed and remastered version available on Jan 1, 2020.