Michelle Kaplan

November 1, 2008 on 6:43 am | In General | No Comments

Acoustic Remedy has the cure for the ailing soul. Those who long for a break from the usual weekend club

crawl, relax, you’ve been saved. Catch this band in action; you won’t be sorry you did.

The old adage, don’t judge a book by its cover truly applies here. Although the name conjures images of soft weeping guitars and light background music to fill the venue while old friends catch up over beers, there’s no doubt about it – Acoustic Remedy rocks, or as they like to say “Acoustic Rock with a Punch.”

The band surly can manage soft rock but when they strike the first chords to songs from Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin, you will soon forget that this is an “acoustic” group.
Three well-seasoned musicians, each with different back grounds and experiences have come together, complimenting and contrasting each other. The music ebbs and flows between them magically, defining just what “chemistry” is.

Steven Jones and Andy Stein play guitar. Their twenty-three-year friendship is part of that chemistry. They formed Acoustic Remedy seven years ago. Then came bass player Stephanie Krowka in the fall of 2005 to insert the rhythm – and being the only female, a little spice.
“We have this sprit connection that occurs between the three,” said Jones. “To be able to work with such talented people is very special… We all support each other’s sound and it all seems to gel.”
The three have standout vocals, allowing them to do the complicated harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and to soar with the Eagles.
As Jones says, when you go to hear them play, expect the unexpected. You’ll hear a mix including tunes from varied artists such as: Eric Clapton, Sinead O’Connor, Janice Joplin, Grand Funk Railroad Road, Allman Brothers and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Then they’ll just break into a stint of dueling banjos like you’ve never heard. They also have a few original tunes that they can be coaxed into playing, just ask.
The music rocks because of good guitar work, plain and simple. The band takes classic rock tunes and makes them their own by piecing together some free flowing riffs, giving them their signature full-bodied sound. Even without percussion, the jams are solid because of Stephanie Krowka’s killer bass playing.
“We’re not set in stone about things,” said Stein. “That makes us more fluid. We’re not trying to be one of those bands that tries to do things exactly the way the original bands do it. I’d much rather have its own flavor….We’re not trying to be so precise…. We’re trying to enjoy It and have the audience enjoy it – through that, we have a lot of passion.”
But let’s face it, they are a bar band. They are everything a good cover band should be – fun, tight and together, playing lots of crowd pleasers with excellent harmonies and a female voice that let’s them carry off a bigger variety in their repertoire than they could if they were the typical all guy band.
“We’re there to have fun,” said Jones. “That’s the bottom line, we figured out there really is not a lot of money in the local music scene. No one has delusions of grandeur.”
Acoustic Remedy is currently playing two regular gigs at two very different venues. Go see them at one and you’ll get a totally different vibe at the other. Paddy Mac’s in Palm Beach Gardens offers a cozy, warm atmosphere. An Irish bar with brick and comforting heavy wood, you may think you hear someone yell “NORM” when some regular walks in the door. You can catch them there every Friday night. The room is friendly and casual. The crowd is all over the board – couples, singles and families.
“Our audience is so varied in age and types of people…I think that has a lot to do with the type of music we play and the way we play music,” said Stein.
Igot’s Martiki Bar on funky Lake Avenue in Lake Worth is a hybrid, half sports bar, with a flat screen TV wherever there’s available wall space, and half surfer/tiki bar motif. Because this is an open air space the band actually draws the patrons in from the street – they just follow the music every other Saturday night.
“I like playing down at Igot’s.” said Krowka, “Igot’s is a different world…I feel it’s more lively, big crowd…it’s fun.”
For a comprehensive schedule of this busy whirlwind band or for more information about the artists, visit www.acousticremedy.com and www.andystein.net.Paddy Mac’s is located at 10971 North Military Trail in Palm Beach Gardens. For information, call (561) 691-4366. Igot’s Martiki Bar is located at 702 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth. For more information call, (561) 582-4468.
PBG