Flaccid

Bloomington, Illinois, progressive jam band Flaccid, released their first full length album All In on September 16, 2016, and I felt that it was fate that it fell into my hands. Their sound is what could be described as “right up my alley,” with a solid foundation of jam flavored with an alt rock flair that reminds me of the nonchalance of a band like Weezer. Flaccid often straddles the line between structured songs and improvised jams in a seamless fashion, and the lyrics serve as a window of insight into the band members’ lives, creating an intimate and interesting collection to keep you intrigued throughout the 9 track album.

The first track “Pilot” shows you what the band is made of, offering some truly tasty guitar licks and shreds that spice up the steady, rhythmic tempo. “Quite A Stupor” begins with a bang, quite literally, with a crashing of bass and drums, going into a lyric-driven jam then unraveling into improvisation at the end. “Living This Way” is the most cut and dry rock song on the album, brimming with raw angst and singing of being tired of so many things, including “living this way,” “just getting around,” and “singing this song.” The next track “In Pretend” also has a rock feel, with vocals that remind me of the eerie serenade of Billy Corrigan of Smashing Pumpkins. The song “No Dice” is my favorite on the album, the tone of the bass reminds me of my favorite The Strokes album, and the frantic repeating chorus of “I fucking killed it, I fucking killed it today,” made me get up on my feet and do the running man right there in my office.

With “Mindless Self Indulgence,” Flaccid somehow accomplishes the feat of combining jam and post-grunge, then takes it back to jam land with “Casserole,” which has lyrics that you can’t help to smile to, singing “Where are you now? I’m putting a casserole in the oven, it’s turning brown, I cannot wait to eat it with all of you.” This band isn’t all jokes, however, because they’re next track “Get In Line” is a beautiful jazzy tune where you get to hear the keys shine. There’s a great feeling of hope in the song, and the lyrics talk about facing the day and facing consequences. “I can’t believe it’s only 10 o’clock, I can’t believe I got so caught up, someday I will have to get in line, put down all the girls and all the wine… for a little while.” The album ends with “Here and There,” an up-tempo song with a rock melody, guitar solo, and full on “jam out” session to complete the sentiment of this compilation.

I love this album because it’s different from the usual instrumental jam music that we become inundated with in this scene, and Flaccid has a unique sound that is truly all their own. I suggest you check it out for yourself on bandcamp, and most important of all, “Stay Flaccid.”

Find more info including media and shows on Flaccid’s website: http://www.stayflaccid.com/ - Appalachian Jamwich

Nolan Kelly and Nick Ward of Flaccid said they can't remember seriously considering another name for their Bloomington-Normal based band. Ward recalled "Captain something or other." Kelly laughed and said "Once you go with Flaccid you never go back." When pressed further, Kelly adamantly said no other name came to mind. "You have to be pretty sure of yourself when you settle on a name like that" declared Kelly.

Ward and Kelly said the band name starts a few snickering conversations.

"Usually at first it's a pretty good laugh" said Kelly. "But once they hear the music or get what it's about, they're usually pretty impressed it's a little more under the surface than what they might have expected."

Flaccid played numerous Twin City house shows after forming four summers ago. They blossomed last year with a 4-song EP and a tour of the West Coast. The rock-funk-jam quintet hits the road again at the end of September for a Midwest tour in support of their new album. "All In" clocks in at roughly 40 minutes over nine songs that are filled with anguish, grief, and some regret. Even the joyful "No Dice" has the tension release of someone who just finished a grueling marathon.

"All these songs came from a certain time period" said Kelly. "I lost a real good friend at the time and was writing a lot about that."

Kelly is Flaccid's principal songwriter, with contributions from fellow guitarist and vocalist Jack Kendrick and bassist/vocalist Kyle Woith. Fans will recognize at least some of the songs on the band’s first full length album from past live performances.

"It was just a really organic process over a number of years. I do all my writing acoustically, so it all just kind of poured out. After being fortunate enough to meet these guys and start the band, it was a huge outlet to be able to see the songs through to the vision I had in my mind. There are always ideas floating around when you're writing songs, but you don't always have the right people with you to get them to that point. It's been nothing but a blessing to play with these guys."

Kelly founded Flaccid with Ward, Woith, and Kendrick. The four were later joined by keyboard player C.J. Kelly (no relation to Nolan). Kelly takes a deep breath when remembering the early iteration of the band.

"After playing together so long you build up a lot of trust” said Kelly. “ It was definitely awesome enough in its beginning form. Then we added Kyle and Jack on bass and guitar and were able to see the songs through from the vision to their bigger form. Everybody brings their own form. And especially adding C.J. We're family at this point whether we like it or not" laughed Kelly.

A little over two years ago, Flaccid won a Battle of the Bands competition at The Canopy Club in Champaign, Illinois. The prize was a highly coveted spot at Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois. Kelly said their Summer Camp experience combined with a performance at a Grateful Dead Reunion pre-show in San Jose, California infused the band with an extra dose of confidence. But Kelly said the band has believed in itself for a while.

"As you grow or get to a new plateau, or some new re-instilled sense of knowing that we're really doing good things here. I mean even from the beginning, before it was ever a thing, it was definitely great. And then as you get yourself out there and get away from playing all basement shows every weekend in your house and get out and play venues, and getting some feedback, little by little, you start to think this is a good thing. And people respond to it and enjoy it. That’s the best when other people dig it too" said Kelly.

Kelly and Ward said the band is "All In" on taking the band national. Ward had an enthusiastic laugh when he said "We'll drive around the country. And if people want to see us, that's pretty cool too."

"That's the idea" said Kelly. "We will go wherever you are." - GLT (NPR from Illinois State University)

Walking into Flaccid’s practice is loud, to say the least. The five-member Bloomington band immediately fell into a natural rhythm with their music, communicating only with eye contact and small hand motions toward each other. What audience members might believe to be a well-rehearsed song may be the band feeding off of each other’s energy.

“All In,” which was finished, finalized and uploaded to their Bandcamp in mid-August, showcases a collection of both old and new work by the band. To celebrate, Flaccid will be showcasing music off the new album during a headlining set at The Castle Theatre Sept. 16, which will feature some other local music opening acts such as Vimana and Alex and the XO’s.

“It’s just a big celebration for us really. It’s a culmination of work on this one album, and to be able to have a headlining show at The Castle Theatre, which is somewhere we’ve played plenty of times, is great…it’s just going to be a huge party with all of our friends,” lead singer Nolan Kelly said.

During practice, band members say they typically intend to practice songs from the new album at the beginning but end up jamming instead. They roll with the punches of key changes and drift from their original songs naturally.

Drummer Nick Ward said this is not unusual, as a planned set list is often strayed from or ignored all together in favor of reading the crowd’s energy rather than adhering strictly to a specific list of songs.

The band is usually more relaxed when it comes to planning a show but is spending more time on the dynamics for this specific performance.

“We’re working on some special stuff for the show,” Keyboardist CJ Kelly said, without revealing anything too specific so that audience members can be surprised.

“A lot of planning, as far as the set list, goes into a show like this...a lot of times we kind of leave it up in the air, but for a show like this we will probably write out a pretty specific set list,” Kelly said.

However, it’s likely that Flaccid will eventually go back to its traditional method of performing, which includes reading the room and basing the show off of the feelings of the audience and each other. Even with the bigger stage and more dramatic light production, Flaccid can never stray too far from its roots when it comes to a live show.

“When we write a full set list, we generally will not play all of it, because we’ll start feeling something else 30 minutes later anyway,” Ward said.

For more information on Flaccid, check out its Facebook page, Instagram or website.

REBECCA DAVIS is a Features reporter for The Vidette. Any questions or comments regarding her article can be directed to vidette_rjdavis@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter @VRebeccaDavis - The Vidette

It was a crowded Saturday night inside of Maguire's bar and grill in Bloomington.

But as these bands set up for the night's show, a heavy feeling, is among them.

"We got to know him pretty well over the last year and a half or so and a lot of our good friends were good friends with him,” said band member, Nolan Kelly.

That friend is 21-year-old Ryan Kindig.

He was found dead outside of his home last week, after he was reported missing.

But just days later, a concert. To raise money for his family.

"It was just a spur of the moment, throwing it all together, bringing everybody together,” Kelly said.

Nolan Kelly is a part of the central Illinois-based band, Flaccid.

They play shows at Macguire's often.

So when the band reached out for a benefit concert, the bar welcomed them with open arms.

"It's good for us, it's good for the family, it's good all around," said manager, Emily Engle.

Even though Kindig wasn't a member of a band.

He was a photographer, capturing big moments.

And that's exactly what his friends wanted to do for his family.

"It's a hard time, you know, for anybody to lose someone, especially a son, I can only imagine,” Engle said.

More than 300 people walked through the doors, they shared special memories of Kindig, the man, behind the camera.

"As you can see, there's a huge turnout, so there's a lot of people who loved him, and think really highly of him,” Engle said.

And while band members say, their music won't bring Ryan back, they hope sharing his memories, can ease the pain for those closest to him.

"I know that no amount of money can, you know, make anything better, or anything like that, but it should hopefully help a little bit,” Kelly said.

Members of Flaccid say Ryan even offered to go on tour with them, to take pictures of their performances.

They say, they were planning to take him the next time they went. - CI Proud