lokalgrown says farewell
For potentially its last concert performance ever in Logan, musical group lokalgrown united in the auditorium of Logan High School Monday and entertained fans with songs from its past three albums, as well as a few new songs performed for the first time.
The members of lokalgrown have invested a great deal of history together. Between the five members, Nate Davis, Jake Callister, Quinn Dietlein, Keith Sorensen and Dan Callister, they have a combined 30 years of experience. With their three album productions they have sold more than 2,500 CDs. In their three years of playing together, they have appeared at more than 250 corporate and community functions, private parties, religious organizations and weddings/receptions.
Lokalgrown music can be defined in a number of categories: folk, bluegrass, reggae, classic rock and country. Acoustic guitarist Jake Callister, who graduated from USU in 2004 with a degree in natural resources, offered a single term to define their music genre: “Compromise rock.”
“We call it compromise rock because all of us in the band have compromised our musical taste to meet somewhere in the middle,” Callister said. “For instance, Dan specializes in more of the reggae style and I’m more of the folk. Combining all our tastes has made lokalgrown what it is.”
Monday’s concert nearly filled the auditorium with fans. During certain songs, people in the audience rose from their seats and danced to the fast tempo of the music. When slower-tempo songs were played, some couples took the opportunity to dance together.
Matt Sadowski, who had been in the band previously, and Aaron Ashton, who had acquired a friendship with the band over the years, also played that night. Sadowski patted on the hand-drums and Ashton strummed an electric violin. For the last show, Callister said, lokalgrown knew they had to have everyone there for sentimental reasons.
“We had a good time that night along with everyone else,” said keyboard player Quinn Dietlein, who is pursuing his master’s in business at USU. “We will continue to have a good time. Actually, this might not be our last hoorah.”
The fact is, the band noted this concert as being its last, due to bass player Dan Callister leaving for Brazil on a two-year LDS mission, and Jake Callister and Davis going on to graduate school.
“Although we are not married to thought, we kind of knew it was going to end here,” said Jake Callister. “Daniel’s announcement kind of quickened the reality, but if there are situations which work out than we’ll see. We’ll just have to call it as it unfolds.”
Callister mentioned that they also have two more commitments for this summer, which were scheduled before Daniel’s news of going on a mission. But as far as the bands future goes, he mentioned there was no sure saying, only that for now they would be done.
Meridee Webb, a Logan resident, was in attendance that night.
“I heard lokalgrown at campus a couple years back,” she said. “What really interested me was the electric violin in the music. I had to be here to hear the band one last time.”
Member of lokalgrown said they wanted to thank Utah State University for giving them many opportunities to perform publicly, and stated that they will always be “true blue aggies.”
-bretpmorley@cc.usu.edu
(Photo by Jamie Crane)
lokalgrown performs its last concert at Logan High School Monday night. Faithful fans and family filled the auditorium. (Photo by Jamie Crane)