Adoration reunion reignites chemistry

MATT WANTLAND/Special to Knoxville.com Regrouping just made sense for Adoration’s Joe Dunn, from left, Matt McAllister, Will Bolduc and Matt Ross.

MATT WANTLAND/Special to Knoxville.com Regrouping just made sense for Adoration’s Joe Dunn, from left, Matt McAllister, Will Bolduc and Matt Ross.

Having played together for only 20 months, Adoration performed what was thought to be its last show in November of 2007. After parting ways, vocalist/guitarist Joe Dunn recommitted himself to the solo singer/songwriter shows that had been limited by his obligation to the band. Meanwhile the band’s other remnants teamed up with vocalist David Davis to form The Book of Law. Upon Davis’ recent departure, Adoration was reassembled, a little wiser and with a new appreciation for its chemistry.

Despite its success in accruing a rabid fan base in a relatively short run, conflicting visions between The Book of Law’s principle songwriters sucked enjoyment out of the band’s experience. Fortunately the same is not true of Adoration, whose previous career was, at times, too much fun for the act that admits it occasionally lost focus.

“The Book of Law died officially when David Davis quit,” explains former Book of Law and current Adoration guitarist Matt Ross. “I totally respect David as a musician and songwriter, but I think the two of us have grown into such extremely different types of people, it resulted in the music just not making sense at the end of the day. I think David’s songwriting will be much clearer without my ideals fogging the mirror.

“I think it was really just what made sense,” continues Ross of Adoration’s regrouping. “People seem to really like what we write together, and to top it off, we really have fun playing it. What I feel bad about is what we did wrong to separate in the first place, because in my mind it wasn’t a simple issue of Joe quitting to pursue solo endeavors, but rather my failure to listen to and communicate earnestly with my band mates.”

Eager to make up for lost time, Adoration holds lengthy alcohol-free — or rather alcohol-limited — practices, where the group retools old material along with Dunn’s solo work and collaborates on brand new songs. With a new emphasis on professionalism, Adoration is aided further by 10 Years guitarist and music scene philanthropist Matt Wantland, who performs with the band, among others, when available. With first-hand experience in making a splash in the music industry, Wantland acts as a pro-bono consultant as well as a part-time guitarist.

“Right now we are working on deciding which of my songs to play, which old Adoration songs to play and also writing new material,” says Dunn. “As we do all of this, we are recording demos of everything as a way to listen to and pick out what we feel are the very best songs to take into a studio. We will also be listening to audience input to decide what songs to record. Studio time is very expensive, so we need to be very scrupulous in our track selection.”

Dunn intends to continue playing his solo shows but points out that his focus is on Adoration. Rededicated, the group is boiling over with enthusiasm for its upcoming live shows.

“Old Adoration fans will have no problem digging the new venture because it undoubtedly has the same energy that was originally there,” says Ross. “There’s a certain chemistry this group of guys contain that just has the power to move a room. Our music is finally settling into what it was supposed to be all along, and I think our absence of one another will no doubt make our live shows much more intense.”

“I do plan on continuing to play some solo gigs but not as many as before,” Dunn says. “The songs that I write can be divided into ‘singer/songwriter’ and ‘rock band.’ I definitely want to push the band more than myself, but I will continue to write songs and pitch them to the band and see if they work. I just can’t wait to play with a band again on stage in front of an audience — especially this band. We have an undeniable chemistry. The re-emergence of Adoration alone is a pretty big surprise for a lot of people, and it should be a real treat to anybody who liked us before and anyone who hears us now.”

Friday, July 24, Adoration marks its return with a performance at The Cider House, opening for Thoroughfare. The bill also includes Sore Eyes and Parmalee. The show is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. and costs $5.

n MOUTHING OFF: Cowboy Mouth plays The World Grotto at 10 p.m. Admission is $10 for legal drinkers and $12 for patrons under 21.

n BROS BEFORE MATGOS: Brother on Skates joins Matgo Primo for a Saturday gig at Pilot Light. The show is slated for 10 p.m. and costs $5.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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