Dr. Roundhouse brings soul fusion to Conundrum Music Hall Saturday
It doesn't take a surgeon to see that the members of Columbia rock and soul group Dr. Roundhouse have a sense of humor. The band's name is derived from an original sketch comedy show character. "The Muppet Show's" fictional band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is one of several influences and each member of the four-piece group has a silly nickname. But Dr. Roundhouse does take one thing seriously: making music.
The origins of Dr. Roundhouse can be traced back 18 years, when guitarists/vocalists Jon "The Grand Boo Boo" Coxe and Russell "Tagteam" Goodman began playing together. The acoustic duo performed under the name DNR, adding Nate "The Chicago Voodoo Doll" Poston on bass and Nicholas "The Boo Boo Bandit" McGill on drums to the lineup in 2006. The group changed its name to Dr. Roundhouse in early 2011 because DNR was already taken by several groups.
"We tossed around many ideas — Apple Soup, The Jesus BBQ Squad and Adam Goes West to name a few," McGill said. "Nate and I were hanging out at a mutual friend's house discussing ideas for our highly-anticipated sketch comedy show that isn't really in the works, when the idea was pitched for a recurring character-based skit entitled 'The Adventures of Dr. Roundhouse' or something in that vein [and] eventually we landed on Dr. Roundhouse" as a name for the band.
McGill describes the band's sound as "a blend of all things rock, R&B and soul." He went on to list descriptions he has heard from fans, including "sexy music that is sexy," "a blend of everything you love and everything you will learn to love," "the cure for racism and smallpox," "the love child of Neil Young and George Martin" and "a mix of Meat Loaf and Parliament."
McGill has been a musician for most of his life.
"I grew up in a Beatles-loving household. My father played the guitar, my uncle played the guitar and, at a pretty early age, my brother began to play as well. With all those guitars around, I begged for a drum kit," McGill said. "From there, my brother, Josh McGill, and I started playing around town in a number of different bands, most notably The Dirty Lowdown."
Dr. Roundhouse will play at Conundrum Music Hall on July 7 with local acts Stillhouse and Dead Pedals. While Coxe and McGill have played at the venue before, it'll be the band's first time taking the stage there. McGill said the show will be a unique concert experience.
"At Conundrum, the audience should be prepared for an eclectic mix of all things rock 'n' roll. Our live show is a high-energy flash of tightly constructed, precise three-minute tunes interrupted by what we consider to be epic jams that can make any given song a 15-minute musical conversation between the four of us," McGill said. "We really feed off of each other and the audience. We just love feeling and energy they direct back toward the stage."
Dr. Roundhouse is in the early stages of recording their next EP. The band has an EP titled "The DNR Tapes" available online at drroundhouse.com. The group is also offering a different free download on its website each day until the July 7 show. Doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday and the show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5. For more information, visit conundrum.us.