Llama Tsunami Rides Big Wave of Success

Going to the Wild West for a young band of Montville ska musicians meant going out to the Austin scene to play in one of the best known music events in the nation.

Every year, the Red Gorilla Festival, alongside its big brother SXSW, draws tens of thousands of music lovers from far and wide, crushing them into one partying street. This year, hundreds of big-name acts showed up in the city, including The Strokes and Kanye West, who performed a duet with Jay Z.

For Llama Tsunami, this was a chance of a lifetime. Having won the Shure Microphone “Give it Voice” contest, they had free airfare to Austin, Texas, and three rooms at a hotel in town for all seven of their musicians. Best of all, they had a gig lined up in the center of all the action.

In an , members Ben Perry and Josh Middleton discussed the formation of their band and their upcoming performance in Austin. Now that they were back from their trip, Perry and Middleton were joined by fellow band members Rolf  Racich and Nick Perry, for a second interview at The Nook Café.

A taste of the road

Their journey began in Providence where they had an early morning flight at T.F. Greene the next day. Group. They got a head start by sleeping on the floor of their friend’s unfurnished apartment. One of their band mates arrived in Providence at three in the morning via a bus from Vermont.

“It was fun trying to catch one or two hours of sleep in a very large room with five of us in there and a hardwood floor,” said Ben Perry.

Taking what little sleep they could get, they arrived, bleary-eyed at the airport for their flight. After a three-hour connection in Chicago, they hit the ground in Austin at 2:30—seven and a half hours before they were due to hit the stage at The Blind Pig Pub.

A ride was waiting for them at the airport. They had a “fun story” when the hotel didn’t realize their rooms were already paid for and asked for their credit cards. Fortunately, the hotel realized their mistake and didn’t stick the band with the $3,000 tab.

They had to show up to the Pub at 6 p.m. to do an interview with the Shure people.  Though they were slated for a 9 p.m. load in, the band got this done early. “We weren’t going to leave our instruments on the streets.” Ben Perry said.

The Blind Pig Pub was a two-story affair. “There was basically a whole outdoor venue on the roof,” said Ben Perry.

That roof would later become packed with spectators, most of whom had never seen Llama Tsunami play. Being a Ska band, they were less common at the festival than indie or conventional rock outfits.

“We were kind of apprehensive at first, especially being one of the only Ska bands down there,” Nick Perry said. “We were worried whether people would like us or not, but we actually got a really good response for the crowd.”

Feeling the love

It took the sound people, who were less familiar with their instruments, a long time to mic-check the band. “They didn’t deal with horns,” said Racich. It took the sound people a full half-hour to adjust the microphone for his trombone before the show.

Though there were inevitably some nerves about playing in front of the all-new audience, when Llama Tsunami hit the stage, they were a huge hit. “Nobody there had heard us before,” said Perry. “All these people heard us for the first time and they were dancing. We played a couple covers and they were singing along.”

After they finished their set, several people approached them to praise them for their set, especially the energy they put on. Members of a California band called Shiver Fox came by and paid their respects. Another group of new fans included a roller derby team from Scotland, who told them that they would be welcome any time they wanted to play a show in their homeland.

Meanwhile. Nick acted as “merch boy” managing to sell about 50 of their CDs and giving out plenty of stickers and buttons to their new friends.

In the weeks after the show, the band also saw a swell of new members to their Facebook page: new potential customers. They won’t be able to find out about song downloads online until they receive their monthly report from the “CD Baby” website.

 Austin after dark

The group stayed at the Blind Pig to listen to the other music until about 1 a.m., and then, tired from the traveling and other excitement, decided to head home—but it wouldn’t be that easy. The hotel was seven miles away, the streets were packed, and the buses had stopped at 8.

 “The interesting thing about Austin is there’s no public transportation” Middleton said, “Everyone’s drunk, everyone needs a cab.” The band tried unsuccessfully to call three taxi companies to reserve vehicles but none arrived. Finally, they picked up their instruments and started walking in the direction of the hotel, hauling their instruments. The band had been awake for over 24 hours.

The party in the streets was just as wild as it was inside the clubs that lined them. Street performers played to the crowds. Strangely enough, somebody was trying to sell beets.

Finally, after walking for about a mile, they were able to get a ride back to the hotel and sleep.

Back to reality

Back in the Northeast, Llama Tsunami’s members have gotten back to their jobs and school. 

They will follow their album from last summer “Get Serious” with a new EP split with songs from ska/punk band Threat Level Burgundy.

Two charity concerts put them on their schedule: NFAID at Norwich Free Academy, in which will raise money for philanthropies in Africa and a May sixth concert at Three Rivers College.

Meanwhile, Ben has been working to get the band more local gigs for the warmer months.

“The summer is definitely our season,” Nick Perry said.