Band reaches crossroads

With its enthusiastic and youthful atmosphere, Bloomington has long held the tradition of being a breeding ground for original music. From the reputable School of Music to legendary venues such as The Bluebird, the area is rich in artistic resources and has spawned more than a few bands in its day.\nRich Hardesty enjoys the success of being called Indiana's top independent artist, and will soon make the move from Bloomington, where he has spent most of his successful musical career. \nDanagas, a popular local funk band, also recognizes when Bloomington's resources are stretched to their limits. \nThree Minute Mile thrives on the local enthusiasm, while it experiences a streak of good fortune. \nUnderground Charmin quickly climbs up the proverbial ladder and is on the verge of bursting onto the Bloomington scene.\nDanagas has reached a crossroads of sorts in its musical career. Having been around the Bloomington music scene for two years and amassed a considerable local following, the members said they sometimes feel they have exhausted the possibilities of this confined market.\n"Bloomington is a good place to start, but once you have established yourself, get out while you can!" said bassist David Barajas. "This town goes through bands like cheap underwear."\nSaxophonist Bill Hauser agrees. "Bloomington is home to great talent, with little chance to apply it the right way," he said.\nBut in its time here, Danagas has taken full advantage of the talent and resources. Several members are graduates or students of the acclaimed IU School of Music -- in fact, that's how the core members came together.\nDanagas began when high school friends Barajas and saxophonist Glen Cavanagh got together with drummer Ryan Fitch and his roommate Hauser on saxophone -- but they lacked a keyboardist. Cavanagh asked classmate Ryan Lott to come to a rehearsal and check it out.\n"Ryan Lott blew our minds away when we jammed with him," Barajas said.\n"It was pretty unreal how our chemistry was so explosive right off the bat," Lott said. Soon after Lott was added, vocalist Iam Beck, also a music student, joined the band.\n"We originally just had him come in and do some extra vocal stuff, back-ups and whatnot," Lott said of Beck. "But it was pretty evident to all that this was one bad mamba-jamba." \nThis chemistry is what holds the band together. It had its first live performance on Halloween of 1998.\n"During that first gig, Dave was chanting 'Halloweeeen, Halloweeeen' over and over during this one jam -- it was totally lame, but we didn't know what else to do," Lott said. Since then, the band has recorded one CD, "Take It With You," and is working on the second. \nThe biggest challenge it faces isn't lack of attention or places to play -- it's getting all six of the members together, not only for rehearsal, but to see eye-to-eye on some business issues.\n"Everybody's at a crucial fork in their lives where nobody really wants to verbally say, 'Yeah, I'm ready to go out on a limb and risk it all for this band,'" Hauser said.\nThey all agree moving to a bigger market is the next step, but while some are ready to make the leap, other band members are still dealing with life issues such as finishing their degree or, in Lott's case, getting married.\n"Now that we know that this band isn't a joke and we all take it seriously, we're trying our hardest to get out of Bloomington and move up the ranks from being just another local band," Fitch said.\n"Not everybody can do the (music) business, and not everybody understands -- myself included -- how it works," Hauser said. "It's an ugly business."\nFitch, as one of the oldest members of the band, is usually the one who has to seize control of the business aspect. \n"It makes me have to run a tight ship to make sure everything is going smoothly for all of us," he said. "It's a rough job, but someone has to do it."\nBut all these challenges and decisions on the business side haven't hurt Danagas' fundamental appeal -- its music.\n"When we get together to practice, it's insane how much we get done and the new ideas we create -- if only we could practice more often," Barajas said.\nThe members don't know what awaits -- fame and fortune, perhaps, but undoubtedly at a price.\n"Ultimately, we've realized as long as we are true to the funk, it will carry us through all obstacles," Barajas said. "You cannot fake the funk"