Evancho brothers' band features unique sound, original creations
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Brothers Mike and Nick Evancho of Wichita may not be making a lot of money these days, but for sure they are having a lot of fun.
The sons of Demitry and Pat Evancho of Marion Reservoir's Eastshore community comprise a guitar duo.
How can two people make a band? They do it by using a drum machine to produce the accompaniment they need for their songs.
They call themselves "Darlin' Maudie," taken from the name of a prominent character in the book, "Iowa Baseball Confederacy," by W.P, Kinsella. Kinsella wrote the movie, "Field of Dreams."
Maudie was a character who produced things that were "shocking, revealing, and daring," they said, having a 'Mary Magdalene' aspect and a need for salvation.
The duo uses an elaborate mix of guitar, eloquent lyrics, and amazing stage presence to entertain their audiences.
A drummer-free stage allows freer movement and room for several unique props including a trampoline and spring light.
They create a unique sound playing off of musical styles borrowed from The Cure, David Bowie, Bowling for Soup, Blink 182, and Tool.
"We lay it all out there," Nick said. "We're a little serious, we're a little funny, we're a little rock, we're a little pop, we'll do everything. I think we are like your music collection at home. We don't discriminate."
The brothers inherited their musical ability. Their grandfather, James Peterson, was a clarinet player, music professor, writer, and composer.
Both Mike and Nick learned to play the piano while growing up and played brass instruments while attending Centre Junior/Senior High School, where their father was superintendent.
Music always has been an element of the Evancho family household, whether it was listening to The Drifters on long car trips or playing Queen during dinner.
"We encouraged music all along," Demitry said. "Music was very important because it gave them something to get lost in in a small town. They had to create their own stimulus."
Mike graduated in 1995 and Nick graduated in 1996.
While in high school, Mike played in a local band known as Analog Fuzz and continued with it until he left for the Navy in the fall of 1995.
Nick's first involvement in a band occurred while he was a sophomore at Bethany College in Lindsborg. He was a guitarist with a band called Old Man Lyle which included a drummer, bass player, and second guitarist.
"I look back now and watch videos and stuff of us," Nick said. "It's like, oh God. I wish I wouldn't have recorded that stuff."
But those initial bands gave them the experience they needed to develop their skills.
They started to work together, writing songs and developing new material. According to Nick, Mike was more musically talented than he and could start and finish a composition. Nick would have an idea and Mike would fine-tune it.
Some of the band's current repertoire comes from this pool of early work.
After Mike's release from the Navy in 1999, he joined Old Man Lyle, which by then had changed its name to Darlin' Maudie.
The two are proud of that name and both claim to have been the one to have come up with it.
During the next few years, the group was constantly evolving, changing bass players and drummers, eventually ending up as a two-piece band.
A low point in their history occurred when Nick's relationship with a female band member was severed. Nick constantly was writing songs to reflect the experience while Mike wanted to move on to other themes.
Darlin' Maudie now consists of the two brothers and a Boss DR880 drum machine.
"I got tired of the inconsistency and the constant starting over," Mike said. "Now I've got control or the illusion of control. The good thing is, they (the drummer and bass player) are not human; the bad thing is, they are not human."
The brothers said their biggest challenge was learning how to work together.
"We had to see each other's strong points and learn to compromise," Mike said. "We've made monumental steps toward working as a team."
Nick handles the business end of the work, such as planning bookings and selling CDs. Mike programs the drums and puts the finishing touches on compositions.
They perform in popular Wichita venues such as Kirby's and J.C.'s House of Rock and sometimes travel to Norman, Okla., and Kansas City.
When they perform, they usually start out with three or four well-known songs but the remainder are original creations.
They have created two albums using their drum machine: The Shallow Deep, released in 2005, and Dead End of the Wake, released in 2006. Another one is in the works.
Last summer, the duo took a three-week tour, performing in Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Airzona, California, and Nevada.
On June 30, they performed at a benefit in Hutchinson for the people of Greensburg.
They performed Saturday at The Hub in Peabody, the local hangout for young people.
Both brothers agree having the drum machine isn't their ideal and say they would like to see a drummer re-enter the band at some point.
"If a drummer and a bass player want to show up and be into what we are doing, I think that would be awesome," Nick said.
Although both men are college graduates (Mike from Wichita State University and Nick from Bethany), they currently have simple jobs that don't make a lot of money but give them the flexibility to pursue their first love.
They love performing and find it the lifeblood of what they do. They share lodging and meals and have learned how to live frugally.
Mike said they feel pressure from others including their parents and even from themselves to be making more of their lives, but for now they are enjoying what they are doing.
The title to one of their songs, "Right Here, Right Now" aptly describes their attitude.
"I just have to be me and do what I want to do right now," Mike said.
Nick agreed.
