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Trailer Park Barbie: Behind the Music The True Story of the Band's Meteoric Rise to Local Fame From a power-trio cover band to a unique four-piece, female-fronted, hooky and energetic original rock band, Lansing MI-based TPB has defied convention for the past three years and has developed quite a following in Michigan. With the release of their debut CD About Ready, the band hopes to encourage a new local musical market to keep the long hair swingin'! The brain-child of front-woman / guitarist Erin "Barbie" Schultz, TPB began in early 2000 as sort of a tribute to all those classy trashy bar bands out there, working hard to bring all those familiar tunes to a room full of ready-to-party drinkers. "I started going to bars when I was 18, around 1994, when I was attending Michigan State University," said Schultz. "It was the height of the Alternative / Lollapalooza-esque music scene for sure, but I'd still see all these left-over 80's bands like Ice Water Mansion at places like Sparty's in East Lansing, and I thought they were awesome -- such a fun spirit in that kind of music. I was a flannel-shirt wearing whiney wannabe, true, but in my heart of hearts I was a rocker - and I wanted to nail Sebastian Bach pretty bad too, of course..." Schultz got together with long-time friend and day-job co-worker Kevin Thomas, who was a shredder guitarist in hiding, and Todd Anthony, who she knew through a friend at Elderly Instruments in Lansing (the day-job). She had just finished playing bass with mid-tempo classic rock band Rope Trick, and she was ready to let it fly. She instantly clicked with her new bandmates. With Schultz on bass and lead vocals, Thomas on guitar and Anthony on drums, TPB hit the streets and local pubs for some performance experience. With their good-time 80's flair mixed with current rock and dance tunes, TPB hardly ever failed as a cover band, always delivering the goods and selling lots of beer at clubs of all shapes and sizes throughout the state of Michigan. Though successful, after a couple years of playing weekend warrior, Todd Anthony was ready to call it quits. He wanted to do some original TPB rock or bust. "If I had to play Centerfold one more time I was going to die," said Anthony. Wanting to keep their drummer (and save his life), the band hooked up with local veteran studio tech Tim Lau at Laud Productions in Lansing in mid 2002 to lay down nine of their own songs, most of which were written in various positions and time frames by workaholic Schultz, all of which had been receiving good responses from cover-band bar crowds. After about six months of laboring in the studio, TPB headed to famed engineer Glenn Brown at GBP Productions in East Lansing for final mastering. Brown, who helped build Eminem's studio, did studio work for Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, and has recorded countless high-profile local bands like 19 Wheels and the Verve Pipe, absolutely loved the music from the Trailer Park. "Kid Rock would love this stuff too!" said Brown, with much enthusiasm. The result is About Ready, a nine-song collection from three somewhat-normal, day-job- working people from the Lansing area who still love playing the cover gigs but really want to bring their own music to new people and new places. Only one problem arose from TPB's latest project - this proud power-trio needed a fourth. Schultz had played bass, acoustic guitar and keyboards on the majority of the original songs in the studio, and the band couldn't do them justice in a live setting. New York-native musician JR Lamb was the solution. "I knew JR as the bass player for Frog and the Beeftones (a Lansing-area classic rock / country cover band), and I knew he was not happy in the band," said Schultz. "I told him I was looking for a bass player so I could come out and really front the band, play some guitar, etc... His face lit right up." With bassist JR on board and Schultz out front, there's no stopping this rock band from Lansing. They've already given crowds at premier Michigan rock clubs like Mac's Bar in Lansing and Ten Bells in Grand Rapids a taste of About Ready, and they hope to break into Detroit and other regional markets with their first effort soon. "We've already gotten such positive responses to our music at shows, which is encouraging to us first-timers and gives the band new life," said Schultz. "And in turn I think club-goers are refreshed by some peppery party-rock and by a cool, high-energy, tongue-in-cheek show. On stage, I try to never lose sight of the fun of performing live. After all, we are Trailer Park Barbie. One can never take something like this too seriously!" Trailer Park Barbie Press Quotes "Trailer Park Barbie gives bar bands a good name. They play rock with a never-went-out-of- style 80's fuzz.... They encourage fans to show up buck naked (for special occasions)... They also stand up to marauding toy companies (i.e. Mattel), pushing them to give up their name... Nothing doing." - Matthew Miller, Lansing Noise Magazine, February 2003 "I am a TPB fan! I am blown away -- I love the material. You guys can vomit in my car anytime you want. It made me really wistful to play again. I love three piece guitar bands (remember Bad Oskar), especially ones that have as much fun as you guys do. Todd, your drumming is awesome, and I love the bass player / singer. If I had a daughter, I would want her to be just like her! Ha! The guitar player is great too. The rough mix sounds better than the Bad Oskar CD did mastered! I now have a favorite local band. I haven't liked anyone locally in years, so that's big for me! Can't wait to see you!" -- Tina Sarkey, formerly of Lansing rock band Bad Oskar, on the rough mixes of About Ready, November 2002 "In their own words: Trailer Park Barbie ain't moving nowhere but up to the double wide in this music bizness!" - Sara Stollack, Lansing City Pulse, April 2002 "Adding new rock to the classics, rap-metal to the 80's hair, Trailer Park Barbie is one of the busiest bands rocking Michigan..." - Northern Michigan Express Magazine, December 2001 "Keep your daisy dukes hiked up high... TPB is definitely one of the better bar bands in the area!" - Lori Holuta, www.midmichigander.com, December 2000 Trailer Park Barbie: The Songs of About Ready 1. I Don't Care, a modern rock-style song with lyrics full of angst. 2. Oh Yeah, another mid-tempo optimistic rock anthem 3. Can't Get Enough, high-energy rocker about back seat love and road drinkin' 4. Find My Way, a rock ballad 5. Save Me, a dark tale of anxiety and nightmares set to the lonely key of D min 6. The Devil, modern rock meets punk as the chickipoo explains the silliness of extremist religion 7. About Ready, mid-tempo girl-rock anthem. Throw a finger in the air, ladies! 8. Peace, a beautiful acoustic rock ballad about lost love and acceptance of one's place in this world (be happy in the trailer park, people!) 9. Drink More Beer, a song about one of TPB's favorite pasttime activities. Check out the artist's website: http://www.trailerparkbarbie.com Track List: 1. I Don't Care 2. Oh Yeah 3. Can't Get Enough 4. Find My Way 5. Save Me 6. The Devil 7. About Ready 8. Peace 9. Drink More Beer Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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