Quirky Dog Talk is
'not your normal band'
Kokomo Tribune, April 1996
by Scott Slade

When you ask the drummers of Dog Talk to name their favorite brand of percussion instrument, you might just hear "Revere Ware."

"We're not your normal band, we're quirkly," says Michael Beck, the drummer who founded the Indianapolis band three years ago. "We collect things (instruments) from all around the world--we use from expensive equipment all the way to pots and pans." The number of "drums" the band uses is over 80.

And besides using anything that will make a noise when banged on, the five-man band also has a variety of instruments in its core repertoire. Band member Cliff Fortney plays the keyboard, flute, penny whistle and harmonica and Cliff White plays the congas and scratch board.

With these instruments and more, the group plays music from myriad categories, more often than not combing these forms.

"We're kind of a combination of many different styles..it's a mixture of five or six different things...," Beck explained.

The many styles he mentioned include Calypso, Pop, Jazz, Reggae, Rock, Latin and Zydeco.

Their different sound is just the first thing you would notice. Beck says even more significant is the way they behave.

"We're interested in having fun at doing what we do. The biggest thing about the band is that we have fun--we bring a toy box with toys and we have candy. We're just sick of the suicidal music scene---we're up(beat), we're positive, and it really works for us."

During a concert, Beck says Dog Talk often improvises, responding to the mood of the crowd, and sometimes soliciting audience participation.

"We never know what we're going to do--we just go where we want to go. We may play a rock tune, go to jazz and then to Caribbean. (Our show is) as long as we want it to be--three or four sets. It depends on what the crowd is doing--that's part of the unpredictableness."

"In some ways, we're the Frank Zappa of Indianapolis--we get away with doing whatever we want."

While their different sound makes them stand out from most other bands, Beck says, it has also enabled them to appeal to a broader audience.

"We can play a rock club, a blues club, to the Children's Museum. We seem to appeal to kids right up to older people."