Bands to Watch: Bad Habits

Classic-rock and blues band Bad Habits began with Mark Larsen's good intentions. And he's not even in the band."Our keyboard player's father, Mark, who's a very good friend of mine, knew five guys with the same laid-back attitude. He wondered how we would all sound if we would get together to jam," said guitarist Bill Crissman, who formerly played in Stiffy Harris and the Throbbers.

"So he opened up his home to let us come in and jam a little and see how the music would sound. And lo and behold, a band happened."

Though almost strangers, they developed instant chemistry.
"I think everyone knew who each other was, but we hadn't been formally introduced or jammed together,"Crissman said. "I think the first song we did was 'Fortunate Son' by Creedence, and from there we went into 'Mustang Sally.'

"You know you're onto something when you're playing and it sounds so good you get goose bumps."

What makes it work, said Crissman, is their shared love of music. Nobody hot-dogs it, nobody insists on a separate dressing room, not that they play places with dressing rooms. But you get the idea.

"There's no egos," Crissman said. "There's no rock-star attitudes. We're all just seasoned professional musicians who like to have fun. We like to entertain, and we give everybody their money's worth."

Crissman talked to RockErie.com about Bad Habits.

HOME BASE Erie.

BAND MEMBERS Bill Crissman, guitar, vocals; Mat Upperman, vocals, harmonica; Jeff Larson, bass, vocals; John Dreyer, drums, vocals; Josh Larsen, keyboards.

THE INSPIRATION After jamming at Larsen's house, the band quickly settled on a style. "We play the bluesy side of rock and roll," Crissman said. "The late, great Willie Dixon said it best: 'Blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits.' Everyone in this band really understands what that means. When we approach a song to play, we think of it first as blues, and then the rock element falls into it from there."

STYLE Blues-influenced, classic rock, from the '60s through '80s, though Bad Habits may add some Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang.

"We're thrilled to be able to do this because we all like blues and we all like classic rock," Crissman said. "The stuff we play is the stuff that most people grew up listening to on the radio. So we said, 'Why not?'

SAMPLE ARTISTS YOU COVER Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Walter Trout.

FIRST CONCERT YOU SAW"I was 10 years old, and we used to live right behind Academy High School,"Crissman said. "In 1976, the Doobie Brothers, Rush, and Heart were at the Erie Stadium. Being that we lived right across the street, some friends of mine and myself always knew how to get in. So we kind of snuck in and were mingling around. I don't think we were there for the concert, but that's the first one I saw."
LAST GOOD CONCERT"That would probably be Whitesnake at the House of Blues in Cleveland in August," Crissman said. "David Coverdale had put together a new version. It was an awesome show, and it's a great venue."

FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT"I think it was Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here,'"Crissman said. "I think I still have it, too, somewhere. I saved all my old vinyl."

ARTIST YOU'D MOST LIKE TO OPEN FOR"In a dream world, I would love to open for Buddy Guy. Or Eric Clapton. Or Aerosmith."

GUITAR HEROES"I'd say Joe Perry was the one who got me into playing. But right now, Eric Clapton is probably my main inspiration for living, other than my wife. I love his playing, I love his style of writing. [Despite] the demons he's battled throughout his life, he's overcome and retained his talent when so many don't. They fade away."

WEB SITE
In development.

UPCOMING GIGS Saturday at 10 p.m. at Moonlight Lounge, 26 E. 26th St.; Dec. 3 at the Beer Mug; Jan. 13 at Herman's.