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    Concert Review: Automagik at Rumba Café

    The members of Automagik made an unassuming entrance onto Rumba Café’s performance stage; typical set up, typical mike check. The crowd was palpably subdued – possibly feeling a bit wistful after the conclusion local troubadour Sam Bodary and his outfit Hello Emerson’s skilled but pensive set. Looking decidedly more rock-and-roll than their predecessors (Grand Rapids melodic pop-rock veterans Valentiger had also played a batch of tunes), the atmosphere quickly re-amped as Devin Williams’ guitar began chugging out the opening notes of “I’m Only 21” from their sophomore album, Black Sundae. Williams, along with drummer Andy Cluxton and bassist Jamie Rasmussen, are agile partners to lead vocalist Zachary Evans’ stadium-worthy wail – melding into what the band describes as a “shmow-pow of music.” If that means infectiously and unapologetically loud, then we were successfully shmow-pow’d. My ears were ringing within a matter of minutes.

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    One of the great joys of watching a band is seeing one that actually likes playing together – they’re in sync, they feed into each others’ energy, and they’re not too focused on the material to have fun and be present with their audience. Automagik has charisma and effervescence without being hokey – with real musicianship to back it all up. The roughly forty-minute, ten-song set featured a sampling of tracks, including single “Pop Kiss,” from its newest EP Dark Daze – which, if nothing else, should be revered for the pink robe-adorned likeness of famed producer Rick Rubin on its cover (we’ll get back to that a bit later). Fan favorites “Fashion Police” and “Teleportation Blues” were also in the mix, along with a commendable cover of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” – which brought Valentiger’s Bill Kahler back to the stage as guest vocalist. The vivacious Dark Daze title track closed out the night. After the show, I introduced myself to Evans, and we agreed to connect for an interview in the coming days.

    When I caught up with Automagik by phone the following week, they were in their van somewhere in Pennsylvania en route to a gig in Boston. They’ve been touring almost non-stop since the release of Dark Daze, and it appears as if that will be the status quo for the next several months. When they’re not on stage, they’re putting their songwriting skills to work to support their perpetual road trip. “We’ve kind of been forced to become business savvy…so we’re trying to make money any way we can,” explains Evans. “We would gladly write anyone a song about any goddamned thing they could think of for a little bit of money. Through our website, you can actually purchase a custom song and we’ll write it up in a couple of weeks.” Cluxton continues: “We’ll also cover songs that you’d like to hear…your favorite David Bowie song maybe.” The price tag? A reasonable fifty bucks. And you can say, truthfully, that a band wrote a song with you in mind.

    As we start to talk about their music, that sense of cohesion I saw on stage a few nights before resurfaces – this is a group of guys who really enjoys working together. They laugh a lot, defer to one another when they’re scratching for words, and acknowledge that sharing life’s experiences has been good for them personally and professionally.

    I was doing some research on the band before and after your performance the other night, and I couldn’t find any references to how Automagik began. Tell me how you got your start.

    Zachary: “(Devin and I) met through Craigslist, actually, and we were in a previous band before this called Javelin Dance. It was like a progressive rock band; more on the mathcore side of things – very technical music. And we got to a point where just kind of wanted to have fun and write fun pop music, you know. We love the classic rock stuff and the classic pop stuff like the Beatles, of course, and we kind of started this project to let loose and have fun. And now we’re here five years later with Andy and Jamie.

    Andy: “Yeah, the whole band was very much born out of Craigslist, ’cause I met Zach and Devin through (there) – and Jamie a lot later on. Jamie and I joined (the band) in 2013.”

    What was the band’s vision in creating your newest EP, Dark Days, and how does it compare to your first two releases?

    Devin: “For Dark Days, we started writing songs after (second album) Black Sunday – it seems like as the band has grown, it’s gotten more personal over the years. And we’ve taken from a lot of personal experiences in writing for Dark Days, and even stuff that may or may not come after (the album). It’s a lot about growing up and realizing certain things are or are not true about, you know, big life obstacles and emotional gains and pitfalls.”

    Zachary: “We didn’t necessarily have a goal in mind, we just more expressed our emotions and expressed our feelings about our real life experiences and kind of channeled that into songwriting. And that’s how the new gig came about, and now we’re just really proud of it. So, we’re trying to get out there and show it to everyone we can and play it in front of everyone we can. I’d say the goal now after the album was written and recorded was just to get out there and play it and introduce it and ourselves to people and just keep doing that.”

    You mentioned some of those life lessons that have shaped the work you’re doing now as a band. What are some of the things you’ve learned together as you’ve been playing and recording?

    Zachary: “We’ve learned that love is over! (laughing)”

    Devin: “Coming in and out of relationships has been a very big thing. Really, the reality of being somebody who works in the music business where promises aren’t always kept and things don’t always work out as they’re planned. People are fickle and it’s a hard life (laughing). But it’s also got its many rewards and there are bright points on the EP, for sure – it’s not all doom and gloom.”

    Zachary: “I think what I personally have learned about all of this is that just playing music is…awesome (laughing). Like, yeah, there are all kinds of problems we all face in life, and things that kind of show up in our music. But playing the music is very therapeutic, and I think what we’ve learned together is that we can share that on stage. And that’s a very strong bond that keeps us going, I think.”

    I wanted to ask you about the track “Rick Rubin”, which is a pretty enthusiastic tribute. What makes you all so excited about the prospect of working with him?

    Devin: “Rick Rubin is just a visionary, and he’s worked with some of our favorite artists and he tends to really bring out the best in a lot of people we admire as a producer and all that. But more than just Rick Rubin as a person, the idea for the song is just…”

    Zachary: “…This is like our Disney anthem for just speaking out your wildest dreams and making them come true (laughing)…”

    Devin: “Shooting for the biggest possible version of whatever you’re doing and making it the biggest thing about you and your life and just really going for it. Rick Rubin is just a big idea that we can relate to and a thing we can reach for.”

    Zachary: “Yeah, and we thought it would be hilarious just to call out one of the greats in the music industry – just straight up call him out and say ‘hey, man – let’s do it! (laughing) We’re doing this – check it out, bro!'”

    Nice. So has he responded to you at all?

    Zachary: “Actually, no, he has not. But, we do have some inside sources who are saying that they’re passing the song off to him and his AR team. So, hopefully in the near future we’ll get a call from Rick Rubin and we can fly out to Malibu and do some yoga and get together.”

    Devin: “I’d at least like to get a picture of us doing yoga together and high-fiving at the same time; if we’re not making a record, one of those photos would be great.”

    A couple of days before I went to your show, I watched the video for your single “Pop Kiss” and I noticed that you performed the entire time in high heels. How did you manage that?

    Zachary: “Well, we are all cross-dressers, so it was nothing new to us…(laughs). No, but it was actually very difficult – so props to women for rocking the heels, ’cause man they make you look good but they’re not easy to rock out in!”

    Devin: “Yeah, especially the drunk women – I’d had a few drinks that day and it was tough staying upright.”

    Andy: “My calves never looked better, though. They do the trick – I see why they put up with the pain.”

    You’ve been to Columbus a number of times. Are there bands you listen to or make a point of connecting with when you come to town?

    Andy: “Well, we played a couple of shows with who used to be the Cadaver Dogs; they’re now in The Skulx – and we’ve always been watching what those dudes are doing. We’ve been looking for bands around the area; there are some good groups from Columbus – unfortunately we haven’t gotten our dream bill together with everybody yet, but it’s been a lot of fun listening to music in every city. The Worn Flints – I saw they opened for the Alabama Shakes, so that’s pretty cool. Yeah, there’s some great music coming out of Columbus for sure.”

    I know you’re on the road now and will be for the foreseeable future, but are there any plans on the horizon for the band – and when might we see you in Columbus again?

    Andy: “Tour, tour, tour, tour, tour! Yeah, we’re planning on staying on the road for as long as we can. We’ll be doing a run through SXSW in March and we’ll be coming back through Columbus probably at the end (of the month).”

    Automagik is tentatively scheduled to play Big Room Bar in the Brewery District on Tuesday, March 29th. For the most up-to-date tour dates, music downloads, merchandise, and custom song orders, visit their website.

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    Grant Walters
    Grant Waltershttps://columbusunderground.com
    Grant is a freelance writer for Columbus Underground who primarily focuses on music and comedy. He's a Canadian transplant, born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and schooled in Vancouver, British Columbia. Grant is also the co-author of two internationally acclaimed books: "Decades: The Bee Gees in the 1960s" and "Decades: The Bee Gees in the 1970s." He has also penned numerous articles and artist interviews for the nationally recognized site, Albumism.
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