Forty5 Presents The Record Company at The Vogue

2023-10-31

The Record Company at The Vogue in Indianapolis, IN. - 10.25.23 | Photo by: ©Pix Meyers

Indianapolis, IN. – In 2018 I covered almost 80 shows. Out of all those support acts and headliners one band really stood out, The Record Company. I caught them opening for Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats at WTTS Rock on the River – an annual event put on by the local radio station to support local charities. The Record Company was just getting ready to release their second album, All Of This Life and still riding high on the success of their debut album, Give It Back To You when they came through Indy that summer. I was stunned by the power and energy this trio put out and I wasn’t alone. The Recording Academy of the United States, also known as The Grammy Awards, had also taken notice and their debut album was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2017. They didn’t win that year but to even be considered was an honor. They seemed to be heading in the right direction for a new band making their way on the scene. I could not wait to see them come back through as a headliner on their own tour.

Fast forward through a pandemic and five years later, a lot has changed for The Record Company. In 2021, they put out their third album, Play Loud and expanded on their sound, adding more instruments than their core three-piece of drums, bass and guitar. They added a couple more players. Their single off the album “How High” was peaking on the radio charts and was even picked up by the NFL and played during some broadcasts. Everything seemed to be going as planned but as Murphy’s Law would have it, just when you least expect it, things can change on a dime. They had to cancel a tour due to low ticket sales. There was a management change that lead to a change in their agency. Then to make matters worse, a week before Christmas they received the call that no band wants to hear; they were dropped from their label. What was going on?

It was time to pivot and get back to basics. They dropped all the “expansion” on their sound and got back to their core: drums, bass, and guitar. They already had some demos in the works when things took a turn so they decided to build on those demos versus give up and quit. They started writing and recording where the first album was created – in the living room of a rented home where Alex and Marc lived in Los Angeles – and in 2023, they gave us a whole new LP, appropriately titled The 4th Album. And thanks to Forty5 Presents and The Vogue Theatre, I finally got my chance to see & cover the band I said in 2018 was the best band I saw that year. The Record Company was back and I couldn’t be happier.

Featuring Chris Vos (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Alex Stiff (bass, backing vocals) and Marc Cazorla (drums, backing vocals), the band has been out touring behind The 4th Album and taking the music to the masses. They have a short break through the holidays but will be back on the road in the New Year starting in January and going through March. This is a high energy show of solid Blues/Rock that contains all the hits, along with showcasing the new album. It’s a perfect excuse to get together with your peeps, have some adult beverages and take in the scene. Make sure to check for dates on the bands website and put the new album in your playlist. It’s already on mine in daily rotation. Enjoy!

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Encore: Tallahassee Lassie (Freddy Cannon cover)

Kicking the night off was Trapper Schoepp. A folk singer-songwriter hailing from Milwaukee Wisconsin who is following the trail of his musical heroes. In 2019, Trapper published a long lost song with Bob Dylan (yes, that Bob Dylan) making him the youngest musician to share co-writing credit with one of the greatest songwriters of this century. Trapper is currently out touring behind his album, Siren Songs (out now via Grand Phony Records) – Make sure to check him out!