Music Spotlight: Chowder Monkey

It’s Evansville is starting a new recurring feature that will spotlight local and regional musicians that are playing shows around Evansville. If you are a local musician, contact It’s Evansville editor Justin Williams to schedule your profile.

What’s the name of your band and what’s the origin of it?

Chowder Monkey. As best as I can recall, Ron was at work one day and someone (Rowan, I think) jokingly called him a chowder monkey. He immediately called me and told me and I told him I thought we’d found our name.

How long have you been together?

Ron & I have been jamming together since early 2003. Ron is married to my cousin Tammy and he was learning guitar and knew I was a drummer from our old school days so he called me up. I told him I’d switched to bass guitar but wanted to jam. We started forimg the rest of the band in mid-2006.

Who is in the band and what instruments do they play?

Susan Ashby - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Allen Tate - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals
Ron Mattingly - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals
Chris Keck - Lead Guitar
Sean Bingham - Drums
Paul Hollingsworth - Sound Guy & part time drums

How did you get together?

After Ron & I jammed together long enough that we felt comfortable jamming with other folks, I posted a message on BandNut.com looking for a singer, drummer & lead guitar player.

What type of music do you prefer playing?

We like to play just about anything but country music. The closest we get to country is that we play Social Distortion’s rendition of the Johnny Cash classic “Ring of Fire”.

What band(s) do you most sound like?

I can’t say that we really sound like any specific band. Since we play everything from Hendrix to Pat Benatar to Judas Priest to Meredith Brooks, I think we really have our own sound.

Where is the best place to play in town and why?

We can’t really answer that one yet as we’ve only played one show with our current lineup.

What is your favorite song to play live? Why?

My personal favorite? I really like playing Golden Earring’s “Twilight Zone” because it’s just such a cool song. I couldn’t tell you what anyone else’s favorite would be.

Whose your favorite local band?

Good question. There are so many good bands in Evansville that I can’t just name one. I like Akacia, Bosko, Anywhere But Here, Gonzo’s Toybox, Panacea, The Metal Mascarade Ball and I know there are more but I’m drawing a blank.

What are your musical aspirations?

I would like to finish recording the material I’ve been writing and get it published. Even if it doesn’t go platinum, I can say, “Yeah, I did that!”

Where can we see you play around town?

Check our website for any upcoming dates. At this time, we’re working on getting some shows booked but nothing confirmed. We’re still pretty new to the scene.

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