Posted: 10/8/03

Band heads to music hall of fame

Jessica Foster
Staff Writer

In the hallowed halls of Cleveland, Ohioís Rock and Roll Hall of Fameówhere rock and roll legends have been inducted, where great talents have belted out legendary tunes, awards have been presented and mementos are storedóthe men of blue truck will live out their childhood dreams.

Chris Brown, Jeremy Esensten and Franck Marretóall employees of American Express Financial Advisorsó comprise blue truck.

The band will compete next week at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Battle of the Corporate Bands contest, sponsored by Fortune Magazine and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

They joke now, that itís a good thing Marret reads Fortune Magazine. If not, this opportunity may have slipped them by.

After seeing the advertisement, blue truck put together a demo, gained sponsorship and a blessing from their employer and sent it off, hoping for the best.

ìTo our surprise, we were one of eight finalists,î Brown said. ìWe thought, hey we have a really good shot. We were quite ecstatic.î

The band is enjoying support from their employer, colleagues, family and friends for being one of a select group of bands.

But to play in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, thatís the fruition on a lifelong fantasy come true.

ìItís kind of like a childhood thing for all of us, to play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Esensten said.

While theyíre looking forward to partying and playing in Cleveland, the nerves are starting to set in.

ìI wasnít nervous until today when I heard Marky Ramone would be one of the judges,î Esensten said.

While they may be concerned about performing at a high level at the Hall, theyíre not worried about fashion.

ìWeíre not a sparkly band, weíre a band that plays in bars,î Esensten said.

Beginnings

The band started about a year ago, when Forest Lakeís Brown was itching for a creative outlet.

ìI approached Jeremy because I play guitar and needed a band to play in,î Brown said.

First, he convinced Esensten to pick up a bass guitar and learn to play it. From there, they hooked up with Marret, who now plays the drums.

While they had to learn the instruments they play, Marret and Esensten had a musical background to build upon.

For the last year, the trio practiced Sundays and Wednesdays.

ìWe sit around, drink some beers and play some music,î Brown says of the jam sessions.

They play music written by Brown, songs such as ìfour smokes and seven beers ago,î ìreturn of emotion,î and ìbody shot,î among others.

As Brown would describe it, itís good old rock and rollóbacked up by talent and musical soul.

ìItís what you hear when you go to the bar,î Esensten said. ìItís something to tap your foot and shake your butt.î

Future goals

blue truck doesnít have any visions of being inducted into the Hall themselves. And they realize this probably will be the only time they make the trek to Cleveland to play.

ìWeíre going to keep playing as it keeps being fun,î Brown said, insisting the band is a hobby not a future career.

Responding to demand, blue truck also plans to put out a CD in the not too distant future.

Employed as project managers, the trip has goals and timelines for their avocation.

ìIt doesnít kill creativity to be organized, Marret said. ìBeing organized has been very helpful for us. This is going so fast we have to be.î

For now, Cleveland is the focus.

ìWeíre going to Cleveland to win,î Marret said.

Information/shows

To learn more about blue truck, head to the 5 Corners Saloon 9:30 Friday, Oct. 10. An additional show is scheduled for Saturday, October 25 at the 4th Street Station in Minneapolis.

On Friday, the band is looking for audience assistance in choosing their songs.

They can only play two songs in front of the judgesóthe folks at the 5 Corners will help choose the lineup.

Go online at www.blue-truck.com to read more about the bandís beginnings, look at photos and download some music.

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