Local band fights red tape, continues to rock

An experiment almost three years in the making, Drowse has been around Bloomington for a long time. But its growth into recognition as one of the town's established acts has been slow and painful.\n "The problem around here is that you have to know everyone," says Drowse drummer sophomore Alex Schrodt. "It's come to where most people I know who are very competent to set up shows are very frustrated with the clubs around here."\n "This town has so much red tape in it," interjects bassist junior Matt Armstrong. "This is too small a town for this many obstacles."\n "We've got a diverse crowd in this town, but I'm really at a point where I'm getting frustrated," says guitarist/vocalist senior Kevin Mikalof. "You've got to dig and dig and dig to ways to get people to come out to shows."\n Although the band was only been officially playing out for a year, Armstrong, Mikalof and guitarist senior Jeff Swallom had been doing small, unofficial shows with varied drummers (or occasionally without a drummer) and writing songs. When Schrodt enrolled at IU in the fall of 1999, the puzzle was completed.\n The four-piece cut an "official" demo earlier this year, which, Mikalof says, "will never surface again." But the band is currently circulating a new demo tape.\n "All people have to do is ask, and we will happily give them a copy," says Mikalof.\n The band recently received another setback when Swallom, a Drowse founder, decided to take a hiatus from the group. But Drowse has decided to continue on, for the time being, as a three-piece.\n Drowse described its music as guitar rock with indie-rock influences, although it says its influences are much more broad.\n "I don't think we sound like another band in this town, and I don't particulary want to," says Mikalof. "I like some bands around here, but I just want to do what I want to do. I just want to go out there and rock."\n Drowse will rock at 10:30 p.m. tonight at Second Story, opening for Medicated Becky and the Neophytes. Cover is $2.