SR-71 return with edge

Photo by Mike Waring/RCA Records (From left to right) SR-71: Mark Beauchemin, John Allen, Mitch Allan and Jeff Reid.

By Randy J. Klodz
Staff Writer

The sound of Baltimore/Washington, D.C. rockers SR-71 has matured since the release of the 2000 debut Now You See Inside. SR-71—set to release a new album, Tomorrow on Oct. 22, will play a low-dough Chicago show at the Park West on Oct. 28, hope to soar newheights with the album.

With the departure of original drummer Dan Garvin, SR-71 now consists of singer/guitarist Mitch Allan, guitarist Mark Beauchemin, bassist Jeff Reid and drummer John Allen and has brought a new sound to the table.

"It’s two years later, we had a chance to co-produce this album, and we really made an attempt to make the record sound like the band does live," Allan said.

"The songs definitely are much more mature because it’s two years later—and in some cases much more than two because some of those songs on the first album [were] written five years ago," Allan said. "When you are on the road and you are seeing the world and you have all your emotions on 10 all the time you tend to write pretty mature songs."

Speaking of the road, SR-71 spent much time there in support of Now You See Inside, complete with a successful headlining run and a stint in support of hair-rockers Bon Jovi.

Many supporting acts go a whole tour without meeting or hanging out with the headliner, but Allan said that his band got along well with Jon Bon Jovi. "He was more forthcoming than half the people that are our age that we tour with," Allan said. "They took us out every night [to strip clubs] and they always picked up the tab. They’re just pretty grounded, they’ve been doing this long before we have."

One of the things Allan said he respected most about Jon Bon Jovi was that he would actually come down and greet the guys every night. "Me and him got to be pretty good friends," Allan said. He explained: "Jon called me up, ‘Hey Mitch it’s Jon,’ and my first reaction is ‘It’s John, my drummer’ so I’m like, ‘Hey what’s up, dude, what are you doing?’ ‘Oh, I’m hanging out, why don’t you come by the hotel tonight and get some drinks?’ And then it hits me this isn’t John Allen, this is Jon Bon Jovi [I ask,] ‘Where you staying at?’ ‘At the Four Seasons.’ ‘Of course you are.’"

SR-71 gained a steady fan base upon releasing the pop-punk, hook-laden hit single "Right Now" in 2000—whose lyrics "Why you always kick me when I’m high / Knock me down till we see eye to eye / Figured her out I know she / May not be Miss Right but she’ll do right now" became the background for summer barbecues and road trips. The fans who latched onto the fun sounds of Blink-182 quickly became fans of the catchy lyrics and pop-rock sound of SR-71.

SR-71 still exhibits catchy choruses and thought-out lyrics on Tomorrow, all aspects of which seem to have harder edge to them. The first single from Tomorrow, the title track, has a more electronic and heavier vibe to it—picture old Stabbing Westward, but without the yelling and screaming.

The only songs on Tomorrow that resemble anything off of Now You See Inside are "She Was Dead" and "Lucky," and that was done purposely.

"We wrote 25 songs and the reason we put them on there is because we wanted people to know that we haven’t completely abandoned where we were on the last record; we have grown," Allan said.

The short tour designed to promote the release of Tomorrow hits Chicago, on Monday, Oct. 28. The Q101-sponsored show will be held at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave. Tickets are only $1.00, and can be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet. For tour dates or any other information on SR-71, visit www.sr-71.net.