Who is Markov Chain?
It all started with a random phone call late on a Saturday night in 2007. . .
JP:“Chris?It’s Jim, I’m out at some club listening to a cover band and they suck.We can do a way better job than these guys.We should start a band!”
CC:“Have you been drinking?”
JP:“Well yeah, but I still think we should start a band!”
CC:“Oh, ok.”
That simple conversation eventually turned into a Saturday afternoon jam session between three long time friends:Jerry on bass, Chris and Jim on guitar.Little did we know that this was about to turn into much more than just trying to remember how to play Master of Puppets or War Pigs.This was the start of what would eventually become the cover band now known as Markov Chain.
As the Saturday jam sessions continued, we started playing and remembering more songs, but we really didn’t know where we were actually going with any of this.We realized if we were going to take it farther we would need a singer.Jerry’s brother-in-law, Greg, was a “music guy” so Jerry invited him over to check us out one weekend.We all connected well with Greg right away.The “audition” was brief:
GL:“I brought beer.”
CC:“Great, you’re our new singer!”
So now with Greg as our front man, we were well on our way.We were starting to sound less like a bunch of guys jamming, and more like a bunch of guys jamming but now with vocals.We were obviously still missing one key piece before we could really start to take the whole “band” concept seriously…we needed a drummer.Enter Scott.While on a phone call with a good friend of mine from high school, I remembered that his younger brother used to play drums.Turns out he still did!So I called Scott and asked if he’d like to come over and jam with us one day.
What happened next was a day that will always remain infamous in the opening chapters of the Markov Chain Saga (some fellow band mates may have remembered it differently, but I swear this is exactly how it happened).Scott shows up to meet the rest of the guys and starts to unload his drums.Scott’s a big guy and is solid as a boulder (over 6 feet tall, 200 lbs, all muscle).What we didn’t expect was the outfit – sandals, black socks, shorts, tight t-shirt and a giant cowboy hat.
JB:“Who is this guy again?”
CC:“He’s Ryan’s brother and he’s in the Army…try not to piss him off.”
JB:“Good to know.”
So with a garage full of band equipment and a bunch guys who were still unsure of what was going to happen, we began to play. ..and we played…and played. ..and played.We must have played for four hours straight, throwing out song names, jamming, goofing off, and just having an overall great time.We had a Zen about us that day that a lot of us were missing from the bands of years previous.The energy was intoxicating and surged through each of us sending each person into an almost trancelike state where we just let it take us over.By the end, we were surrounded by the ghosts of greatness – Hendrix, Lennon, Presley, Joplin, SRV and many, many more who all gave us a nod of approval before floating up to the ceiling and vanishing.It was a good day and it all happened exactly like I described…except for the part about the specters and all the Zen stuff (oh, and the black socks).In all reality, we actually didn’t have a lot of songs the five of us all knew and we were all very rusty, but we still had fun and it was still a good day (true story!).
So that’s it.Yes, there is more, but that’s how it all got started.We all agreed early on that there are no delusions of grandeur.We are never going to be the next Poison or Kiss.We’re not even going to be the next Faster Pussycat, Bullet Boys or Hanoi Rocks.We are never going to record an album, sign with a major label, tour the world, have legions of fans or die in a freak gardening accident.We are just happy to get together and play music.
