If you’re a fan of classic rock, then I’m sure you’re familiar with the iconic sound of BOSTON. The name alone is enough to bring back memories of summers past listening to “More Than a Feeling” or cruising down the road to “Rock and Roll Band.” BOSTON is back on tour this summer and will be making a stop in Western New York at The Erie County Fair with their high energy show. I had the chance to chat with new bassist Tracy Ferrie and find out about everything from touring to tubas.
KE: Hi Tracy! Thank you for taking the time to call in and speak with us here at BackstageAxxess.com today. The summer tour with Boston is in full swing now. How is the tour going so far?
TF: Yeah, we’re about at the halfway point. We got forty shows total for this tour and we’re having a great time and I believe the audience is as well.
KE: You will be playing next week at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, NY which is the largest independent fair in the country. It’s been awhile since the WNY fans have had the opportunity to see BOSTON live. What can they expect from the show this time?
TF: Well, they can expect to hear their favorite songs played in such a way, they can expect it to sound like the CD. If you’ve read any of the press, it’s like hearing a live album and most live albums are overdubbed and they go back and fix it. I was so disappointed to find out one of my favorite bands (I’d been listening to their live album for years) and when I finally saw them I found out they re-recorded all of the parts in the studio and just had the audience roaring in the background. They can expect to hear the songs done the way they want to hear them. We’re not reinventing the wheel with these songs. So many bands will get tired of playing their own songs so they do some new version of it. What’s that live version I’ve been listening to?? They’re gonna hear the songs they way they want to hear them and by the end of the show if not sooner because that’s what we’re experiencing night after night town after town.
KE: This fair has been nicknamed, “America’s Fair.” Is there any possibility of the fans hearing the national anthem at this show?
TF: It’s a big possibility. It’s up to the music director, Tom Scholz, and it’s up to him if we play that song. At this particular show, I don’t know. That’s up to him. I will pass that along. We’ve played it July 4th in Orlando right around the 4th. We did play it and we’re prepared to play it. A military base, we’ll play it. I will make sure the message gets to him and if it works, we’ll do it.
KE: Fantastic. Brad Delp had such unique vocals. Is Tommy handling all the vocals or is he getting help especially with all the harmonies?
TF: He’s getting lots of help with the harmonies. That was the part of the job description I was most intimidated about. As the bass player, I’ve been a hired gun for many years and some playing with some vocals. But this band, if you hear the music, there’s a lot of vocals and we have no artificial vocals playing or recording. I’ve been in bands that do that. You know the drummer’s listening to a track and the song starts out and he counts us in. This is all live. Everything you hear, good, bad, or ugly, it’s us. It’s not that ugly. (laughter) Tommy has been singing. The last couple shows he’s done all the vocals. David Victor was under the weather, a little inflection in his throat so we’re giving him a break and it’s caused us to grow a little more and step up to the plate and cover some of his parts and we haven’t heard any complaints about the backing vocals which again is a pleasant surprise.
KE: How did you meet Tom Scholz and get involved with the band?
TF: Prior to meeting Tom, I was recording and touring with a band who was most famous in the eighties and cheesy hair called Stryper. And we were recording another album and we did a cover song of “Piece of Mind” which you’re probably familiar with, the original version. We contacted Tom and he agreed to let us use the song. He played the lead guitar track on the song and to this day, it’s the only recording project Tom has been involved with outside of BOSTON. So it was very special and shortly after that, the song was recorded for a benefit we did for the Station Nightclub fire involving the band Great White. There were people who died in that fire and so there was a benefit for their families and Tom Scholz and Gary Pihl, the guitar player from BOSTON, joined the band Stryper on stage so for the first time I was able to play with Tom in a live performance. I met him briefly and through that contact he gave me a call and was trying to see if I could go on the road this time around.
KE: Is this tour different from your past tours with Stryper or some of the earlier tours that you’ve done?
TF: Not so much. You know people ask that all the time and maybe expect a different answer but it doesn’t feel that much different. You meet fans and sign autographs and you play the music. Most of the projects I’ve been involved with were very, very good groups about playing their songs and honestly for the record; it sounds like the CD. But I will say this is probably the most authentic, live show. And again, there’s no backing vocal tracks or anything like that and the audience and the press have said this, it’s like the CD. I’m probably repeating myself but, that’s unique. And the camaraderie with this band and the crew is a team effort. I’ve had great crews before, they were definitely smaller crews that I’ve worked with in the past. This is a big crew. We’re traveling with twenty crew members who each have a specific job whether it’s lighting, the audio, making sure we know where we’re going night after night. So everybody has a different job. And it’s such a great team , a big family. On our days off, we wanna hang out. Let’s have dinner together, let’s go here, let’s have coffee. Most groups, they’re like, I don’t want to see you til the next show. I can tell you from most bands I’ve been in, this is very different. We don’t want to be apart.
KE: I see that you weren’t always a rocker and that the very first instrument you started with was the tuba? What made you choose the tuba?
TF: Well, I was a little kid in fourth grade and the band director brought me into this room and he was introducing the new kids and he was also the band director for the high school , he was kind of priming his future prospects and band members and he brings you into this room and here’s the flute, the violin, the trumpet, How about this baritone here? And I’m like no, it’s not big enough. So I pointed to the biggest instrument in the room and he said you might be a little small for that. And I’m like, I like that one so he gets a big Sears catalog and sticks it under the chair so I could reach up to the mouthpiece. I think I used that Sears catalog until junior high (laughter).
KE: Being that you are from Elkhart, Indiana, I have to ask, was the tuba an Elkhart?
TF: Yes, it was an Elkhart.
KE: What made you decide to try the bass and how was the transition from a brass instrument to the bass?
TF: It was pretty easy. I was kind of toying with the guitar for awhile around that time growing up. But it was that band director. Have you thought about bass because I?m gonna need a bass player for the swing class, for the jazz band, for the pep band. You know he was just covering his bases no pun intended. So it was his suggestion and I’m very thankful. That’s what I’m doing on these tours. If it hadn’t been for him, I might be doing something totally different.
KE: You?ve also taught bass guitar. Is that something you still do?
TF: Yes, I had to take a leave of absence with my students . They’re very happy to say hey, my teacher is on the road with BOSTON, we can wait a few months.
KE: What’s your favorite aspect of teaching someone to play?
TF: Well, you see this person come in. For awhile, it was through a music store, so I would actually sell them the bass. Here’s a beginner bass or here’s something that will last you a long time. So I’d see a dad and their son or a mom and their son or daughter and come into the store and pick out a bass, what’s right for them and they try it and we’re doing a lesson. And then years later, still having that same student and they’re almost as good as you are. And they’re going on and to colleges for music or furthering their musical development. It’s very gratifying. You were in the room when they played their first note.
KE: You also have another unique talent. You were involved in roller skating and have a national championship right?
TF: That is correct. My parents were rollerskating rink owners and operators and my dad was a figure skater in his youth and thought it would be a good idea for his kid to do the same. Because of his efforts, I was a national skating champion.
KE: Do you still get a chance to skate or did you have to put that to the side for now?
TF: It’s put to the side but I’m actually regretting that I didn’t bring my skates on this tour because there have been opportunities in the city. We have a few hours and there’s a beautiful path down by the river and you see people rollerblading and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t bring my skates.
KE: What are your plans after the BOSTON tour wraps up?
TF: I’ve got an open plate at the moment, an open schedule and hopefully this will open some more doors, get some more calls. I have quite a bit going on locally with music. I have several local cover bands and New England’s top wedding band that I play for. It?s really a high profile situation. You hear wedding band and you think kind of a schmaltzy situation but they play for a lot of famous people that get married. Have you ever heard of the Dropkick Murphy’s?
KE: Yes
TF: We played for one of their band member’s weddings. So they want to hire the best and they hired us. So that gig is still available and we’ll see where the future takes after this.
KE: Best of luck Tracy, with the rest of the tour and whatever comes after. And of course, have a great show at the Erie County Fair.
TF: Thank you. We love to do fairs. People come to the fair and they’re having fun and eating and hanging out with their family. For so many people, the cool thing about BOSTON, is that the audience recapture a memory. When they hear these songs done the way they’re supposed to be played, they come up to us and say, “You’ve brought back so many memories of me driving down the highway and hearing this music and feeling so good.” Because BOSTON is feel good music and then you have young people who they hear the today’s new music and then they hear something like BOSTON, then they are like; why aren’t people making music like this? Or young groups making music like this? Maybe it’s their parents influence or they just hear it on the radio cuz BOSTON still gets plenty of airplay as you know. (Laughter)
KE: Thanks again for taking the time to talk with us here at backstageaxxess.com.
TF: Kris, thank you for promoting the band BOSTON on backstageaxxess.com and thank you for helping us have more people that will hear the band BOSTON.
KE: Absolutely!
We would like to thank Gail Parenteau for setting up the interview with Tracy. For more information on the band BOSTON, please go to: BOSTON. For more information on Tracy, please go to: Tracy Ferrie .
To purchase tickets for the show at the Erie County Fair on Wednesday August 14, 2012, please go to: Tickets .
