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Glam rock revival
Yin Yang and Zen Some just want to party, and they don’t care what you think
By Eric Engel
Published on 10/29/2009
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In balance: Northern Arizona’s premiere party band, Yin Yang and Zen Some, will play the mega Halloween party at the Orpheum this weekend. Photo by Josh Biggs.
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There are more than a few words that can be used to describe Sedona-based rock ‘n’ roll group Yin Yang and Zen Some: electric, exhilarating, eclectic—but more importantly than all, entertaining.
Yin Yang and Zen Some is a group of friends that wanted to bring back the absurdity of ’70s glam rock and ’80s hair metal, when musicians went out on stage and blew the audience away with rock ‘n’ roll fury and energy. They wanted to bring back musicians who didn’t care how often their song was on the radio, how cool they appeared through media representation or how much revenue their popular album generated. And they’ve done just that.
“We started on Halloween four years ago,” says Dylan Jung, who slaps the bass guitar around for Yin Yang and Zen Some. “Our whole goal is to melt faces and throw the kind of party that we’d want to go to.”
Yin Yang and Zen Some dress up in different outfits for every show, usually finding a theme to follow, and they invite the crowd to participate in the wardrobe calamity each time they go on stage.
“We make our own costumes and sets for every show,” says Jung, as the band goes through an endless supply of duct tape and spray paint to spice up each setting that they take by the horns. “We try to bring back the stage presence of rock and interact with the audience.”
Yin Yang and Zen Some is comprised of Jung, lead singer Nate Mullins, singer Jason Vargo, guitarist Mike Jung and drummer Lou Moretti. They’ve recently added Jim Wildermuth, who is well known from the Flag band the Infidelics, on keyboard, guitar and vocals, and also a three-piece horn section for the bigger shows, consisting of trumpeters Sam Cavanaugh and Lee Sullivan and Uncle Marc sporting the trombone.<
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Thanks to the new members of Yin Yang and Zen Some, the band is able to tackle a wider variety of projects and musical angles. “We’re able to accomplish more parts with more authenticity thanks to the new guys,” says Jung. “We have a larger musical selection now with some pretty mixed songs at our disposal.”
Regardless of the head count in the band, Yin Yang and Zen Some have a great time performing or just kicking it with friends as they think up new ideas. “This band is the ultimate expression,” says Vargo. “We dress up, celebrate, get twisted. It’s really automatic.”
Lou Moretti, the drummer for the band, says the experience is every kid’s dream. “This is us getting to be little boys,” says Moretti. “The energy is incredible. It’s a real exhilarating experience. There’s rarely an after-party, because we try to throw our best out there during every show.”
“Our mission is to have a killer time at all times,” says Mullins, who especially enjoys his role within the band. “I’m just the guy who dances around and looks like a fool.
“We use pure, unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll fury for inspiration. I do everything I can to channel the rock gods,” continues Mullins. “Rock ‘n’ roll has lost its spontaneity, so for us it’s balls to the wall and being as loud and distorted as possible. Yin Yang and Zen Some is all about the energy, and just going nuts.”
All of the members of Yin Yang and Zen Some are involved in other musical projects of one genre or another, but they felt the need to get back together about a month ago after taking some time off.
“We all just missed the party,” says Jung, speaking of the collective reasoning of the band members to reunite.
“Yin Yang and Zen Some is not just a band, but a really tight unit of friends,” says Moretti. “The new line-up has really opened up some doors, and we just brainstorm about the possibilities for originals and new ideas.”
Jim Wildermuth has been playing since he was young, so music is second nature to him, but at first he just shrugged off the idea of jamming with Yin Yang and Zen Some. “I was up on stage with them during a show at the Monte V, just hanging out, and we talked about things after the show,” says Wildermuth. “I’ve been getting into the stage presence during performances, and feel I can bring a lot into it. I’m just trying to match their attitude and insanity and production. Plus, it’s a great excuse to hang out. This is a great group of guys.”
“We all sit around, rehearsing, throwing out crazy ideas for performances, and everybody latches on and we take the theme and run with it,” says Vargo. “None of us are making a penny doing this. We spend our own money and break even most of the time, but that’s cool. It’s all about the performances, and whatever the mix of us comes up with.”
Yin Yang and Zen Some are stoked for their upcoming performance at the Orpheum on Halloween this month. Nate Mullins makes the fliers for the band and wanted to take this performance over the top, setting the stage by titling the promotional poster “Attack of the Undead Flesh-Eating Zombie Cannibal Unicorn from Mars.” Although the band is looking forward to the opportunity to play at Flagstaff’s largest music venue again, they didn’t have to plan anything out of the ordinary as far as props and themes go. “Halloween is a theme unto itself,” says Mullins. “You have to let it be what it’s going to be. It requires no assistance.”
“We’re setting up a photo booth for the Halloween show, so people can dress wild and wacky and get their picture taken,” says Jung, “Except we’re using a Polaroid, so that they can take it with them right on the spot.”
The band will also be performing at Flag Live’s fourth annual Strut fashion show Fri, Nov. 20, where local boutiques and designers outfit models to walk down a runway, advertising merchandise in the process. “We come out and play a few songs every 45 minutes or so,” says Jung, “And we’re a costume band anyway, so everyone figured it would be a good fit.”
Though the crowds have been getting larger and larger the last few years, it isn’t because Yin Yang and Zen Some attempt to sound out any mainstream notes along the way. “People recognize that we’re a party band, and they have a blast along with us,” says Jung, who, along with his fellow bandmates, want to continue with the good thing they’ve got going. “We don’t go pop. We want to keep the basic feel of rock ‘n’ roll.”
As the self-labeled old man of the group, Uncle Marc feels that Yin Yang and Zen Some is the hottest band he’s played with. “Playing with these guys, every show is Halloween.”
See Yin Yang and Zen Some on Halloween night, Sat, Oct. 31, at the Orpheum Theater, 15 W. Aspen. The show starts at 9 p.m. and there will be a $5 cover at the door. For more info, see www.myspace.com/yinyangshows or call 556-1580.
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