WINONA WHITAKER, Managing Editor
Posted Friday, April 15, 2022 9:00 am
MOBERLY — Only 12 and 13 years old, Jacob Ayer, Kai Alexander and Brody Vestal seem too small to produce the big sounds of a grunge band.
But the boys are in demand in the Moberly area, and have been tagged by Moberly Community Betterment to headline the first Street Food Throwdown at The Fennel May 4.
All of the boys are learning the craft from Derick Enyard of Str8-Music in Moberly. Alexander plays the drums for the band. Vestal takes care of lead guitar and vocals, and Ayer strokes the bass.
“Derrick kind of made the band,” said Alexander. The instructor taught Alexander and Vestal a song for a YouTube live event. It went well, and they started looking for a bass player, Vestal said.
They didn’t find one. They made one. Alexander, Vestal and Ayer played baseball together for years, said Vestal’s father, Bobby. He coached the boys in rag ball, coach pitch and player pitch.
“Me and Brody were like best friends,” Ayer said.
Brody asked Ayer if he’d play bass for the band. He’s been playing for about eight months now.
“He’s done well,” said Brody. “He’s catching up with us.”
Alexander has been playing the drums for about five years, he said. Brody, who plays lead guitar and provides vocals for the band, has taken lessons for three years.
“We all kind of quit sports,” said Alexander.
“Even before the band, I quit sports for guitar,” Brody said. That was hard for his dad at first. Bobby is a basketball official.
“But when I realized he had found his thing, it was OK,” Bobby said. Bobby jumped in with both feet to promote the band and schedule performances.
At first the boys just wanted to have fun playing music together in the Vestal basement, they said. But when Alexander’s mother heard the boys play, she asked if they’d perform for the Westran Classes of 1984-1988 class reunion in August.
The band played to about 150 people at Moberly Municipal Auditorium. “I just remember that big ramp we had to carry the drums up,” said Alexander.
In September the boys played outside the Vestal home for about 25 people. “We invited people. Had a barbecue,” said Bobby.
“We were just entertaining,” said Brody. “We were so nervous.”
“We thought we were cool,” laughed Ayer.
When the boys received positive feedback from their performances, Bobby sought out his music contacts for more opportunities. He also scoured Facebook marketplace for equipment, he said.
On New Year’s Eve, Concannon played at Shady’s restaurant in Moberly. “And that was standing room only,” Bobby said. “It’s amazing the support the community and musicians have for these kids.”
The boys played at 4th Street Theatre in March—on Alexander’s 13th birthday. They opened for Missouri band Jokers Wild.
They’ll be at the Fennel from 5-7 p.m. May 4 and at Dive Bar in Columbia from 5-7 p.m. May 7.
When the boys were toying with band names, they knew they wanted to represent Moberly. They thought Concannon Street had a pretty cool name, and it evoked images of their hometown.
They call themselves a grunge band, covering the songs of Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters and Stone Temple Pilots. But they also play “Take on Me” by A-ha and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Alexander prefers classic rock to grunge, he said, and the band accommodates the tastes of all three members, playing songs from the 1970s through the 1990s.
“I like to do the Nirvana songs,” said Ayer.
“The Nirvana songs are simple and fun. That’s why I like them,” said Brody.
The band writes original music too, though Alexander said he’s not involved in writing lyrics. He leaves that to Vestal and Ayer.
The band has three original song, is working on a fourth and plan to record an album when they get to 10.
The boys laugh at old Facebook videos of their early performances. “We’ve improved so much,” Brody said.
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