8084 — 26 October 2022 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour
8084 joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9 FM The Radiator. Catch up at facebook.com/8084rocks and see them live Nov 12 at Higher Ground.
On Wednesday, October 26th, host Tom Proctor was joined by Andre, Randy and Frank, three-quarters of the legendary and award-winning band 8084. The trio talk about their lengthy and successful career playing rock, and played a stripped-down acoustic mini-set for Rocket Shop that sampled four decades of their playing and creating.
The band formed in 1982, playing their first show in November of that year. The original lineup included current members Andre Maquera, Randy Smith, Frank Barnes, and Gary Spaulding, as well as the late Charlie Hawthorne, a friend and keyboard player who sadly passed away in 1989. From the start, the band was able to play music full-time in the local Burlington scene: “In order to make a living,we played popular songs of the day, so we could work. And back then, Vermont was such a different scene… you could work six nights a week! There was always work, everywhere,” said bassist Frank Barnes. Although they began by playing covers, they soon began incorporating original music into their sets.
The first of these originals that they brought to Rocket Shop, “Home,” exemplifies the style and energy that 8084 brings to their music. Energetic guitar and locked-in rhythms support soaring and virtuosic lead vocals revealing of the band’s origins in the 1980s. Intricate backing vocals, sometimes doubling the main melody and sometimes filling in the space with a complementary countermelody, cement the song as a finely-crafted jewel of hard rock.
Along with the sonic style, the band’s origins in the 80s Burlington music scene initially determined a distinct visual style, consistent with aesthetic norms of rock bands at that time. Their flamboyant presentation was one of the aspects of their performance they left behind, however, as they developed and explored their style throughout the years: “I’ll never put those red leather pants on again… that’s just not what I do anymore,” said Smith. Through the years and stylistic shifts, what has stayed consistent is the group’s deepening relationship with each other. “We loved each other deeply back then, and we have from time to time since then,” joked Barnes. Even the friend and member of the band that passed away is still present in the music, because the band was playing together at a time when keyboard sequencing was coming into prominence, and performances could be recorded and re-started later. “We’re still using his parts in some of our songs. We still honor him in that way… it’s a weird thing because he’s with us every step of the way,” said Barnes.
Over the course of their four-decade career, the band has played countless shows and released five albums, in the process amassing a loyal and even multi-generational following. “People bring their kids (and even their grandkids) to the shows,” said lead guitarist Andre Maquera. They are also internationally recognized; their debut release sold 10,000 copies in the Netherlands alone, and they have received critical acclaim in North America and Europe alike. Their music has created an international community of fans, many of whom have written to them. One notable fan letter they received (and responded to!) was from a man in Czechoslovakia, who allegedly learned English from watching Scooby-Doo.
Coming up in the near future, the band has a 40-year anniversary show planned for the Higher Ground Ballroom! The show will take place on November 12th at 7pm. Tickets for the event can be purchased online, and more information about the band’s upcoming events and releases can be found at their website.
Text by Gideon Parker
Monochrome photo by Abbey Berger-Knorr (edited by Ross Mickel)
Color Photos by Luke Awtry