Fasten Your Seatbelts, It’s Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride

“Good day and welcome to Airline Blonde. Please make sure your tray tables are up and your seatbelts are fastened because it’s going to be a rocky ride. As we travel, Airline Blonde will be making several layovers along the way. Some of our destinations include the early Motown years, soul from the 70s, and even some rock classics from the 80s.”

With a provocative handle like “Airline Blonde” serenading the ears, you hardly need an excuse to hear this band, but you may be pleasantly surprised with just exactly what your ears have in store for them.

Lauren Brown, lovingly referred to as “the Captain” dons a powerhouse voice that is seriously comparable to that of Aretha and Janice and compares herself and the energy she maintains on stage to that of Chrissie Hynde, vocalist of the Pretenders. This down-home girl has been “the Captain” for while now, fronting local bands like Bad Kitty and Tuesday’s Child but has also had a sweet taste of the honey of national exposure. Owensboro is roots and home to this dark-crowned vixen, though. And she faces her newest challenges-being a mommy.

Married to drummer and “Co-Captain”, Cali, Lauren is no stranger to performing both covers and originals at neighborhood establishments and events, but “got tired of playing the same songs and places.” So the band grew up, laid back, and changed their focus and style a whole 180 degrees. Though they still lay on the covers, Airline Blonde is famous for performing “oldies.” That’s right… “Mustang Sally” and “Aint to Proud to Beg” are on the manifest. According to Cali, “we love playing anything that is danceable. We feel this type of music appeals to a really broad audience; those who like to dance, have a good time and love live music, the way music was intended to sound.” Lauren adds, “we interpret our covers and try to give them a signature.”

So, who else is manning this tow-headed aircraft? Mr. Patrick “Woodie” Calhoun, bassist, really gets into his music, according to band-mates. Chris “Mr. Big” Boyd, the lead guitarist is a bona fide rock-n-roller, and John “Mr. Mack” Atkison, keyboardist, saxist and vocalist, has been around since the 70s so, he really knows what he is doing. According to the band, “it was really fun to put all of our differences together.” If you’re not certain what all the nicknames are in reference to but the context clues may give a pretty good idea.

Though Airline Blonde reeks of talent, they have no intention of seeking a national level. Their main focus is wedding receptions, corporate events and festivals. “We just love it! It’s our favorite thing to do. We love to get away from real life and look out at the crowd that is having a good time because we are there.” Whether you’re the poor schmuck stuck dealing with lost baggage or the CEO of American Airlines, check out the band’s MySpace at www.myspace.com/airlineblonde. Oh, and in case you were wondering, there are no blondes in the band, only a long story and some whimsical memories.