WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — “We’re just happy to be anywhere at this point of our life,” said Them Dudes bassist Butch Kalson. “Some people go bowling, some people play darts, some people just go to a bar where everybody knows their name and get blasted. And we rock.”
The band is made up of Mark Forssell on guitar, George Eigenbrodt on drums, Jim McDonough on guitar and vocals, and Kalson on bass and vocals.
Kalson grew up playing accordion, but switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. He said he and Forssell began playing their current instruments around the same time. Kalson met McDonough years later, mistaking him for another friend, and by happenstance, both men realized they were each looking to start a new band.
Kalson then reached out to Forssell about playing guitar in the band. Eigenbrodt, the youngest of the group, originally hails from Binghamton. Still in need of a drummer, the band turned to Craigslist, where they found him in search of a group to play with.
“It’s almost like the stork dropped him from heaven,” McDonough said. “It was great because he came in and everything came together.”
Them Dudes, like many bands, put their debut album together during the COVID-19 pandemic. The self-titled album is comprised of seven tracks with a 48.5-minute runtime.
Forssell, who also played slide guitar, keyboards, and mandolin on the album, spoke to his versatility during the recording process.
“One day, Butch had me doing so many instruments, I didn’t know where I was,” he laughed.
The band teased some live shows that they are scheduled playing over the summer, including The Backyard Bash in East Aurora. They also discussed plans for their next CD release, for which they’ve already begun the recording process, according to McDonough. Following their summer shows, Them Dudes plan on returning to the studio to put more of that album together.
How the band got its name: From the “Mississippi Queen” lyric, “While the rest of them dudes were gettin’ their kicks, boy, I beg your pardon, I was gettin’ mine.”
Their favorite people in the scene to work with: East Hill Garage, I.O.T., KrossBones, Dave Constantino
Their favorite venues to play: Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven
Their dream concert lineups:
Butch Kalson
- Grosh
- Them Dudes
Jim McDonough
- Them Dudes
- Captain Beyond
Mark Forssell
- XTC
- Super Furry Animals
- Them Dudes
For more information about Them Dudes and their music, visit the following links:
Thumbnail image courtesy of Them Dudes
Music Monday #31 was filmed at Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven in West Seneca, a 21+ bar that plays host to live music and events on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Learn more about the venue at this link.
Music Monday was a weekly digital series created and produced by Adam Duke to showcase artists from Western New York and their work. A total of 39 artists were featured on the segment between September 2022 and June 2023.
Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here.
