In the last year and a half, the Clarks have been named Best Alternative Band, Best Rock Band (three times), Best New Band and Best Artist by assorted Pittsburgh-area newspapers.
What is the band doing to top this impressive run of positive press?
Not much, it seems.
"I don't know if it's a matter of topping that," said Greg Joseph, the band's bass player. "We try to stay consistent and true to ourselves and what we like to do."
What the band likes to do is play simple, good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. Although most bands today can be easily fit into one or another subcategory of rock (from heavy metal to hard rock to alternative rock), The Clarks play more along the lines of just plain rock. They simple defy any category or label.
The band's style is essentially a mixture of the guitar-heavy lines of some classic rockers, along with touches of the members' biggest influences, including The Replacements, Tom Petty and the Hoodoo Gurus, Joseph said.
This musical combination has garnered the group respect in band competitions as well as some regional popularity, including a good following in State College, he added.
The band's local popularity is one reason it has been booked to play at 8 p.m. tonight at Tatoo, 420 E. College Ave.
"There's a real strong following for them in the area," said David Wells, director of operations for Dante's Restaurants Inc., the company that owns Tatoo. "We've had a lot of requests."
The consistency the band is so proud of is largely based on the fact that the four founding members are the same four members who currently make up the band.
Joseph said the group's potential for making it big plays a large part in those members -- Scott Blasey on vocals, Robert James on guitar, Dave Minarik on drums and Joseph --staying together for so long.
"Knowing some day we'll be successful," Joseph said. "Nobody want to miss out on it."
The closeness of the band members is another reason they've lasted this long, Joseph said.
"We grew to be friends -- a lot of bands won't be friends, they're just there to play," he said.
The band's consistency can easily be detected in its latest album Love Gone Sour, Suspicion and Bad Debt. The biggest difference between this album and the first two albums released by the band is the production values, Joseph said.
"It doesn't sound like a local product and it doesn't look like a local product," he said, backed up by the polished, clean sound of the 14 songs.
Even with the several awards the band has won, it is still relegated to a smaller label with lower distribution. The lack of national recognition might be a stumbling block for the happiness of some bands --but not for The Clarks.
"I can't ask for more than I have right now," Joseph said, referring to being able to live off of his musical ability alone, without a day job. "A lot of people out there would probably die to be in the position I'm in."
