Countless people plow through grinding traffic to work in Chicago. The members of influential alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven may not have to do so on a daily basis, but consider their plight. The veteran group has maintained a steady touring presence in North America despite considerable obstacles.
Drummer Chris Pedersen now joins his bandmates from his home in Australia, and violinist\/guitarist Jonathan Siegel kisses his family goodbye in Sweden. Rock and roll is a traveling job, but these are among the toughest commutes in music. \u201cAnd jet lag from opposite directions,\u201d says Segel.
The members remain busy with their own projects, so collective work isn\u2019t hampered by geographical separation. In a sense, it even helps. \u201cAbsence makes the heart grow fonder, so it\u2019s always fun to get back together and play,\u201d says Segel, whose own projects include new album \u201c Series of Nested Universes \u201d with improvisational psych-rock band Sista Maj.
Camper Van Beethoven is known for ambitious musicianship and absurd but sharp-witted and socially aware lyrics. Favorites include early single \u201c Take the Skinheads Bowling ,\u201d \u201c Eye of Fatima \u201d from 1988\u2019s \u201cOur Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart,\u201d and \u201c It Was Like That When We Got Here \u201d from 2014\u2019s \u201cEl Camino Real.\u201d The band also recorded a popular cover of \u201c Pictures of Matchstick Men \u201d by Style Council, whose guitarist Rick Parfitt passed away in late December. \u201cWe\u2019re losing so many people at this point,\u201d says Segel. \u201cWe don\u2019t usually stop between songs, so it\u2019s hard to make dedications. The song itself is the tribute.\u201d
Although violin and East European influences are elemental to Camper Van Beethoven\u2019s sound, Segel has previously claimed that he doesn\u2019t consider himself a proper violinist. \u201cI\u2019ve gotten away with it for so long that I\u2019m actually starting to learn how to play it,\u201d he says.
Camper Van Beethoven\u2019s tour continues a regular partnership with Cracker. Members including Segel, bassist Victor Krummenacher, and guitarist Greg Lisher have played with Cracker in the past. David Lowery fronts both bands. \u201cHe has the ability to sing for three hours if he needs to,\u201d says Segel. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty intense.\u201d
Segel says that there\u2019s minimal competition with Cracker and maximum camaraderie, which stems from gratitude for simple survival within the industry. \u201cWhen you consider that you\u2019re in a band that\u2019s able to play around the country in 2017, it\u2019s like you\u2019ve won the jackpot. Even if you\u2019re not making a ton of bucks like the big pop stars, it\u2019s very lucky.\u201d
Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.<\/p>\n

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