A home made jam

Pune based rock band Jammer got together after they ended jamming together. The Guide caught up with lead vocalist Alok Kulkarni for a quick chat

Jammers may make you think of those irritating devices that block your cell phone signal but the only thing this quintet plan on jamming are your senses. In a good way, of course. Jammer, the band that plays at Curve on Wednesday, is made up of Alok Kulkarni on lead guitar and lead vocals, Justin Crasto on backing vocals and guitar, Abhijeet Kandharkar on bass, Deep Dave on lead guitar and Salil Gupte on percussion (drums, djembe and shakers). The five come from disparate backgrounds. While Alok and Salil are full-time musicians, Abhijeet is a student and Justin and Deep have full-time jobs apart from music. The band actually has about 7-8 members but as is usual with most bands with many members "all the members are not together on any show" admits Alok.


The five Jammers

They are easy listening too. "Our music is more of retro and progressive. On Wednesday it will be an acoustic show and we'll cover U2, Sting, Eric Clapton, Beatles, Poets of the Fall and perform a few of our originals -- both instrumental and vocals," says Alok.

Alok didn't grow up wanting to be a musician although the inclination was always there. "It was because of my father, who used to play the guitar. He taught me a couple of things and I took it up later on." School, college, MBA andu00a0 a corporate career later, it dawned on him that music was his actual calling. "I used to play with a band before I stared working. I quit and decided to take the gamble. And, the gamble has paid off," he smiles.

Now, music is the focal point of his life. Jammer is his focus along with the classes he takes -- passing on his art to aspiring musicians. "Music is my very existence. I think it's the main ingredient to my life and living," Alok smiles.

How did these groups of Jammers get together? "I knew most of them, some I had jammed with and some were my students. When I saw they also wanted to take up music seriously, we thought why not play together?" he says.

Alok is positive about the future of rock in Pune. "Because new avenues are opening up, I see people are taking it up as a profession, and not just as a hobby," he observes happily. He is a firm believer in giving the audience what they ask for. "The Pune audience is a mixed breed. You have to be on your toes to know what they want.
To be liked by the audience you have to do your homework." And it looks like the Jammers have done their theirs.

At: Curve, ABC Farms, Koregaon Park.
On: Tomorrow, July 21