Lloyd Dobler Effect
January 22nd, 2008


It is said that when you are on the right path, things just sort of fall into place. If there is any truth to that cliche, then Lloyd Dobler Effect are right where they need to be. Having formed eight years ago, Lloyd Dobler Effect's path has taken them on a whirlwind journey of show after show, performing over 1,400 shows in 39 states and 14 countries. Having just finished their third Armed Forces Entertainment Tour, being named Boru Vodka's Defend the Bar Band winner, and currently touring nationally in the United States, the Lloyd Dobler Effect may just be onto something. Don't be confused, Lloyd Dobler Effect is not your traditional bar band. With lyrics that are an infusion of Dylan, Springsteen, with a little bit of Yeats thrown in, and a sound that doesnt fit one genre but many, the band isn't your traditional bar band - they are probably one of the most dedicated and unique bar bands around.

I admit that my first taste of the Lloyd Dobler Effect came when I was researching the character Lloyd Dobler from the movie Say Anything for an article I was writing about the iconic figure that Lloyd Dobler had become. Always happy to find great music, I curiously took a listen and was impressed. When I had the opportunity speak with Phil Kominski, vocalist for Lloyd Dobler Effect, one of my first inquiries about the band was why they chose the name Lloyd Dobler. "We felt that we were kind of off-beat. We were using it when we were at the end of our high school days and it just stuck. It's that mix of everything - kind of that off-beat but serious character."

When you listen to the band, the name makes sense. Just as the character Lloyd Dobler is A balance between self-assured and awkward, cool and not-so-cool, tough guy and sensitive man, Lloyd Dobler Effect fuses together sounds that are somewhat polar opposite, yet for them, it works. Their music sometimes has angry and progressive drum beats, dancing with an almost electronic sound, add in a bit of a Salsa flavor combined with the lyrical prowess and peaceful hum of Folk, and don't forget old fashion Rock-n-Roll and you have a band that is as versatile and it is talented, being able to pull off such a coup without it sounding forced or rigid.

In listening to LDE, you can easily tell that creating music isn't just about pursuing Rock-n-Roll dream to meet girls and get laid, rather it is about practicing a craft they all love and respect. When Phil speaks of the process that they go through when creating new music and writing new lyrics, the passion in his voice is easily detected. "We get together and throw something around. We mix up changes, and derive a melody. When the melodies are all in place, we put words around the melody that we created. The lyrics are not 99% until in the studio."

For LDE, it really is about the music. Being one of the few artists that will allow taping at venues and encourage burning music and sharing it, Lloyd Dobler Effect wants to perfect their live shows and share their music with the world. "You can look at footage from shows as a really good critique. You are able to see what is working front-of-house and what isn't and you can take that and improve on it."

This attitude towards music has gained them respect and quite a fan-base. In September of 2007, while touring the Midwest, the trailer holding all of the groups gear was stolen. After writing an e-mail about the bands loss, the support they received from their fans was phenomenal.

"It really showed us how caring our fans were and how supportive they were. They really helped us out a lot, not just financially, but the emotional support as well. I sent out an e mail and about an hour later I had 350 emails from people saying what can I do and it made us feel real good because it was like we had friends out there wanting to help."

In the meantime, the band had found ways to raise money and replace their equipment and went on to tour in November for Armed Forces Entertainment. The tour led them to the Middle East, performing for military personnel. As much as they were giving back to those serving, they gained something, too. "It was amazing. It was pretty intense and amazing. We were less than an hour away from where some of the fighting was and we were tourist walking around and seeing machine guns. It was an eye opening experience, "Phil told me. And they shared their experiences with their fans as well, creating road journals to share their experiences and some of the more positive things happening over there. "I think it's important for people to look at the human side of it and that is what we were doing with the road journals. In parts of Afghanistan, all the people hired to work in some of the rebuilding were Afghani people and they were making five to ten times as much as they would be making normally. We met a guy whose only job was rebuilding orphanages over there. No matter what your political affiliation, you need to hear about the more human side of it and I tried to show all the good that was going on, not just the bad."

The same month that they were entertaining the troops, they were named the winner of the Boru Vodka's Defend the Bar Band contest, earning them $10,000 worth of new gear from Musician's Friend and a digital release off of Roadrunner Records, and tour sponsorship from Boru. It couldn't have happened at a better time - their missing trailer had not yet been found and they were confident that they were not going to see it again. As fate would have it, though, in December Phil received a phone call from a law enforcement official telling him that they believed the trailer had been found. When they recovered it, to their surprise, the only thing really missing was things that identified the group like CDS, shirts, and guitar cases with their name on it.

With their gear back in place, the band is back on a tour, this time with Boru Vodka by their side. It is a partnership that both Boru Vodka and Lloyd Dobler Effect are excited about." "Boru became a full sponsor on our tour and are putting out a lot of marketing and are offering really wonderful tour support. They have really been supportive and it is a really amazing thing .Which is really no surprise because they are an Irish company and how big music is there. They have really great products." And now, after working on it for two years, a new release from Lloyd Dobler Effect will be available in a few short months.

Lloyd Dobler Effect has proven that the D-I-Y music that D.C has been known for since the days of hardcore punk can lead to great success. Their self-made live album has sold over 10,000 copies at shows alone. With Boru Vodka now behind them and their dedication and work ethic, it is no wonder why this could be Lloyd Dobler Effects best year yet.