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SoulFeel movin on up and out

April E. ClarkPost Independent Staff
Aspen Times/Stewart OksenhornKirk Radomski, SoulFeel mandolin and bass guitar player, performs with the band last summer.
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SoulFeel is acting out the lyrics to one of its crowd-favorite cover songs.Like The Jeffersons theme song, the four-piece band with an occasional sit-in trumpet player is movin on up, to the east side.More specifically, the band is moving to the east side of the Rockies.Brad Foster, Brook Mooney, Kirk Radomski and Dane Wilson are relocating to Ft. Collins, where they hope to broaden their appeal to the college crowd in Colorado State Universitys hometown, Boulder and to music fans around the Denver metro area.Were going out there to try and make new fans, said Foster, SoulFeel lead singer and rhythm guitar player. Theres just so much more opportunity to play original music like we do. The music scene in Denver is where people go out to see live music.Since its inception more than two years ago, SoulFeel has been open to change. Foster and his stepbrother, Mooney, are the bands original members, playing their first acoustic show as SoulFeel at Glenwood Musics Wednesday Live in May of 2003.Things couldnt have gone any better for us, said Mooney, lead and slide guitar player. I just put faith in that it was always going to work out. Ive never really put too much faith in trying to get record deals. Its about playing live music for me.Although SoulFeel has seen a few musicians come and go, Foster said the bands current roster with Wilson on drums and Radomski on mandolin and bass guitar fits the intended mold for funky Delta blues and roots rock.It was always our philosophy that we wanted SoulFeel to be a full band, said Foster, who grew up and attended college in Louisiana. We didnt want to audition people. We wanted it to happen naturally. Im just so happy how it all came together everything has kind of gelled.In their hopes to make a name for the band on the Front Range, members of SoulFeel have leased a large home in Ft. Collins. The shared living arrangements will help the band, especially with practicing and songwriting collaboration, Foster said.SoulFeel has never really done that on a consistent basis, said Foster, about band practice. Thats the most exciting part were going to be able to grow as a band.Last week, while the band was searching for a home to share, SoulFeel played several open mic nights at Denver-area clubs. Foster put the word out on Internet message boards and a CD reviewer for Westword newspaper stopped by to check out one of their shows.Weve already played over there and had good response, said Radomski, a Pensacola, Fla., native who minored in music at Loyola University in New Orleans. Were getting more experience and playing for more people, building a bigger fan base.Radomski and his bandmates said they would like to see a record deal or national tour as a result of their move east.My goal is to make a living making music whether its modest or not, Radomski said. I would like to see us touring by summer.SoulFeel may be leaving the Western Slope, but the band has no intention of forgetting where it all started. Band manager Tony Grifasi, of Down the Road Entertainment, has booked a weekend per month in the valley for SoulFeel.Im sad to leave, but the happy thing is well be coming back once a month, said Dane Wilson, a Glenwood Springs High School alumnus. Definitely, all of us are excited to play over there, but were also excited to be coming back here.Mooney, a former Marine who didnt start playing music professionally until the age of 22, agreed.Im glad were going to a place where no one is going to call us a local band anymore, but we wouldnt be doing what were doing if it wasnt for the locals in the valley supporting us, he said. I look forward to coming back here, where the locals have inspired us to be who we are. Were thankful.Foster also gives credit to the fans in the valley for the bands rising popularity. He hopes to see a similar response from the Front Range.We are just so appreciative for everyone backing us, he said. But it kind of feels good to step out of our area. Its a great catapult to be a national touring act, touring the country and the world.We need a big pond to make a big ripple, Mooney added. I feel like were going to kick Denver in the behind.Maybe SoulFeel will finally get its piece of the pie.Contact April E. Clark: 945-8515, ext. 518aclark@postindependent.com

today, 10 p.m., Black Nugget, Carbondale Saturday, 9 p.m. Burning Mountain Bowl, New Castle Sunday, 8 p.m. Steves Guitars, Carbondale


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