Steamship Jesus stays afloat on Three Rivers music scene

‘ ‘ ‘ For music lovers looking for a band with a unique sound and laid-back style, it’s time to… ‘ ‘ ‘ For music lovers looking for a band with a unique sound and laid-back style, it’s time to set religious beliefs aside and hop aboard the Steamship Jesus. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Pittsburgh band was given its eyebrow-raising name by a man who heard it playing The Rolling Stones’ song ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ one night in Schenley Plaza. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He exclaimed that rather than pitying Lucifer, the musicians ought to ‘get on the Steamship Jesus,’ inspiring one of the Pittsburgh music scene’s more unusual band names. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt alumni Tom Craig, Iggy Marcinkevicius and Carnegie Mellon alumnus Mike DeLuca began playing together casually as an acoustic trio in fall 2007, later adding a drummer, current Pitt senior Kyle Smetanka. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Originally, we had no intentions of starting a band,’ said bassist and vocalist Marcinkevicius. ‘Our friends just started saying we would [be] good.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The band members have wide and eclectic music tastes, resulting in a sound that draws influences from genres such as folk, indie, blues and rock. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Vocalist and guitarist DeLuca described the band’s sound as ‘using force only when necessary. A lot of bands punch it up just to punch it up. We don’t always look to do that.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘You listen to it and you decide what it is. We just make what we make,’ said harmonica player and guitarist Craig. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re not looking to define ourselves,’ said DeLuca. ‘We’re looking to have fun. Not having a genre can work to our benefit.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But not fitting into a category gives the band a disadvantage, too. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Stylistically, it’s hard to find bands to share a bill with,’ said Smetanka, the drummer. Despite this, the band has managed, playing frequently at local venues including Spice Cafe and Jekyll ‘amp; Hyde’s. The band usually can get along with whatever group it plays with, aside from one instance when it was billed with a group singing ballads in Japanese ‘mdash; a style with which the band didn’t really mesh. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Steamship Jesus’ unintentional rebellion, defying conventions and splicing genres, creates a sound of its own. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘In our heads we’re just playing what feels good and sounds right,’ said DeLuca. ‘The irony in that is that while we’re not trying to be different, somehow we are.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But in the current Pittsburgh music scene, Steamship Jesus members said that being different isn’t so difficult, thanks to a large number of sound-alike bands playing dated material. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s easy to replicate the ’70s idols,’ said Smetanka. ‘A lot of bands are heavily influenced by older music but aren’t trying to create something new from those influences.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But the band is not above playing covers for the sake of entertaining an audience, or even indulging the one jerk who always asks for ‘Free Bird.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re not brilliant enough yet to be cocky,’ said DeLuca. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘When we look out and people are into it, that makes us into it,’ said Marcinkevicius, ‘and that’s when you get your best performance.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Important as their music is to them, the band members have priorities other than taking on the music world. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’d rather the band stop playing and that we stay friends,’ said DeLuca. ‘It’s cool to do something constructive with people that you like and have a good time while you’re doing it. It’s not anything more than that.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Craig agreed. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We didn’t start playing music to grow our hair out and put on makeup,’ he said. ‘It’s about liking to play.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The band has written about 20 original songs, nine of which are the EP demo released in late December 2008. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Steamship Jesus will play next at the Double Wide Grill on March 27.