Blind Ambition Rocks Again
By Lars Miranda
SPECIAL TO THE INTELLIGENCER
Blind Ambition is a Phoenix, a unique rock band that, after living five
impressive years on the local music scene, has reinvented itself to
rise from the ashes with renewed blood to start creating a new cycle of
rock music.
The new blood coursing through the veins of this Phoenix comprises
three new band members. They include Derek Wright, Wendy Bouwma, and
Dean Nenonen, who are all second-year students at Loyalist College.
Blind Ambition was one of the four independent bands that performed at
the Engineer's Hall on Nov. 22, for an afternoon of punk and rock music.
Blind Ambition performed six songs at Saturday's show. Two were cover
songs, from the Deftones and Sound Garden. Bouwma is the lead singer
and she wrote the lyrics to the first and third songs of the show.
Wright wrote the music for three of the songs, and LaJoie had composed
the music and lyrics for one. The audience was a little sedate, because
it was in the afternoon, but the attendance was at its peak during
Blind Ambition's performance. The band put on a great show before about
40 people and Bouwma proved to be a charming singer.
The current members of Blind Ambition have only been together for a
month, and this was only their second show. Their first performance was
for Loyalist College, students at the Shark Tank Pub's Open Mic Night
on Nov. 6, for which the band came in second place.
Nenonen, 20, plays base guitar for Blind Ambition, and Bouwma, 21, is
the band's new singer.
"Mark (Lajoie) is the only original member, and he has played with a
lot of people," said Bouwma, a radio broadcast student,
"I actually met Mark when I was interviewing him for CJLX," said
Wright. 21, who is in his second year of broadcast journalism.
Wright had been playing the electric guitar for seven years before he
started jamming with LaJoie, a year ago.
"We started out under the name To Ration, then Sucker Punch, when we
were with Mark, but we had a different singer at the time, Ryan
Snoddon," said Wright.
Wright, Nenonen and Snoddon asked the 22-year-old LaJoie to play drums
for their band, To Ration, and they later changed the name to Sucker
Punch.
"But we found out it was another band's name," said LaJoie. "We decided
to merge what Sucker Punch was to Blind Ambition."
LaJoie explained that Bouwma started practicing with. Wright and
Nenonen in late October, and she eventually became Blind Ambition's
singer, because Snoddon was too busy with school.
Blind Ambition has been LaJoie's project since 1998. The band survived
many transformations, but the line-up that produced the band's latest
CD, Eyes Watered Down, (released last June) provided a perfect
combination of talent, energy and emotional intensity that always
enthralled their audiences. All three members were only together for
eight months, yet they accomplished a lot in that time. The 45-minute
CD they produced is a remarkable musical composition and a testament to
the misfortune of the band's break-up last August.
LaJoie said it was something forced by the circumstances, rather than a
dispute. The drummer, Daryl Corelli, had to go to school and the base
guitar player and backup singer, Alex Maltby, had to move.
"Daryl had to go back to Hamilton to study at McMaster University and
Alex moved to Ottawa with his family," said LaJoie.
This was a disappointment for Lajoie and the fans of Blind Ambition,
and LaJoie has still not completely recovered from this setback,
"There were a lot of upset people. as well as myself," said LaJoie. "It
was extremely frustrating and very disappointing for myself."
The last time that Corelli, Maltby and LaJoie performed together as
Blind Ambition was on the night of August 22, an eagerly anticipated
night that many local rock fans will never forget.
LaJoie had been helping the Rawk Show organizers in Belleville because
they were having trouble booking venues.
Singing and playing guitar is what LaJoie enjoys doing the most, and he
is still recording songs and agreed to take the drums and let Bouwma do
the singing for the benefit of the new band, because Bouwma is so
talented. He is willing to let Bouwma chart a new course for the band.
"I feel she has things to say. and we're giving her control to say what
she wants with the lyrics she's going to be singing," said LaJoie.
LaJoie notes that he and Wright play well together and he is letting
Wright compose most of the music. LaJoie likes the way Bouwma adds to
the chemistry between him and Wright.
"Wendy is an experienced singer and she's easy to work with, and that
helps a lot with the chemistry." said LaJoie.
Lajoie describes the musical style of the new band as heavier grungy
rock, when compared to his last band.
"Musically, it's more of a heavy-driving yet melodic sound," said
Lajoie. "We weren't as heavy, as hard rock. It was more of an
alternative band. There was more variety, heavy songs, slow songs and
medium-paced songs. We're sticking more to one style, whereas the old
band ventured into SKA, punk and classic rock."
The band is eager to practice every chance they get. so they can
improve on the tight chemistry the band has already started to
demonstrate with its first two public performances.
"Being on stage is an out-of-body experience, especially when you're
playing your own material," said Wright. "I find it exciting when a
song comes together."
"We like to be as practised as we can, so we have something to offer."
said LaJoie.