You say you want a revolution?

You say you want a revolution?

By Michael Weiler
Contributing Writer

Revolution! First Egypt, then Iran, then Wisconsin, maybe soon Fargo—well maybe that’s stretching it a bit.

Wasted Effort would like us to believe that the revolution is occurring musically and locally—right here, right now.

Everything that they do is not “normal” for the Fargo scene that seems to be dominated by “jug-jug” bands—bands that down-tune their guitars and rock out like Beevis and Butthead used to when they heard a song they liked.

“We are really not trying to be popular,” Brian Glur quietly states, “it’s not our goal. We just want the fans to feel something and experience music that is different. We really like putting something fresh into our music. We don’t want to be like everyone else here in Fargo.”

And then they have the audacity to have a female lead singer; and I use the singer in the correct form. She actually sings—not screaming, singing!

“It’s very hard to be a woman in a male-dominated band, let alone a male-dominated scene.” Keisha Anderson, Wasted Effort lead singer, exclaims, “I don’t want to be seen as a woman sometimes, I just want to be seen as in this band with these people. But I do feel like I have to prove myself night in and night out.”

Wasted Effort started in 2007, with Keisha joining later in 2010. All attended the same high school in Fargo together, and all are local college students (NDSU: 4; Concordia: 1).

“It’s hard in Fargo,” bassist Klayton Porter smirks, “you have to play a lot to get noticed and hopefully you won’t burn-out or have people get bored with you.” And boring is not a label that sticks really well to Wasted Effort.

Fueled by high-energy shows and an attitude that this is a long-term affair, it appears that the chemistry of the band is just right, at just the right time.

“We have seen hundreds of the harder, more hardcore bands, in Fargo come and go,” Brian Glur laughs naming names of some of the bands to disappear. “But we stick to what we like, what we like to play, what we like to listen to. And quite frankly I really like playing and hanging around these guys [and girl]. We were friends before this all started, and we will be friends when this is done.”

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IF YOU GO:
What: Wasted Effort live with performances by Ice Station Zebra, Brothers Loyalty, Building an Empire, Creatures of Habit, and Panic Land from Canada
Where: Gio’s Event Center
When: Friday, March 25, 7 p.m.
Cost: Tickets $7 at door or $5 in advance at Orange Records