The normal checklist for a band goes like this: drums, guitar, singer, bass, maybe keyboards. Check check check...
How about vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion and xylophone — not to mention every band member can play every instrument? How about the two guys that started the band used to hate each other’s faces? How about DMX is involved with the band somehow?
Kirkwood Dellinger consists of Elmo Kirkwood, Brian Dellinger, Brian Boyer, Ken Ezell and Chelsea Dellinger. This experimental, Tempe-based band produces a slightly progressive, slightly psychedelic, slightly poppish sound that is hard to replicate.
Kirkwood says despite the rough start he and Brian had as friends, they became friends in a high school art class.
Kirkwood Dellinger was then formed years later after both left previous bands. The first album was created after they saw a story about how someone they knew stabbed innocent people at a park.
“Tons of our inside jokes were about [the stabber] because he was this crazy liar,” Brian says. They made their first album “Beast Boy,” which was completely inspired and influenced by the stabber’s somewhat ridiculous lifestyle.
“It was easy,” Brian says. The “stabber” has no idea the album exists; although, “he’s probably out by now,” Kirkwood says. Brian says he’ll be sure to give him a copy if he runs into him.
Kirkwood Dellinger recruited a few friends and became a performing, recording band. Each song released has been recorded in Brian’s home. They started playing shows more than two years ago, and had the idea from the start that they would switch instruments between songs.
The band’s influences range from David Bowie to ABBA to Funkadelic to Fleetwood Mac to The Clash.
Kirkwood Dellinger now has two albums. Their second album, “Miniature Stallion,” was released in June 2008. Kirkwood says the band is constantly working on new material, and is looking to release another EP soon.
Kirkwood will be a featured guitarist on rapper DMX’s new album, “Walk With Me Now,” expected to be released this spring. Kirkwood plays guitar on two tracks.
Although Kirkwood and Brian are on the right track now, it wasn’t always this way.
Kirkwood and Brian were average public school children, riding bikes and taking short cuts around town. Kirkwood explains there was a short cut through an apartment complex that he — and apparently Brian — used to take to get to school.
Kirkwood spotted Brian first.
“I had a hot BMX bike, and I was cruising along, feeling all fucking cool,” Kirkwood says, “and he had a mountain bike first of all, and the motherfucker was wearing a helmet. I was like, ‘nice helmet, shithead.’ ”
Brian said he retorted with, “I’m not the one who lives in an apartment with my family.” He explains he was 13, and was just trying to have a comeback.
Their paths crossed again at another apartment complex with Brian yelling, “You do live in an apartment!”
Kirkwood says he flipped out and chased after the frantically pedaling Brian.
“I shoved him and by some providence he doesn’t fall off his bike,” Kirkwood says, “so I picked up a bunch of shitty rocks and threw them at his bike.”
Kirkwood admits Brian approached him later that week, saying he didn’t want any trouble. Kirkwood had something to say as well.
“I told him I would kill him.”
Reach the reporter at lauren.cusimano@asu.edu.
