From the Quad City Times -- March 3, 2004
Bandleader: Metrolites creates an alternative
By David Burke
With his 40th birthday approaching in a few weeks, Scott Morschhauser is rallying to find more Quad-City audience members his age.
“We tend to cater to one demographic with live music in the Quad-Cities,” said Morschhauser, xylophone player for The Metrolites. “Which is fine, it’s not like there’s anything bad about that demographic.
“There’s a large percentage, probably the majority, that gets ignored from the live-music standpoint. Anything past the college, 20-something crowd for rock gets ignored. Where do adults go when they want to hear some music?”
With saxophone player “Nervous” Neal Smith, Morschhauser founded The Metrolites — a self-proclaimed “surf-spy-noir-lounge” band in October 2002.
Although the band does play some rock in its act, and plays in younger-skewing rock bars in the Quad-Cities, the Metrolites also plays the Copia, the martini bar in The District of Rock Island.
“People almost feel like it has to be old fuddy-duddy or rock ‘n’ roll. There’s nothing in between,” Morschhauser said.
Josh Duffee is drummer for the band. Kathleen Gallagher, who Morschhauser married in December, is the lead guitarist.
Devin Kirby-Hansen recently replaced Elaine Morschhauser, Scott’s ex-wife, on bass.
All are writing songs for an album the Metrolites hope to record in the next few months.
Morschhauser said the Metrolites present themselves as an alternative to the current Quad-City rock scene.
“People say live music’s dead, but we’re really not offering much for anything other than one specific, targeted demographic,” he said. “That’s where we come in.”
It all boils down to basic anatomy and physiology, Morschhauser said. The decibel level of a typical rock show in a club can wreak havoc on the ears.
“You’re not meant to take 95 db for four hours like that. There is a happy medium in there where people can go out and enjoy themselves, where it’s still a raucous show,” he said. “It’s not that we’re catering to an older crowd, it’s just that we’re not catering to a younger crowd.”
David Burke can be contacted at
(563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com.
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What: The Metrolites
When: 7 p.m. Friday, March 5
Where: The Copia, 124 18th St., Rock Island
How much: Free
Information: (309) 793-1277