About two years ago, the Bad Examples put out their first full-length album, "Bad Is Beautiful," on their own Waterdog record label. They then bought a used motor home and set out to bring their music to the world.
The result - hundreds of gigs, thousands of miles and one broken-down motor home later - is depicted on "Cheap Beer Night," the Chicago-based band's recently released live album.
Although "Cheap Beer Night" was recorded in Chicago, it's meant to capture the spirit of the time the band spent on the road. This was a time when, in the words of songwriter Ralph Covert, the four members went from being individuals to "a living, breathing, organic band."
"This is an effort to make a documentation of that journey," says Covert, who sings and plays rhythm guitar. The other band members are veteran blues guitarist John Duich, former John Prine and Famous Potatoes bassist Tom "Pickles" Piekarski and drummer Terry Wathen. In addition to their music, each member contributes a personal letter in the album's liner notes, detailing their feelings and memories about the time on the road.
"The idea, with the album and the booklet, is to let people in," Covert continues. "We want to say this is what it is, four human beings out there making music as a band."
If that doesn't sound like a typical rock star, it's because Covert isn't. He's relentlessly intelligent and intense, as interested in examining the human spirit through a poet's introspection as he is in standing onstage and leading a popular rock band.
His songs are highly literate and often wryly funny, with strong pop-rock musical hooks. "Not Dead Yet," a singalong rocker off "Bad Is Beautiful," was recorded by fellow Chicagoans Styx, and the Bad Examples' own version is a local radio hit and a live favorite.
The standouts on "Cheap Beer Night" range from the hardedged "Hey St. Peter," in which the singer visits heaven during a near-death experience and decides hell would be a lot more fun, to "Sammy the Dog," a Tin Pan Alley-sounding song that makes fun of musical trends with the story of a dog that learns to play trombone and ends up on "The Tonight Show."
The band's work ranges across the musical spectrum, from almost melancholy acoustic folk songs to blasting rockers. Duich, who played with blues artist Valerie Wellington before joining the band, even gets a solo spot each show, which he fills with songs like Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues" and Bo Diddley's "Mona," a cut on the new album.
This type of versatility exemplifies the band's philosophy of exploration and growth first, trying any type of musical experience that seems interesting or appropriate for the time and place.
On "Cheap Beer Night," the band finishes its set with "I've Been Walkin'," a spontaneous onstage composition. Another song, "Long Drive Back From Madison," was written by Covert on the way home from a show.
"For me, the only reason for doing anything is if it comes from a real and honest place inside," Covert says. "We're looking for something organic and natural. We want to grow as much as possible. It's fun to keep pushing the limits and working to see how far we can go."
Thus, an album that's both an ambitious personal growth project and a documentation of that growth, as well as an entertaining musical experience.
The band's philosophy extends to its business dealings as well. While many bands with this level of talent, experience and status might be pushing fervently for a major-label record deal, the Bad Examples have formed Waterdog together with working partner Jay Whitehouse in order to put out music as they please, with no outside influences.
"This gives me focus and gives me control," Covert explains.
"There's no guy telling me what my horizons are. I can figure them out for myself."