The people of Portland like to dance. An eager music fan can dance every night of the week to energetic live music in bars and basements across the town. In the center of Old Town, one such act is Root Beer and French Fry, the assumed name of Brendan Monroe, Cory Jones, Andy Parker and Adam Sorensen.
A pop-timistic attitude
The people of Portland like to dance. An eager music fan can dance every night of the week to energetic live music in bars and basements across the town. In the center of Old Town, one such act is Root Beer and French Fry, the assumed name of Brendan Monroe, Cory Jones, Andy Parker and Adam Sorensen.
A mostly instrumental party-rock band, their electrified jams fill the front window of Valentine’s on a regular basis. Guitars, drums, drum machines, keyboards and a laptop combine to create their signature sound—a fun blend of mathy riffs, layered guitar textures and dance-punk keyboard effects over anthemic, sing-along harmonies. Fans of Lemon Jelly and locals Hooliganship, PYRAMIDDD and Panther will be familiar with the pace and the mood—endless movement, heavy amounts of looping and hopeless optimism.
The diversity of their sound has not gone unnoticed. In 2008, the band was honored twice by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. First, they were asked to play their annual gala, TADA!, a $150-per-seat auction that raises funds for the year. Soon after, they participated in 2008’s Time Based Art Festival.
The true appeal with Root Beer and French Fry is their charismatic live show. Their glowing smiles and consistent energy is infectiously uplifting. The challenge of playing, in certain instances, more than one instrument at a time seamlessly alongside a laptop reintroduces the old excitement of watching bands execute tight, cohesive melodies and their appearance is one of professionalism and dedication. Their stage stance, an inward circle, evokes an admirable camaraderie that supports the overall spirit of the performance. Root Beer and French Fry is a team of musicians, a band in every sense of the word.
