The Clarks are one of Pittsburgh's most popular local bands. Their music can be
described as a blend of rock, pop, alternative, and country. Their gritty live
sound goes perfectly with their songs that tackle the hardships of everyday life.
Although they are a local band, The Clarks have also developed strongholds in
markets outside of the region, including Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago, Baltimore,
DC, and New York. The Clarks have played at shows for well-known artists such as
Steely Dan and 3 Doors Down. Their songs can be heard in the films "Boys" (with
Winona Ryder) and "Just Write". Over the past year, The Clarks have performed at
over 200 shows. The Clarks stop by Happy Valley at least once a year to play at
Crowbar.
The Clarks consists of four guys named Scott Blasey (vocals, guitar), Greg Joseph (bass, vocals), Robert James (guitar, vocals), and Dave Minarek (drums, vocals) - all natives of the Pittsburgh area. However, all four are capable of singing, playing the guitar, and songwriting. Scott, 35, is single and owns a house in Highland Park. He has released a solo album entitled "Shine." Greg (nickname, 
Chief, or Chie for short) is 37, married, lives out in the North Hills, and is an
avid golfer. Rob lives on the South Side and is engaged. Dave, 33, also is a
husband, and a father, and lives in Natrona Heights. They all first met while
attending the same university, IUP in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
The band was started when the foursome entered a rock competition. The name of the band was picked rather arbitrarily. Greg was at work one day and some coincidences happened, all relating to Clarks. A business he dealt with one day was named Clark. Later, he came into practice and said "hey how about The Clarks". A week later when they entered the rock competition and used that name. They did rather well in the competition so the name just stuck afterwards. At first, they started playing at parties in IUP until they started writing some of their own songs. They later moved to Pittsburgh where they played at bars and started to build a strong fan base. They released their debut album, "I'll Tell You What, 
Man", just a year later.
Over the years, The Clarks have accomplished many things. They started their own independent record label, King Mouse Records, which they produced four albums under. The name comes from a line in one of their songs, "Cigarette". Scott says, "There is no significance to it whatsoever apart from the fact that it rhymes with house." Their fans found this name amusing and enjoyed throwing toy mice at Scott whenever the band played that song. The label's repertoire includes "I'll Tell You What Man," "The Clarks," "Love Gone Sour, Suspicion and Bad Debt," and "The Clarks Live". They've sold more than 93,000 units of music over the past 14 years through their label. In August 1996, they signed on with their first major record label, the Way Cool Label of MCA. Shortly after, they recorded "Someday Maybe". However, their new label didn't do much for promoting the album and they were dropped a year later. They were later picked up by a smaller, friendlier record label Razor & Tie. "Let it Go" was released in June 2000. The hit single "Better Off Without You" was played on 75 radio stations nationwide. 
Many joke that The Clarks' songs are just about girls and beer. But many songs have
a deep meaning and even the "girls and beer" songs have much more behind the lyrics.
For example, "Born Too Late" names a series of historical figures not just because of
their importance but because of the impact they had on a writer who wishes he could
have shared their moments in time.
The members of The Clarks are humble, down to earth people. They enjoy meeting fans while on tour and on the web as well as answering questions about the band. Rob says, "I think it's important to interact and say thanks as much as possible." This group definitely has everything that a great band needs - talent, energy, heart, and soul. |