The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 58

I ON THE GO PAGE 8 HOME NEWS TRIBUNE FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER 1999 new year's eve preview Gemroneshtag extravaganza Donovan meets hip-hop in the tunes of the eclectic Rutgers band By JENNIFER SALVATO On the Go Writer The story of Little One Track Mike began two years ago in a Rutgers dorm room where then-freshman Mike Piannery had a simple vision making music I 1 iV LITTLE ONE TRACK MIKE The Harvest Moon 392 George New Erunswick 10:30 tonight $10 the pair wrote "Sammy." It is among the songs the band will play tonight during a New Year's Eve show at New Brunswick's Harvest Moon. "We decided it was good and we should keep going," Flannery said. And so Little One Track Mike was born. Not long after, the duo wrote and recorded a tune that may prove to be prophetic: "Little One Track Mike Are Famous." With addictive rhythms and clever verse, the tune tells the suburban tale of two rappers who stayed up all night, for five days straight, "until their album was tight," and consequently, become famous. That song captured the attention of then-Rutgers senior Chris Pier-son (of Angry Monsters) who lobbied to get the soon-to-be formed band a gig at the Budapest Cocktail Lounge.

It was on a Saturday this past spring that Little One Track on his computer. Enter dorm-mate Tim "Little Sullivan, a sopho-more and rabid hip-hop fan, to give Flannery's recordings a listen. "He said Have you ever thought about doing hip 1 (732) Flami- 249-6666 ery said. "And I said "What do i you Flannery said Sullivan promptly played him a Donovan sample, from "Season of rne Witch." and from that sample (OTTW NEW YEAR 4 1 fmiiiiniii mi iiimiinrii -tti DAY! Saturday 2-9 pm Courtesy Deko Records Little One Track Mike band members are ready for Y2K: if the going gets rough, they'll all hide in that leopard coat. A THANK YOU FROM US, 9 for your support throughout the year! jA rT i 12 OFF-1 YOUR DINNER Mike, along with bandmates bassist Savior (Jesse Saul), drummer J-Ride (Justin Riddle), and the Shankbone Mystic (Dan Saks) played to a packed house.

Not long after, Alan Douches of Deko Music in Tenafly offered the band a recording deal. The record deal gives Little One Track Mike a chance to pull together all their older recordings as well as some newer, band collaborations and release an album this spring. two songs a day. But when they recorded those songs, Flannery said a record deal was the last thing they had on their minds. In fact, Flannery said now that they're in the studio, he has to go back and re-record some of those older tunes.

"I lost them. I didn't think anyone would want to hear them when I recorded them," Flannery said. While Sullivan grew up listening almost exclusively to hip-hop, Flannery said his musical background is steeped more in the Beatles and jazz traditions. When you purchase a dinner 1 189 Raritan Road, Clark, NJ 732-381-2300 I Valid 1100 1200 Dinner of equal or lesser value 1 -1 it-r on bass and takes over as MC for Sullivan on certain songs. The band's CD, due out in April, will be a "genre-meshing extravaganza," Flannery said.

"Our band's mission is pretty much to have a good time and let every who comes to hear us have a good time," Flannery said. To that end, in addition to serving up the usual high-energy set, rumor has it that on New Year's Eve, Little One Track Mike will cover another prophetic, or at least visionary tune, written in the '80s by The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. ian nor oc comoineu witn any oiner oner i i i Flannery and Sullivan wrote a lot of their songs in a rented shore house on Long Beach Island. Dur-ipg their, weeklong stays, (he tonting" arid ftecQtjia, i i i 4 t. ITALIAN RESTAURANT LOUNGE it The Shankbone Mystic (Saks) adds a "funktuality" and soulful-ness to the.

band, he said. Saks Whs-" lpr Flanrrery oh 'guitar J-Ride.