Local Indie Band 'Dollar Store Riot' Performs Friday

Band Name:  Dollar Store Riot

Members and their roles in the band:

Thea Kearney – Vocals/Guitars
Brian Boehm – Bass/Vocals
Paul J. Haley – Guitar/Vocals
Will Kramer – Skins & Cowbell

How did your band get started? 

Brian and Paul met through mutual friends. They started playing together every couple of weeks in Paul’s attic or Brian’s basement. Paul met Will at a PTA wine and cheese event and then the playing increased to weekly at a local studio. About two years later, Thea and Brian’s wife started talking about the Sex Pistols at a first grade gingerbread cookie party and as a result, Thea learned that Dollar Store Riot was looking for another vocalist. She joined the band shortly after on lead vocals and guitar.

Who or what influences your band? 

Musical influences are all over the map with many overlapping one another. Thea is a self-described “metalhead” whose tastes range from Alice in Chains to Alanis Morrisette while Will and Brian’s influences range from the Melvin’s and the Meat Puppets to Mission of Burma and Bad Brains. Paul grew up on Hardcore Punk but is also a Brit/Power Pop and “indie” kid at heart who would have never picked up the guitar if it wasn’t for bands like Buffalo Tom or Oasis or have written a single lyric if it wasn’t for the Smiths (to just name a few).

How did you choose your band name? 

Paul kept brainstorming names, e-mailing Brian and Will a list of 10-20 daily, only knowing for some unknown reason that he wanted the word “riot” in the name. Brian liked Dollar Store Riot and so did Paul -- for about a week -- but then made a run to change it only to be outvoted. In the end, Paul was glad about that. The most comments we hear about the band name is that our music doesn’t sound anything like it, but we like that fact because that is part of what Dollar Store Riot is about; mixing things up and sometimes being unpredictable.

How does this particular musical experience inform your life here in South Orange and Maplewood?

Over the last couple of years it has grown dramatically as we’ve made a lot of friends in the local music scene. We find it amazing to play with other bands whose members have established careers, children, mortgage payments and suburban home maintenance concerns -- yet refuse to grow up completely -- all for the fun and love of music. Great musical events like Rent Party just make it more communal and it is great to be doing something to help the community while doing what we love.

When local folks come to see you play, what should they look or listen for, in particular? 

Dollar Store Riot likes to blend giant walls of sound with melodic vocals and bass lines. Listen to Thea’s vocals and Paul’s interesting strumming patterns. Paul often uses a capo, which gives his guitar a unique sound when played in a rock setting. Brian plays melodic and complimentary bass lines to Will’s energetic and straight-forward drumming.

And….when and where will you be performing next? 

Friday, Nov. 15 at Highland Place in Maplewood (5 Highland Place  • Maplewood, NJ 07040) with local band Gum Wall, starting at 10pm.