PRINTDecadent Nation rocks out for a cause
Decadent Nation gives back through music
Sarah Hoffman
Decadent Nation rehearses in its practice space for its benefit show this weekend at The Blue Note. The band has also performed for troops at naval bases.
December 15, 2011 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Decadent Nation says its purpose is in its name. When the band formed in Columbia about five years ago, its members decided to make music with a message that serves as a portrait of modern America. Today, the four members disseminate their message through benefit concerts, guerrilla shows and other altruistic performances. The band performs Saturday at The Blue Note to benefit the Central Missouri Humane Society.
“Our message is socio-political,” lead singer and guitarist Colin LaVaute, 26, says. “Everything that I write in terms of lyrics is to engage the listener to think for themselves.”
Where: The Blue Note
When: Sat., 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $5
Call: 874-1944
The other members, guitarist Adam Rolfes, 27, bassist Cody Sprock, 20, and drummer Zach Blomberg, 29, echo LaVaute’s sentiment that the band is all about rock with a purpose. “It’s also a great vehicle to voice our concerns and what we think needs to be changed,” Rolfes says.
Decadent Nation recently played in support of the Occupy Wall Street movements in St. Louis and Kansas City. In Kansas City, the group decided to bring their message to the people who needed to hear it most — residents of the city’ affluent neighborhoods. Members hitched a flatbed trailer to the back of their car and inundated wealthy residents with messages about governmental corruption, the dangers of plutocracy and the importance of independent thinking.
As part of its public service aspect, Decadent Nation also performs for troops at naval bases across the country. Band members note that though they don’t necessarily agree with the war, they are committed to supporting troops. In fact, they say the songs that resonate most with the soldiers are anti-war tirades.
“This guy who went to Iraq brought our CD with him and played it in the tank when he rolled through Baghdad,” LaVaute says. “There are other people that played our stuff to get the troops pumped up. I’m completely against everything that our government is doing (in Iraq and Afghanistan), but the idea that the music resonates with the troops in that way is kind of a humbling experience.”
Decadent Nation’s music also sides with animals, so to speak. All proceeds from its next concert at The Blue Note will be donated to the Central Missouri Humane Society. Two band members adopted dogs from the Humane Society, so the cause is important to all of them.
“My dog came from the Humane Society, and he’s a gift,” Blomberg says while petting his dog, Black Sabbath. “You have to save something like this.”
The rest of the band agrees. “It’s about just giving back, you know, because our success really relies on people in the community,” LaVaute says. “Being able to take a little of our limited success and give back what we can is pretty rewarding.”
