Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

If We Had Our Druthers

December was an abysmal time for Knoxville music with Gran Torino and Left Foot Down—two of the most popular local bands— both deciding to call it quits.

The funk and R&B group, Gran Torino, will play a last round of shows this month, culminating with "Farewell Weekend" at Blue Cats. One of the hardest working local bands, Gran Torino is known for its relentless touring and high energy shows.

"Nothing really happened. It just got to the point where we were nine guys working our asses off for seven years, and it just doesn't feel like at this point it's worth doing anymore," says lead singer Chris Ford. "We were having a tough time making ends meet on the road, and our record sales are not what they were a couple of years ago. We felt it was time.

"We're all very much good friends," Ford adds. "If we had our druthers we'd much rather be doing Gran Torino, but the reality of the situation is not good."

The cruel irony of it is that the band released its most original album last year, The One and Only..., its third LP.With that release, the band was trying to make the music it wanted to rather than cater to popular tastes or concoct a radio hit. "It's the record we wanted to make," Ford says. "I was proud of it. It was our favorite record to make."

However, it didn't do as well as their previous records and Gran Torino realized their moment had passed. Ford says the musical flavor of the day just isn't favorable for their sound. "The whole reason we're being forced to quit is I just think the kind of music we're making isn't the kind of music kids want to hear," he says. "We're not in the genre of Gallactic or that hippie jam scene."

Ford wouldn't rule out working with his bandmates in the years to come. "The only way people never play together is if they hate each other," says Ford, adding, that's not the case here.

Ford doesn't know what he'll be doing music-wise in the future. He says he'd like to take some time off. "I'm sure a couple of us will still be in music. A couple of the guys are going back to school to finish their jazz degrees," he says.

"When it's going to hit me is a week or two weeks after the last show, when we normally would be getting ready to go out and play. This was our life and we're going to be sitting with our thumbs up our asses trying to figure out what to do."

But, the group isn't going out without a final bang. On Jan. 17 and 18, they'll be playing three gigs at Blue Cats in the Old City—a 9 p.m. show each night, as well as a special all-ages show at 6 p.m. on the 18th. All shows are $10.

The Left Foot Down breakup was similarly amicable, says John Montgomery, the group's guitarist. The group played its last gig on New Year's Eve at Blue Cats.

"Mainly, we'd just been doing it a long time and things just weren't progressing the way we wanted them too," he says. "It wasn't an angry thing. Some of the guys felt ready to move on in a different direction."

Singer and guitarist Tre Sansom is apparently joining St. Somewhere and drummer Brack Owens is talking with musicians around town about starting a new project, Montgomery says.

Montgomery isn't sure which direction he's moving in. "I'm kind of waiting to get this behind me first," he says. "I don't want to rush into anything. I've been doing it quite a while. I'm definitely going to be pursuing another band."

—Madame "One day it just snowed I guess" Georgie with Joe Tarr