Practicing in preparation for their first official performance, The International League of Super Pals writes and performs all original material. The group, which ranges in age from 15 to 18, will play at Hondo's on Thursday. Photo by Phil Houseal

Details:
The International League of Super Pals performs at Hondo's this Thursday evening, Jan 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m. No cover. To contact the band, call 889-0978. To contact Hondo's, call 997-1633 or visit www.hondosonmain.com.

webmaster: phil@fullhouseproductions.net

Super Pals

by Phil Houseal
January 17, 2007

They've only been playing since April, but the International League of Super Pals has come a long way since holding practice "concerts" in Alex Migeon's bedroom.

"He has an organ, we would load it with all these candles, and force his family to come in and sit on pillows and listen to us," Reid Comstock explained.

This Thursday, they have their first "real" concert (as in "paid") at Hondo's. They are trying to write and play the music the next generation will listen to.

The band consists of Comstock, 18, on guitar and vocals (he is also an accomplished cellist); Migeon, 16, bass and keyboards; Mark Utley, 15, drums; Riley Web, 16, lead guitar and sax; and Austin Talley, 17, bass and manager.

They formed in April, and within two weeks had two gigs. But first they had to come up with a name.

"We were setting up an account on MySpace, and had to think of a band name," Comstock said. Since Utley had been watching episodes of the Justice League on TV, he threw out the name "International League of Super Pals." No one had a better suggestion, and it kind of fit because Alex is from France.

While young, Super Pals write all their own songs and have some sophisticated ideas of what music should be about.

"Music should express ideas and emotions, and not just entertain," said Comstock, who estimates they have 20 to 30 originals ready for the public. "But it's okay to entertain while you are expressing your ideas. A lot of what's appealing about music is obviously the melodies (to which Utley interjected, "I've never heard anybody just sit there and whistle a harmony."). So I think a lot of our ideas are in the words, with appealing melodies."

When someone brings a song to rehearsal, the others enthusiastically elaborate on it.

"We write a lot of the stuff on the spot," Utley said. "We think improvisation is essential to the process - we've never played any song the same way twice."

Talley piped in with another view. "That's where Reid and I differ in songwriting," he said. "I want everything written down."

During the spirited discussion that followed, the band embraced these different approaches.

"I think, like a lot of things, it's finding that balance between improvisation and the other extreme where it's the same every single time," Comstock said. "Finding the balance between the two ... that's where it becomes great music."

Meanwhile, back at Hondo's, Manager John Phelps is comfortable giving a bunch of youngsters the opportunity to perform. In fact, he wants to do more of it.

"I'm always trying to get the local kids to come and play," he said. "The problem is they don't all have enough material. Luckily Reid and all the kids in the band write. They are great kids, and all very talented."

The band hopes Hondo's is a start, not a goal.

"We really want to go somewhere with this," Comstock said. "I know when I was in a previous band, I just wanted to get famous. Then we started making what sounded to me to be good music, and it became more about the music than being on Conan O'Brien."

Unlike those days of pretend concerts in bedrooms, no coercion should be necessary to draw a crowd. Just listen to Talley's mother, Ginette.

"Any age group will like this music," she said. "It's easy on the ears."

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