Groovin’ gigs galore for Ellsworth-based band the Climactics

According to Merriam-webster.com, “climactic” means “of, relating to, or constituting a climax.” With that definition, the Ellsworth-based band the Climactics sure do have a lot to live up to. They may not have reached that creative zenith quite yet, but if things keep going the way they’re going, they’re well on their way.

Over the past year, the Climactics have played nearly every bar in Hancock County, building up a fan base and honing their chops on covers, while perfecting their original songs.

They’ll play Saturday night at Mikey’s G Spot in Deer Isle, and the next weekend at Parker’s Bar and Grill in Ellsworth on Friday and Carmen Verandah in Bar Harbor on Saturday.

It all started when guitarist Nathan Grant stopped into Mainely Music in Ellsworth and struck up a conversation with the guy behind the counter, who just happened to be drummer Chris Jovanelli.

“I ran into him at the store and started talking to him. He’s one of the few like-minded people down here that’s my age,” said Jovanelli, 27. “We have very different styles of songwriting, but I think we manage to bring it all together.”

In addition to Jovanelli and Grant, longtime Ellsworth area musician Phil Kell plays bass and Will Cousins plays keyboards, rounding out a four-piece that trades in a fun, laid-back blend of indie rock and reggae. Basically, they’re a really good rock band, plain and simple.

Though when doing gigs at bars they end up playing more covers than originals, the stuff on their MySpace page (myspace.com/theclimactics) showcases a well-crafted batch of songs, such as the anthemic, incredibly catchy rocker “Future Is Your Home,” and “All I Want,” which belies the band’s fondness for reggae.

“I never know how to answer the question ‘What do you guys sound like?’ because we have a lot of diverse influences,” said Jovanelli. “I’ve been listening to a lot of David Bowie, but we also love Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. It’s all over the place. Fortunately, it never sounds too erratic, I don’t think.”

It’s true that most bars want bands to play stuff that the crowd recognizes, but allow me to put forth this plea to the bars and clubs ’round these parts: have the Climactics come play for you, and have them play their own stuff, because it’s really freaking good. People will like it. Trust me. Actually, I’d like to apply that to pretty much every local band that writes its own stuff. But I digress.

“We need to move forward. We’ve all been in bar bands before, and within a year or two they get stagnant and boring, and it falls apart,” said Jovanelli. “We all agree that we don’t want that to happen. We’re growing past that very quickly.”

In the coming months, the band wants to expand out of the coastal area and start playing throughout the state. The bandmates also want to finish up a follow-up to the demo EP, “Electromagnetic,” which they expect to have finished by midsummer.

In short, the Climactics get the Emily Burnham Seal of Approval(tm). Keep an eye out for the band. It’s coming to a bar, or a festival, or an outdoor concert near you.

“If you just put forth the effort and you have something good, people will come and listen to it,” said Jovanelli. “That’s what’s great about music. If you put yourself out there, it’ll work.”

The Climactics will play at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, at Mikey’s G Spot in Deer Isle, at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 6, at Parker’s Bar and Grill in Ellsworth, and at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 7, at Carmen Verandah in Bar Harbor. All shows are 21-plus. For more info and a full schedule of gigs, visit www.myspace.com/theclimactics. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.