PortWatch
Band profile: To Salisbury Beach and back again;
The musical careers of Elliott Hopkins and his friends Jon Talbot and Doug Woodward have come full circle.
Hopkins said the musicians' journey from playing in basements to near national attention and back to the basement began 31 years ago.
Now, 25 years after two of the three band members first brought their music to Salisbury Beach, their latest incarnation — The Dougels — returns for a free concert this weekend. The newly reunited rock trio will make its first public appearance in two decades tomorrow night at Uncle Eddie's in Salisbury.
Hopkins and Woodward were just 9 when they began taking guitar lessons together. They teamed up for their first show in 1983 as part of the band Full Blast.
Talbot and Hopkins later met at Danvers High School, where they formed the band The Affect. The band regularly performed at the former Frolics on Salisbury Beach before disbanding in 1985 as the members prepared to graduate from high school.
Then, in 1987, the three friends came together to form the rock band Balboa Dance. Hopkins summoned Talbot and Woodward to his house after coming up with a bass riff and writing out some lyrics. They liked the song so much they went to the studio the next day to demo it, and the new band was born.
Balboa Dance's music was featured on area radio stations, including WAAF-107.3 and Kiss 108, and the group showcased for record companies as it searched for a record deal. But the band folded in 1989, one year after Woodward left to complete his studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
"When we were 18, we wanted to conquer the world," Hopkins said. "We put too much pressure on ourselves."
After their Balboa Dance days, the band members went their separate ways. Hopkins worked for Billboard and Musician Magazine as director of marketing and promotions until starting his own business restoring classic movies. Talbot has worked with his brother building bicycles and motorcycles out of old parts for the past 12 years. Woodward moved back to the North Shore three years ago and works at a technology company in Wakefield.
But their love of music next stopped. The band members, who all turned 40 last summer, reunited in December 2006, forming The Dougels. It was the first time the band had a permanent percussionist in Talbot, who had recently learned to play the drums.
"(Talbot) showed up with his drum kit and we thought, we have a basement, we have a drum kit, we might as well come down Sunday nights and have some fun," said Hopkins, who plays bass and sings vocals.
Woodward continues to play lead guitar and lend his vocals, and Talbot remains as lead singer while playing drums.
Hopkins, whose wife calls them the mid-life crisis band, said they're back playing music together again and having a great time.
"We still feel very young, we act and feel like we did when we were young," he said.
Tomorrow night's performance at Uncle Eddie's marks the first time the band has ventured out of Hopkins' basement since reuniting. The concert will feature covers and original music.
"We wanted to play in Salisbury because it was the first place we started playing when we were doing music for the first time," Hopkins said. "It's a good way to get back to our roots in a place we are comfortable; the Salisbury audience is very forgiving."
This fall, The Dougels will release a debut CD as well as opening for the band Vanilla Fudge as part of a mini-tour along the East Coast.
But just because the band is touring again doesn't mean members will soon be quitting their day jobs.
"At this stage in our lives, we're not delusional," Hopkins said. "We are not quitting our jobs and buying a Ford van. We're going to try to at least write more music and learn more tunes and play more venues and just have fun."
MEET THE BAND
Name: The Dougels
Genre: Classic rock
Home sweet home: All three members are originally from Danvers. Jon Talbot and Doug Woodward currently live in Danvers, while Elliott Hopkins lives in Rockport.
Musical influences: The Beatles, Jim Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, '60s psychedelic, punk influence, and a blues influence.
Musical training: Hopkins and Woodward took guitar lessons together, while Talbot is self-taught.
Upcoming gigs: The band's first show since reuniting after 20 years is tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. at Uncle Eddie's, 8 Ocean Front, Salisbury Beach.
Web site: www.balboadance.com and www.myspace.com/balboadanceus
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