Musically Speaking: Eveready Brothers set to perform again

By JACK CLARK

jackclark@mvn.net

OK. Now you've got my attention!

All it takes is for some local musical legends to decide that they want to play together again.

Kind of like Farm, right?

After “lying low” for almost a year and a half, the King City band known as The Eveready Brothers will resurface to take the stage at the Tavern on 10th in downtown Mt. Vernon on Dec. 26.

I think that this will be a show that you may want to pencil in on your calendar. Think of it as a belated Christmas gift from some talented, local musicians. These guys are serious about showing you a good time. And obviously, an Eveready Brothers event doesn't happen very often.

This band hasn't performed together since the inaugural WolfStock in August 2008. Originally an acoustic act, The Eveready Brothers were formed in the mid-1980s. The duo consisted of Del Herbert and Scotty Qualk.

Qualk has been performing in the King City for over 30 years. He has been involved in a number of area bands, including Shades of Sound II, also from the mid-80s, with Herbert and Moonbeam Lane vocalist Jamie Dodson. Mark Sheets, of The Pumphouse Monster, was the keyboardist in that band.

Qualk, known locally as the “Freezeman,” was also a member of “The Edge” in the early 1990s. More on that later.

Qualk said that he and Herbert formed the Eveready Brothers in the summer of 1985 because, “whenever people were calling and asking us to play at different places, we were always ‘ever ready’ to play,” Qualk said.

“We learned two or three sets of easy, three chord-wonders and we started playing up at the Main Street Forum,” said Qualk, referring to what is now The Rex Restaurant on East Main St. in Mt. Vernon. “We played there like, once a month, for three years.

That meant three annual performances during what was once a very popular day in the King City.

“We were always ‘showcased’ for the Sweetcorn and Watermelon Parade,” Qualk said. “The place was always packed for that.”

The duo's repertoire included some songs from the 1950s and 1960s.

“We played some songs that were already classic rock 'n roll back then,” said Qualk with a laugh.

Qualk recalled that an act like theirs was actually a unique thing at the time.

“I remember that we were about the only duo around,” Qualk said. “It was hard to find a two piece act then. About the only other (regularly) working duo around was Little Berry Jam.”

“The Forum was the home of the Eveready Brothers,” said Qualk. “We really enjoyed playing there.”

Followers of the local music scene will recall that Herbert was the lead guitarist for the legendary Southern Illinois band, Farm, in the early 1970s. He currently plays guitar with the Swivel Rockers and banjo with those good 'ol boys from Dahlgren, the Snake Lane Crowd ... er ... Revue.

The current Eveready Brothers lineup also includes a rythym section comprised of drummer John Scrivner and bassist Dennis Ivers. Both are locally known musicians.

Scrivner has been the driving force behind King City band, The Crave, for many years. He started drumming with the Eveready Brothers in 1988. But, before that, Scrivner drummed with Total Head Control in the early 80s, with Steve Davis and Boo Fleener.

Feedback (1983-86), Special FX (1986), Night School (1987) and the Patty Young Band (1991) are all bands that Scrivner has drummed and provided vocals for.

Scrivner has also participated in recording sessions for some of the areas more popular acts over the years, including South of 70 (2003) and Little Berry Jam (2006).

In 1993, Scrivner formed The Crave, which plays varied dates even now. Scrivner has also drummed with praise bands at West Salem Trinity United Methodist Church as well as Grace Community Church, both in Mt. Vernon.

“Scriv” is also involved with the new South of 70 album, currently being recorded in St. Louis and with Three Rivers Crossing, an act that includes Steve Berry and Jay Breiler. You can hear some samples at http://www.garageband.com/threeriverscrossing.

Model Citizen is another project on Scrivner’s radar. He is also currently performing with another area band, Growing Oldish.

Ivers, too, has a long, local, musical resume'.

His first performing venture here in Mt. Vernon was playing keyboards in the band, Theta, with Mark Baker, Gene Hood and drummer Mike Young. That was in the late 1970s and very early 1980s.

Ivers then became a founding member of Ded Ringer in 1982.

Ded Ringer was a professional performing band. A band in which all of the members had full-time day jobs, practiced at night during the week, then performed somewhere 50 weekends out of the year. Seemingly every year.

Ded Ringer.

The name itself conjures up its own visions of a band that rises to meet the challenge.

The act was unique in that it featured not one, but two keyboardists. Roger Greenwalt being the co-keyboard player.

Ron Stanart was the original vocalist for Ded Ringer. Jeff Campbell played bass and Young played drums. The guitarist was Robert Pippin.

Dave Peterson ran the sound, while Jim “Bootie” Dodson and the late Jeff Young operated the extensive light show.

Alas, all good things come to an end. Ivers said that his run with Ded Ringer ended in the late 80s.

Ivers and Qualk have also performed together before. In 1993, the two played in The Edge, with Young and Billy Schmelling. Following the disbanding of The Edge in 1994, Ivers and Qualk teamed up with Larry and Jeff Campbell as The Penetrators. That band ended it's run by the late 1990s.

The multi-talented Ivers will be strumming four strings at the Tavern on 10th on Dec. 26.

If you are truly a fan of local bands or even local, musical history, credentials like these should tell you that, just like the Farm shows, maybe you actually can re-live a tiny slice of your own, personal history.

Or, at least have fun trying.

Finally, I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

Please be careful out there.

The Illinois State Police are counting on it.



Jack Clark is the host of Musically Speaking, a local radio program heard Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. on 102.1 WIBV.

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