THE VERDICT - CLASSIC ROCK AT IT'S BEST!

This is a FREE Concert!

Doors @ 7:00 PM / Show @ 8:00 PM



The below is a Blog Post from Blog Writer Cheryl Ray - she has this to say about The Verdict:



Colorado Springs is lucky to have an active local music scene, ranging from classical to country with every music genre in between. My favorite local band, The Verdict, plays classic rock from the '80s, the kind of music that when the band starts to play a song, you exclaim, "Great! Let's dance. We can sing along, too!"

I attended a rehearsal to get a closer, more personal perception of the band and to interview its members. I also wanted to hear them play. Hey, I'll take advantage of any opportunity to do that. I'll begin with a semi-official biography. The Verdict formed in 1989 with original members Mike Louis, Ken Bailey, and Darcy Martineau. This wasn't the first time the three had played together, sort of. Mike and Darcy had played in the band Apollo, which was renamed as Reaction from 1981 to 1985. Then, Mike and Ken played together in The Persuaders, starting in 1986, and Ken played with Darcy briefly in a band called Technique in 1987. After The Persuaders and Technique disbanded, it seemed natural to bring the three musicians together. The energy and dynamic were apparent from the start, and the group was playing out within two months of rehearsals.

Along the way, The Verdict picked up keyboardist Doug Hall, who played with the band for a little over a decade. The Verdict's following steadily grew as the now experienced group played many of the most popular venues in Colorado Springs. The band was a favorite attraction at the Springs Spree and Territory Days street fairs for more than a decade, playing mostly classic rock and newer rock with many hits from the '70s thrown in. The band was also known for their project songs such as Kansas' "Carry On" and classic Pink Floyd songs from "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall." Sugarloaf's "Green-Eyed Lady" was always a crowd favorite.

Many times, an evening with The Verdict was more like a concert than a dance or party band show. The Verdict was also honored to play private events like Ft. Carson's 3rd ACR Dine In before their deployment to Afghanistan in the mid 2000s. The International Youth Hockey League engaged the band to play for their opening ceremonies at the World Arena in 2003, complete with a synchronization laser light show and pyrotechnics. The Verdict also played many home game tailgate parties outside of Falcon Stadium during Air Force Academy football seasons. By 2005, Doug Hall had moved on, and The Verdict was again a three-piece band. They had guest musicians play with them at various shows until 2008, when they decided that eighteen plus years was enough. They disbanded in late 2012, but only for a little while.

Missing the crisp requirements of disciplined preparation and the thrill of live performance, the Verdict decided to get back together and started rehearsing. Keyboardist Michael Selby filled the empty slot to make the band a four piece again. Michael brought a fresh dynamic that the group had lacked before. Scott Paugh also joined the band around this time, adding to that dynamic. Now re-emerged as a five-piece band with two new members and a new song list, The Verdict is set to make its mark again. Now comes the fun part--the interview.

Calling this an interview is not particularly accurate. It was actually an informal, unstructured, lively conversation that was relaxed and freewheeling from the beginning. Just what I was hoping for. I immediately realized that The Verdict is much more than a band. All those involved form a special kind of family that has developed out of their long history, compatible belief systems, similar experiences in music, and shared philosophy about music and what it means to be a band. And they can finish each other's sentences, which is really funny. The members are all local boys. Several grew up together as kids in the same neighborhood. Darcy Martineau and Scott Paugh attended Coronado High School. Mike Selby attended Palmer. Mike Louis and Ken Bailey attended Wasson. Homegrown Colorado Springs talent at its best. Scott and Darcy met when they were twelve, riding their bicycles. They were members of their middle school band. Both are classically trained, Darcy on acoustic bass and Scott on trumpet. During the early years of their musical careers, they played in various symphonies together, to include the State Honor Orchestra and the Pueblo Symphony.

When they met Mike Louis, the three built a bond and started playing together. Then they startedexperimenting with "electric stage band" music, like the theme songs from MASH and Barney Miller. Another favorite was Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water." In the mid-seventies, Mike, Darcy, and Scott played at events like wedding receptions, Bar Mitzvahs, and high school parties. They even played '50s music at sock hops. Sock hops. What a wonderful expression for a really good time. Eventually, the inevitable happened and they grew up and got jobs, making it difficult for them to get together to practice or play at events. Luckily for everyone, they managed to prevail out of sheer tenacity.

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