Playing with Stars

“Playing with Stars”....the name...many images come to mind - as well as questions. Is this an acknowledgement of the heavens above...complete with a galaxy of stars among which to play...or is this a reverent introduction to the musicians on their stage..?
PWS lead singer, Kathy Crumpler, may give us the greatest insight...
“My sole desire is to bring the audience with us ... for someone else to feel the way that we felt when we wrote the songs. By sharing that emotion.... validating it.. ..it makes each of us feel a little less lonely....
Stage is the one place....that you are given full permission to wallow ....
to be honest. After all, we don’t play music because we want to ... we play because we have to.”

No doubt the band, Playing with Stars, accomplishes that. Attend just one show ... you may not be quite sure what you are part of, but you will come back again and again. In citing her influences, Kathy makes reference to Otis Redding, QOTSA, Millie Jackson, Robert Plant and Tori Amos... As described recently by a new fan.....“Kathy is a rare mix of female rocker and sexy ethnicity.” Indeed.
Guitarist Ron Crumpler cites his influences as Cheap Trick, QOTSA, long walks off short surfaces ....and the Beach Boys .... of course!
When asked why he plays music....“I play music for me...a release that I desperately need. .. I have so much inside that needs to come out.....I enjoy giving into the emotion ... the release that the music gives one drop at a time…it soothes my grey soul.”
Bassist is Brian Moore, who started playing the guitar (not bass) at age fifteen. Brian picked up the guitar and learned to play sitting around listening to Metallica while dreaming of becoming a huge rock star. In high school Brian got together with a few guys to form a band, and began practicing almost every day, but the endless rotation of members always centered around the bass player. As a result Brian picked up the bass to “keep things rolling.” Then the singer quit, and Brian started singing at practice, once again just to “keep things rolling.” Years have now passed, bands have come and gone, CDs have been recorded, and Brian is still a bass player, lending his seemingly endless talent on bass and vocals to the unique sound that is Playing with Stars.
Early in his life, Tom Bonner thought he too would play guitar.....since this was what his father played. That was before he saw his sister’s boyfriend play drums in a rock band. As Tom says, “From that moment on all I wanted to do was play the drums.” From jazz ensembles by age fifteen...to unstable, intense experiences with new friends...to Nashville..and regional tours with county great George Jones's grandson's band...then home to the blossums inside...and then by chance PWS...
a collection
a collaboration
an experience