Mount Pleasant based band back on tour again
Hand-stitched rainbow wings, the Michigan state flag and an electric organ with 1984 etched on the side seemingly have nothing in common. Put together, they are integral components that make up Central Michigan University alumus Joe Hertler.
As the front man for the band Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers, Hertler said the “funkiness” of the band is just as much a part of who they are as their outlandish costumes. His band has seen a growth in popularity and is in talks to sign a record deal with a division of a major label. The new album, "Terra Incognita," will be released in November.
“It kind of just coincides with the festivity of our shows. (The band members) love color and we love the flamboyance that can come out of a show,” he said. “A lot of us, we just have post grad college jobs and for a lot of us we’re all pent up and then the week end comes and we can just let it out.”
Hertler, a 2013 graduate, established himself by playing open mic nights at Kaya Tea and Coffee co. and other bars around Michigan. The ability to play and write music was extremely therapeutic for Hertler, who said songwriting gave him a chance to gather his thoughts before communicating them.
“I’m not the best talker in the world,” he said. “Music and writing songs gave me a chance to reflect and communicate in a dignified manner.”
From funky blues tunes to soft folk rock, the Lansing-based band draws inspiration for their tunes from everything and anything.
“We jump all over the place,” Hertler said. “I know personally I just get bored quickly of certain sounds.”
It’s their weird sound and antics that seem to draw fans to them. Emily Patterson, a health administration major from Novi, MI saw the band back in 2011 when they opened for Electric Six. Describing them as "folk-rock," Patterson connected with the Rainbow Seekers from the moment she heard Hertler's crooning voice.
"You almost feel like you’re hanging out with them when they’re preforming," Patterson said. "It’s somewhere between singing and story telling and music. It was a different kind of concert experience.”
Manager Irving Ronk has worked with the Rainbow Seekers since 2010 admires the group's ability to work together.
“Being able to work with the guys is a lot of fun,” Ronk said. “They're extremely talented and creative and when they're all working on a project together, I think it makes their creative ideas get even better.”
The Rainbow Seekers are on a tour with a number of other Michigan based bands such as Big Sherb and Kim Vi and the Siblings.
Their next stops are in Kalamazoo on Oct. 23 at Bell's Eccentric Cafe, followed by a Oct. 24 show at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. The rainbow Seekers' tour schedule can be found at joehertler.com
