This just in: Domestic Problems are on the rise

The Michigan local music fan favorites known as Domestic Problems will fuel Rubbles' dancefloor tonight.
Don't expect a band by this name to consist of a bunch of wife-beaters performing angry and ugly music. Instead, get ready for nothing more than unadulterated dancing fun in the stylistic vein of upbeat Dave Matthews Band or Barenaked Ladies, and other similar bands that Domestic Problems has been compared to.
"We like to play high energy, danceable stuff that keeps the crowd going," said Andy Holtgreive, guitarist and lead vocalist for the band.
Even though the sextet formed in Grand Rapids six years ago as nothing more than "a joke" and named themselves after a quote from a Blues Brothers movie, they are now one of Michigan's most serious and professional independent rock bands. Having enjoyed success ranging from touring on the 1997 H.O.R.D.E. Festival with bands like Neil Young, Morphine and Ben Folds Five to winning various large-scale state band competitions, Domestic Problems is one of Michigan's premier unsigned touring acts (often playing over twenty shows a month at various clubs around Michigan and the Midwest).
The band is armed with a number of ear catching instruments including horns, upright bass, flute, mandolin and acoustic guitars aside its standard guitar and drums rock configuration.
In recent DP news, the band is preparing for another appearance at Kalamazoo's State Theater on Friday, October 15th, where they will play two or three full sets without an opening band. DP sold the venue out on two previous appearances in October '98 and April '99. The band will be recording this live show and releasing it as an upcoming album. This recording will follow their two previous independently released albums, "Scattered Pieces" (1996) and "Play" (1997), which have already sold over 30,000 copies. The new album is slated for release sometime before the end of the year.
"We are really excited about recording a live album at The State. It's the perfect room to do a project like this in. We really want to get something new to our fans before the end of the year and the concept of the live album seemed the natural step," said Holtgreive. "Our live show has grown and matured so much, and we have had so many requests for live material that recording the State show made perfect sense."
He explained that fans will have such live favorites as the highly requested and acclaimed Spanish influenced "El Matador" on this album as well as other DP tunes that many have not heard much before because they are either very old songs, such as "Stand Up" or the slower country ballad-esque tune "Wastin'," or other brand new songs.
"We will throw in some different stuff, even the slower tunes that we don't usually play that often because they are not the crowd's more upbeat and danceable favorites," he said. "But the recording is still secondary to the fact that we will play a great show that night regardless."
The band was also busy over the summer recording material for an upcoming studio album to be released sometime next year. This project will not be released for some time, considering Domestic Problems' rigorous touring schedule and the fact that they are still writing new material and "polishing it up" for what they claim to be a more "professional" sounding record.
Bassist John Niedzielski explained that the new tunes will be "better put together pieces" than anything they have written before, and also more "road tested" as they have been performing them at live shows for many months.
Holtgreive said that they have been "taking their time" and extra "nit-picky" producing the album so as to make sure the recording is premium quality in sound and songwriting.
The "soulful and eclectic" music will still be Domestic Problems' dynamic blend of melodic folk, modern rock, funk and blues that has allowed them to earn supporting roles on tours with bands like Barenaked Ladies, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Verve Pipe, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, Rusted Root, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Primus, among others, at various regions around the Midwest and prestigious venues in Michigan such as Pine Knob, the Detroit State Theater, St. Andew's Hall and the Orbit Room, to name a few.
For more information on Domestic Problems, see their web site at www.domesticproblems.com
Rubbles is located at 112 W. Michigan and the ages 18+ show will begin around 10:30 p.m. A cover charge is required for admission.