Glam, bam, thank you ma’am

There are two stories of the origin of Greensboro based glam rock band The Green People. The first is that two co-workers at Steak-Out with a shared interest in rock and roll began writing songs last October, and recruited two more musicians when they were offered a prime gig.

Then there is the other, more interesting story: The Green People have always existed as a band in the dream realm. Their drummer, Dirty Kincaid, took a lover in the real world, and decided to follow her to Earth. When he arrived, it was in the form of a baby. Left without their drummer, the rest of The Green People followed him to Earth, also being born as babies. Because of time differences between the dream world and the real world, the other band members were born twenty years after Dirty. Now they’ve reunited in Greensboro and are ready to start their mission again.

This “Legend of The Green People” as it is called by singer and rhythm guitarist Jeremy Hunter (a.k.a. “Dragonfly in a Coconut Tree”) should already provide a clue that The Green People are not an average college band. Their live performances are also anything but ordinary, presenting a band so tight and with such a clear understanding of the music they are making that it’s not hard to believe this group truly has been playing together for eternity instead of less than six months.

The band really doesn’t need a legend. Their true story is just as good, if less glamorous. Hunter had been playing in a number of unsuccessful bands when he met the hulking Steve Price (“Dirty Kincaid”), a drummer who’d been listening to and playing “rock and roll since there was rock and roll.” They had similar tastes, especially for Ziggy Stardust era Bowie, and shared an ambition to form an energetic rock band. They’d been playing together for just a few months when they were offered a chance to play WUAG’s “Style in Stereo,” a fashion show and concert. The duo quickly recruited guitarist Josh Wright (“Joshie Roxie”), who brought in Daryl Keeter (“DK Rutherford”) to play bass. The group threw together four original songs and a Bowie cover to fill their fifteen minute time slot, and The Green People made their debut before some four hundred people.

“That was pretty big to kick things off,” Hunter recalls.

In spite of Wright breaking his E-string on their second song and being forced to play several songs a step down, the show went well and the group made a strong impression.

Now frequently playing at parties and local bars, the band continues to make an impression on those who see them. This may be because of their appearance. Their roots in glam rock show in their stage attire as well as their music. Taking the stage dressed in tight, sparkly clothes and bright makeup, Hunter admits they often get some odd stares before they begin to play. The clothes are an integral part of The Green People experience, however. Hunter describes their look as “another creative outlet” that “add[s] to the experience of the music.”

“We want to give people an experience to be part of,” he says. Hunter hopes to eventually see audience members dressed in their own glam costumes. “You too can be part of The Green People,” he says with a smile.

The band is currently preparing their debut EP for release, and their aspirations for it are high.

“We want to push it as far as we can push it,” Hunter says.

He dreams are for The Green People to be heard by as many people as possible, eventually traveling to Europe on tour. During a remarkably tight jam they played during a show at New York Pizza, Hunter improvised the chorus, “We are The Green People / we’re going to make a video / we’re going to be on the radio.” With the band rocking along behind him, it was easy to believe him.

Until they hit it big, The Green People will continue wowing audiences around Greensboro. In marked contrast to many other bands around today who peddle melancholy, The Green People promote a remarkably fun outlook. “Sing and dance and be happy,” one of their choruses says, and with The Green People playing their distinctive driving rock, that’s an easy thing to do.