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The boys from West Bloomfield return home to
perform with their New York band, the High Strung.

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The High Strung, a Brooklyn-based band with West Bloomfield roots, features musicians
Jason "Berko" Berkowitz, Mark Owen, Josh Malerman, Derek Berk and Chad Stocker.

LINDA BACHRACK
Special to the Jewish News

Vir

hen drummer Derek
Berk moved to New York
after graduating from
college, his longtime
friends and band members followed.
"We needed to be where the drum-
mer was," says Josh Malerman, song-
writer, voc a list and guitarist for the
High Strung, a Williamsburg, Brooklyn,
rock band with Detroit roots.
Berk, Malerman, Mark Owen and
Chad Stocker all graduated together
from West Bloomfield High School.
The 24-year-old Stocker, a vocalist and
bass player whose music career started
at age 12, went to Eastern Michigan
University, and the other three musi-
cians attended Michigan State.
In fact, Owen and Malerman were
regional cult legends in East Lansing.
They eventually hooked up with Jason
"Berko" Berkowitz, a Cleveland native
who plays organ, guitar, bass and per-
cussion.
Together, the five formed the High
Strung a year and a half ago. They all
live in the same house ("Not fit for
company," says Malerman), all con-
tribute their individual talents, and all,
coincidentally, are Jewish.
How do they characterize their
music? "We're too pretty for hard
rockers and too mean for hippies,"
says Malerman.
They deliver melodic harmonies,
blending the raw core energy of the
Detroit rock 'n' roll they grew up listen-
ing to with original lyrics by Malerman

and Owen. "Our focus is songwriting,"
says Malerman, "the art of the song."
He adds that he's responsible for the
band's name. "I'm frantic and hyper,"
he says. "Mark, on the other hand, is
deliberate and direct."
These personality traits are reflected
in their songwriting styles. "I always
say accident songs are best; don't wait
for inspiration," says Malerman. As a
result, he writes 100 songs for every
two that Owen grinds out.
"But," he adds, "Mark's two are fan-
tastic and I might get two great songs
out of the 100."
The band's latest release, Soap, features
five original songs, including the Abbey
Road-esque, "Wrecking Ball, Baby."
The High Strung has played with
the Heroin Sheiks, Enon and Christian
Gibbs at such popular NYC venues as
Brownies, Luna Lounge, Arlene's
Grocery and North Six. They are cur-
rently on a five-state tour and will per-
form in Detroit, Pontiac, Lansing and
East Lansing Jan. 25, 26, 29 and 30.
"We're really psyched about coming
home to the devoted indie crowds of
the Midwest," says Malerman.

The High Strung performs
Friday, Jan. 25, at the Lager
House, Detroit (313) 961-4668;
Saturday, Jan. 26, at Griff's Grill,
Pontiac (248) 334-9292; Tuesday,
Jan. 29, at Mac's Bar, Lansing
(517) 484-6795; Wed., Jan. 30,
at Rik's American Cafe, East
Lansing, (517) 351-2285.

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1/25

2002

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