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Local band North of 40 looks to make it big
Photo by Regan Hill
North of 40 opens for the Marshall Tucker Band next week.
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Published: August 3, 2009
They are all south of 30, so the name of the band is not a reference to its members' ages.
No, it's much simpler and less metaphorical than that.
"We were sitting around one day trying to think of a name," said guitarist Chad Bentley, 27. "And someone said, 'We all live north of 40.' And that became the name."
Along with all living north of Interstate 40, the members of the band North of 40 all live in Iredell County.
North of 40 works in and around Iredell, including a gig last summer as one of the acts in the Friday After Five concert series in downtown Statesville. But the band's most important engagement to date is coming next week when it serves as a warm-up act for the Marshall Tucker Band.
North of 40 secured that honor by winning a "Battle of the Bands" contest sponsored by Moxie's Bar in Mocksville.
"But even after we won that, we still had to impress the Marshall Tucker people," said the band's manager, Barry Bentley, who is also the father of Chad and his brother Jeremy Bentley, the band's drummer.
"They wanted to make sure we were good enough to be there with," Barry added.
The band put together a demo disc and a professional promo package.
"They liked it," Bentley said. "And that's how we got the gig."
North of 40 is essentially a Southern rock band, Bentley explained.
"But they can do anything. They can go from Metallica right into Johnny Cash. But they'll do Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dave Matthews," he said. During a concert a couple weeks ago, they did a Michael Jackson song.
By night, Alan Payne is North of 40's bass player. By day, he teaches music at North Iredell Middle School.
Payne, 28, agreed with Barry Bentley that the band's repertoire is a patchwork of popular musical genres.
"As far as style of music, I don't like to put a label on it," he said, "Because that kind of puts you into a corner."
And North of 40, which has been together for about a year and a half, does not just do covers. In fact, the demo disc the band sent to Marshall Tucker was of 45 minutes of original material.
Payne said the group relies on a collaborative approach when it comes towriting music.
"One of us will bring a skeleton of a song – some raw lyrics and the basic chords – and then we all bring our own special talent to it," he said. "We do it together. Like you see some CDs where it says, 'Words and music by John Smith.' But on our CD it will say, 'Words and music by the band.'"
Marcus Ireland is the band's lead singer and guitarist. He works on a dairy farm in northern Iredell County but at a recent gig in Elkin, it was not difficult to recognize him as the band's front man.
"He's the flash," said Barry Bentley.
Mick Jagger-thin, Ireland was sporting a green bandanna, bleached hair and a close-shaved goatee.
But he deflects suggestions that he has a future as a big-time rock star.
"It would great," he said. "It's a long shot, but it's possible that this could happen. There are definitely worse bands out there that have made it. I think we're better than half the trash you hear on the radio. But, still, you got to have some luck."
And Barry Bentley is hoping the Marshall Tucker gig will provide some of that luck. He said he knows that recording big wigs will be in the audience at the Junker's Mill Outdoor Theater in Mocksville on Friday.
"I hope they see what I see," said Bentley, an old time rocker himself.
He said his band brings to mind four other young men from another generation.
"Remember that time when you heard the Beatles and you just heard some kind of magic?" Bentley said. "Well, with these guys, I've heard that magic."
North of 40 will perform at Junker's Mill in Mocksville on Friday, Aug. 7. The concert begins at 8 p.m. with the Marshall Tucker Band starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35. The concert will benefit the Davie County United Way. For more information, contact Mike Gunning at (336) 753-1665.
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