Tracy and the Hindenburg Ground Crew defying easy definitions

Paul Andersen

When Tracy and the Hindenburg Ground Crew took the stage recently

at Venice’s infamous Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, it was one

of those serendipitous merging of performer and venue. After all, the

music that this Burbank-based band plays is equal parts Jack Kerouac

and Joey Ramone.

“Someone once described us as being a cross between REM and

Barenaked Ladies,” said Tracy Thielen, the leader of the Ground Crew.

“That’s not bad, though I admit I have a hard time myself trying to

pin down what we do. I still haven’t figured out the TV Guide

longline description yet.”

Americana, roots rock, pop, country, alternative, punk and folk

all come up in conversation as genres and influences for this hard to

define band, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The

current group, besides Thielen on rhythm guitar and vocals, includes

guitarist Christian Carbone, keyboardist Danny McGough, drummer Ralf

Balzer and bassist Miko Watanabe (she also plays tuba). They have

been together for three years.

Thielen originally was a member of the Left Fielders Improv Group,

and when that troupe broke up, he found himself moving more and more

toward music. He had learned to play the guitar early on in life, and

music always seemed to be a part of him.

“It was a matter of one avenue shutting down and another opening

up,” he said with a laugh. “I had been threatening to do this for

years, and I found my creative outlet directing itself toward songs.

The words are the most fun for me.”

As for subject matter, damaged love in all its aspects is one of

the frequent themes, though virtually anything can show up, and often

does.

The band’s most recent CD, “King Felix,” their fourth, was

released three years ago, and the group has been slowly working on a

follow-up.

“We’re not on a label, so there are no deadline pressures,”

Thielen said. “And we’re having to fit it in between Danny’s work

with Tom Waits. But this is the first time we will have actually

played the songs live first, before recording them.”

He sighed.

“I have to admit, it’s kind of nice doing it this way.”

If all goes well, the CD may appear in late summer. Or not. Either

way, the Ground Crew will continue to plug away, confounding all the

folks who like to put their music in neat little categories.