Recharged Pop Evil's tour stops for show at State Fair

Pop Evil founder and lead singer Leigh Kakaty is still buzzing over his band's first trip to Mexico.

"When we first got off the airplane, we got mobbed by people wanting autographs and photographs," he says. "I never thought we would have something like that, especially for our first time in the country. It was a lot of fun. Those fans are insane, no doubt, and are very passionate about rock."

Kakaty was speaking from his home in Grand Rapids, Mich., during a brief interlude before his hard-rocking five-piece band hits the road again on a tour that will take them to the main stage at the Arkansas State Fair on Friday.

"We're recharging our batteries for a few weeks," he says of the rare break from touring. "When you're home, you just try to play catch-up before it's time for the next run. It's pretty chaotic."

Kakaty and his bandmates -- new drummer Hayley Cramer, bassist Matt DiRito, lead guitarist Nick Fueling and Dave Grahs on rhythm guitar -- have been touring in support of their self-titled fifth album, released in February.

The record captures the heavy metal and crunchy pop sides of the band, with anthems like the head-banging "Waking Lions," and the rousing, motivational "Be Legendary."

"It was that perfect yin and yang," Kakaty says of the album, which is the f0llow-up to 2015's UP. "We've always been that band that doesn't want every song to sound alike."

The group has had lineup changes throughout its existence, which is something Kakaty says they embraced on the latest release: "We've had different band members for every album pretty much, so finding some kind of consistency has been a challenge. On this album, we weren't afraid to use that as an advantage, and let the influences come in from all five members."

Kakaty's own experiences growing up in Grand Rapids had a lot to do with a blue collar, Midwestern attitude toward the rock 'n' roll fantasy of making music with your friends and getting out of town.

"Starting a band in your parents' garage and taking it out into the world, that's the dream, that's what people believe here. It's certainly what I believe," he says.

While he was undeniably influenced by fellow Michigan natives Kid Rock and Eminem, '90s rumblings from the Pacific Northwest also left an impression.

"I'm talking about young Pearl Jam, when [singer] Eddie [Vedder] was jumping into the crowds," Kakaty says. "The recklessness of bands like them and Alice in Chains, the whole grunge movement, we were affected by that. Seattle was so different in contrast to Michigan, it seemed like another world away."

The pull of Seattle was so great that the group recorded the UP sessions there with Pearl Jam and Soundgarden producer Adam Kasper.

After playing here, the band will embark on a headlining tour in Canada before taking some time off around the holidays and then getting touring again in 2019, spreading the Pop Evil, rock 'n' roll gospel.

"We've played over 200 shows a year since 2005," Kakaty says. "Now it's about writing the next script, and hopefully inspiring kids to pick up real instruments rather than computers. That's an important part of American music. Live instruments matter."

Weekend on 10/18/2018