Beckley – In any sport people debate the place of athletes in the legacy of that pastime. And there is no sport in which that debate pops up quicker than in the world of basketball. Before you finished reading the word “basketball” you were probably ready to debate. Jordan? Lebron? Kobe? Kareem? And for some West Virginia flare, Williams? Or The logo, Jerry West? But pound for pound, athlete to athlete, it is hard to deny that there was ever more talent across the league at one time than in the 90s.

It was magic. As a teen in that era it was impossible to know where to look on any given day as the talent overwhelmed you. But most eyes were always on the Chicago Bulls and the electrifying shooting guard, Michael Jordan. But there were other greats. Larry Bird of the Celtics, Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Patrick Ewing of the Knicks and Jordan’s Bulls teammate, Scottie Pippen, all will go down in the halls of sports history as some of the greatest to ever play the game.

In 1992, all of those names, from different teams and backgrounds, plus some others not named Isaiah Thomas, became part of the best roster to ever step onto the hardwood of the basketball court. They became known as The Dream Team. Those players with one unified goal and mutual respect went on to dominate the Summer Olympics in Barcelona and put basketball on the map across the world and greatly enhanced the brand of the NBA.

And in Beckley, West Virginia that magic struck again. The sneakers, shorts and basketballs were replaced with jeans, strings and vocals but the outcome is the same. A group of talent from multiple bands and backgrounds stepped onto the hardwood of the stage and played a concert that showed that maybe there is in fact some currency to be had in dreams.

The Raleigh Playhouse and Theatre served as the venue for folk outfit Alabaster Boxer’s recording of a live album on Saturday, February 3rd. The venue nestled in uptown Beckley was buzzing as friends, family and fans of the band packed out the seats to be a part of the bands history and future. The ambitious project was dreamed up as a way to capture the band’s sound and reimagining of their recorded material. Interspersed with humor and talk of basketball, Alabaster Boxer put on a show that left the crowd wanting more and anticipating what is next for this collection of some of the best musicians to do it in the mountain state.

Before the show began we had the chance to sit down with Nick Durm, Jason Lockart, Brian Bell, Bill Fraley, Corey Lee McQuade, Scott Hinkle, Jess Hypes, Chandler Beavers and Matt Deal to discuss the history of the band and why it was important for them to do this live recording.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

BB: Last year you guys put out “Currency of Dreams” and you’ve decided you wanted to do a live recording of it. Is this going to be a song for song recording? Or are there going to be new tracks?

Nick: We’re gonna play the majority of the “Currency of Dreams” album tonight for the live recording. We also have two new songs that we have not recorded. So there will be a live debut of a new song. And not everything that we play tonight’s gonna make the actual vinyls, just because of time restraints on there. So we’re going to track everything and see what doesn’t stink and determine what works best for the live album.

BB: What’s the motivation for doing this live album?

Nick: You know, it’s something that I don’t think any of us have ever done. But Chandler brought up the idea and he said, “What this band needs is a live album” and we were like, “You know what, you’re right” because it’s different now. “Currency of Dreams” kind of started with me writing songs and working with Robbie Lanham who’s actually here tonight for Monarch Entertainment. And then Chandler got on board, Corey Lee came on board, Bell, Bill, Jason, and it just turned into this thing. So as we’ve played more and more, and have become this cohesive unit, the songs have kind of evolved and changed from what they sound like on the album. So capturing it live, probably was a good idea.

Chandler: That was my one idea for 2022.

Jason: It wasn’t quite enough, was it? (Room laughs)

BB: Who are you guys working with to track this tonight?

Nick: So, we got Big River Media from Charleston. And Jamie Smith from Kid In The Background is doing front of house sound Robbie from Monarch is doing lights.

BB: And why the Raleigh Playhouse and Theatre?

Jason: I have a lot to do with this theater. I’ve been involved in putting on shows here for probably a little more than a decade now. And I also have a nonprofit that does plays and musicals and stuff here, so I have a strong connection to it. We’ve always had a lot of success putting on CD release shows or things like that here. And I thought it would be the perfect setting for this type of music. To be able to get everybody who we love, and who loves us, to come and sit here and listen, and do it the way we do it is just cool.

Jason: “West Virginia Heat” was the song that made me decide I was gonna be in the band. I heard him play that song, and I was like, oh, okay.

Nick: He did say that.

Jason: I was like, eh, I don’t really wanna be in a band so much anymore. And then he played me that song. I was like, well, shit, like, that’s a really good song. The lyrics to that song are just… I think everybody in the room kind of identifies with them.

Nick: You know, it’s like, the currency of dreams is sort of like exposure. You can’t pay your bills with it.

BB: If only. I know there’s a collection of different musicians with a lot of experience in this room, but how did Alabaster Boxer become a thing considering the diverse musical background?

Nick: It started with me and Rob, kind of tracking songs that I had from a long time ago. And then songs, I started writing again, when covid hit, and we actually started tracking a rock album and then got on this kick of wanting to fuse like bluegrass and pop and rock together. And I met Chandler because we’re living in the same town. And then I talked to Bell, who’s like, my go to guy, and then Cory Lee. And so I got all these great bluegrass musicians around me, and I’m like, I don’t know nothin’ about bluegrass. So let me get the Dream Team of 1992, team USA around me. And I’ve known Bill forever. Me and Bill played in various bands together growing up and, and then when Jason got on board, it just kind of solidified everything.

And then, you know, that’s studio work but live is something different. You can have the best of the best tracking stuff in a studio, in a controlled session. But when you take that and put it in front of people, if it’s not geling the right way, it’s not going to transfer over. So with us, I think it’s like, it gels too well. It gels better than what we tracked so I think that kind of helps.

Jason: It does. It’s like there’s something that happens with us live, it’s always fun and exciting, even being in the band. And even when we’re playing the same songs, kind of the same way, everybody’s listening to each other in this band all the time. It’s unlike any other band I’ve ever played in, it’s such a joy.

Nick: The mutual respect is… warm. Is that a good word to use, what do you think Bill, warm, is that ok?

Bill: Warm works.

BB: This question is a personal question from Born & Bred’s perspective. What did it mean for you guys to be voted by thousands, and, I mean, thousands of votes as the Born & Bred Best Folk Artist of 2023?

Bill: Crazy.

Brian: Floored.

Nick: Yeah, floored.

Jason: It still feels like nobody really knows who we are to a point, you know? I mean, like, it’s so new. We’re all in other bands that have been bands for 10-15 years and this band just started. So it’s kind of wild how quickly it seems like a real thing. It’s like we became a real boy, like real fast.

Bill: It’s because we had Scott. Scott really solidified it.

Then we talked about Jimmy Eat (or is it Eats) World and how cool Corey Lee is. Maybe for another day.

Be sure to stay tuned to Alabaster Boxers socials for release information on the live album and as always we at Born & Bred will let you know when it’s available.