The Theorists
Gig Seeker Pro

The Theorists

Springfield, MO | Established. Jan 01, 2016

Springfield, MO
Established on Jan, 2016
Duo Alternative Blues Rock

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Gentle Instrument Makes a Bold Impression"

Someone is playing a pithy blues melody in what sounds like a distorted, Jack Bruce bass-lead style, so dense that the floor is shuddering, along with your innards.

It’s not a bass. It’s a bassoon — an acoustic-electric bassoon plugged into an amplifier.

Meanwhile, the electric guitarist is firing off chucks and chords, then he bursts into song — growling, yelping, keening — while the bassoonist moves into the deep bottom of the conventional bass role.

These are the Theorists, testing their propositions in the laboratory of the Springfield music scene, which supports speculative research even if funding is scarce.

Jared Durden, who plays guitar and sings, and bassoonist Brent Fillmer have been friends for 20 years, starting in junior high in Marshfield, where they grew up. Each of them learned about music in church and eventually turned to the harder side of ’90s rock.

Their tastes kept evolving — Durden exploring blues and a rough-edged vocal style, Fillmer pursuing a classical career, studying at the conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and currently performing in the Springfield Symphony.

The germ of the Theorists emerged in 2008 in Springfield, with Fillmer adding bass lines to Durden’s guitar and vocals, and, for a time, with a drummer. After four dormant years, they began working in earnest as a duo, writing music that integrates all the resources of the bassoon.

“I play bass lines. I will play lead guitar lines,” Fillmer said. “I’ll play regular horn parts. And there are some songs where I actually try to write real bassoon parts that wouldn’t really sound right on any other instrument.”

While the bassoon is the one-of-a-kind feature of the duo, Durden’s contributions are essential to the Theorists’ sound. Like Fillmer, Durden finds ways to move between background and foreground, not just with guitar but especially with his arresting voice.

“I was in choir in high school. I grew up singing in the church. As for the dynamics, I listen a lot to the Violent Femmes,” Durden said. “I was drawn to vocalists who didn’t necessarily do just a straight sing-songy.” He emphasized that his vocal properties, including the blues hollering and wailing, come from singing in choirs.

For more dynamic range and effects, Fillmer has installed a bassoon-specific microphone that captures sound from within his instrument, similar to a pickup inside an acoustic-electric guitar. “So I can play through a guitar amp or a bass amp, and I can be heard,” he said. “The bassoon being the softest instrument in the orchestra — it’s really fun to be loud and be able to turn up. When I play low notes, the floor shakes, and I feel very powerful!”

Fillmer said he’s still working to perfect the plugged-in features. After a short set at the Outland last week, he said he was concerned about excessive distortion. Every room is different, he said, noting that, for Wednesday’s show at Patton Alley, he’ll calibrate the instrument not only for sound but also for the crowd’s tastes.


For the Patton Alley show, they plan to play a wide range of original material and see how various pieces go over, Durden said. The Theorists do not limit themselves to guitar and bassoon, Durden said. They may use bass, guitar and piano, as well as Fillmer’s voice. They strive to use the right resource for the two musicians as needed for each song.

“I think that’s really helped push us,” Durden said. “When you’re forced to limit yourself to a set of parameters, then you really have to push. Our goal is to make the biggest sound out of these two things.”

Ed Peaco writes about locally grown Ozarks music for the News-Leader. Contact him at 417-413-9029 or EdPeaco@gmail.com - Springfield News Leader


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Currently at a loss for words...

Band Members