“The stranger the better / the more you can see” is a lyric by Detroit rock trio My Pal Val.
It’s also their personal philosophy.
“I like music that tricks you into expecting a certain change or resolve, and when it doesn’t happen, you’re able to see beyond that expectation. You’re suddenly at the mercy of whoever you’re listening to. You’re mind opens up, you see more, you’ve learned something,” said Valerie Klaft, drummer and vocalist for the band. “There are physics behind this stuff.”
That attitude is behind My Pal Val’s unique vision, one that has taken the band to some of Detroit’s bigger rock stages including the Magic Stick, the Shelter, and PJ’s Lager House. On Thursday February 2nd, the band will be participating in the Ferndale Blues and Music Festival at Rosie O’Grady’s. My Pal Val goes on at 9pm.
Festival-goers can expect a healthy mix throughout the band’s set.
“The plan is to rotate between our originals, a few Detroit blues covers, and–since we’re performing on ladies night at Rosie O’Grady’s–you may hear one or two quintessential female blues rock tunes thrown in the mix also,” said Klaft.
My Pal Val draws influence from the heady glory days of the 1990′s ‘alternative nation’ music scene–filtered through the band’s own strange vision, of course.
“Quite a few of our favorite bands had a rise in popularity in the 90′s, like Pixies, Sonic Youth, RHCP, Breeders, PJ Harvey, and Sleater-Kinney, to name a few,” said Klaft. “We are just trying to keep the stripped down, experimental, grunge rock aesthetic alive and well in Detroit.”
By all accounts, they’ve been doing just that.
In addition to Klaft on drums, My Pal Val is John Missig on bass and Elise McCoy on guitar. All three members share vocal duties. See the band Thursday, February 2nd, 9pm at Rosie O’Grady’s.
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