Thinking Music
Fractured Ego
by Jace Edwards
July 7, 2010

Many times a band goes through a metamorphosis. A change. Whether it’s the replacing of a player or of a direction, often times bands have to reinvent themselves. One problem that comes of this is the acceptance by the core fans. Like the Phoenix who rises from the ashes of itself is reborn, so is the ego. Fractured Ego has been seen throughout the years at the Rockyard at Fantasy Springs, Robbie T’s and the Mira Monte Resort. Mostly known for their renditions of covers and a few originals, Fractured Ego had built up a large fan base in a short period of time. Then a few months ago, they disappeared.

But what they did was recreate themselves at a level none expected when they began their change. With a play list that includes songs from Green Day, Foo Fighters, the Killers, Wolfmother and Alice-n-Chains, Fractured Ego will surprise you with their precision. This band presents difficult material with ease. They deliver vocal harmonies that will amaze you as lead positions are shared throughout the band. And the guitar work is in a word: Intense.

“This is probably the dream line up when we first started, this is what we were working towards, having Darren on guitar, having Eddie Van Halen Jr. is always nice. Mike has really come in and taken our vocals to the next level, the harmonies are just awesome. Then you have the old reliable, me and Kevin in the Rhythm section and Jason doing his thing on keys. Having us three hold it down like we have been through the years and to have these two guys come in and sprinkle their stank on top has just been awesome.” Robert Watt, Fractured Ego Drummer.

The first new addition was Darren Cole who is a guitar virtuoso known throughout the valley for his blinding finger speed and accurate licks. He also plays with L.A. based band, Without Warning. Locally he was in a project a few years ago called Behind The Lies. It was that association that led him to Fractured Ego. Last year for the 4th of July celebration at the Indian Wells Country Club, Darren was asked to fill in for Fractured Ego’s guitarist who had conflicting engagements. “35 songs in two weeks I think it was,” Darren explained, “We had two weeks and I think we played together 6, 7 times and then nailed it.”

The next to join was Mike Labrecque who was primarily a blues singer. He auditioned for Without Warning. Darren saw the potential for him in Fractured Ego as well and, like Darren, performs in both groups. Mike is a vocal chameleon. He says, “A lot of clubs play the same rotation of bands and they get stagnant. Fractured ego is here to do just the opposite. Break that mold and keep the place alive!”

These guys are not your average musicians. Each has a unique style. Their backgrounds and roads taken have all varied. But their influences were the same: Rock-n-Roll, full of intricate arrangements and blaring guitar work. Keyboardist Jason Obando has a Masters Degree in Music, The first band I really attached to was Guns-n-Roses in the Eighties.” He said.

And this lead to a Masters? I asked.

Pretty much, I just wanted to do music my whole life, it’s the only thing I was ever good at.

So now the Ego will rise again, like that Phoenix, dusting off the ashes of past performances. Fractured Ego is Kevin Brown (bass/lead and backing vocals), Robert Watt (drums and backing vocals), Jason Obando (keyboards), Darren Cole (guitar/lead and backing vocals) and Mike Labrecque (lead and backing vocals). Five guys with self described leagues of experience between them. Watch as they impress you with blinding guitars and killer harmonies. Bassist Kevin Brown is excited about getting Fractured Ego into the scene again, it’s amazing the amount of venues and amount of opportunities bands have to play locally compared to a year or two years ago.

Fractured Ego will be making their return to the stage at Schmidy’s Tavern on Saturday, July 17th. Showtime: 9 pm
For more information visit their website: www.fracturedego.com