Catching up with our musical town Krier

I agree. That headline is a little too cute. But here’s the thing: Adam Krier really does have an important public service announcement. It’s simple but also profound. “This is really fun!”

You know Adam, right? Since he was a keyboard-banging, guitar-slinging hipster at Naperville Central High School he’s been crisscrossing and jaywalking downtown streets on the way to write, record, study, collaborate, teach, listen, rehearse, mix, or produce. And surely, you’ve seen him perform live. Most likely, it’s been local or down in the city. But you also must know he’s crisscrossed the country and beyond with the charismatic rock bands made of his musical tissue.

Yes, Adam’s got a lot going on. He’s still guitarist and co-songwriter for Lucky Boys Confusion. He’s frontman of AM Taxi, and he’s keyboard maestro for the Ike Reilly Assassination. He jumps in with other bands too when needed (most notably, Urge Overkill). He’s also Music Director at School of Rock Naperville. Plus, he’s one of the leaders at Sound Summit, a Naperville studio that specializes in artist development.

Front Street Cantina, the airy and artsy Mexican restaurant on the tidy Jefferson Street strip, is just around the corner from Sound Summit. When Adam strolls in – tall, lean, long-haired and still somehow looking late 20s – the manager, Vinny, recognizes him as a semi-regular. Adam knows the menu well and goes with the Corona Beer Battered Fish Tacos. I counter with the Burrito Macho. We consider snagging an umbrella table at Front Street’s spacious al fresco back patio but land at an inside four-seater instead.

~ ON THE MENU ~

Adam: Corona Beer Battered Tacos

Dave: Burrito Macho

Once our order is in Adam is talking about his view from the stage just days earlier at the Taste of Randolph Street Festival in Chicago. There’s energy in his appreciation of the large outdoor audience and the way they embraced Lucky Boys Confusion from start to finish.

“I had one of those moments,” he said. “I know we’ve been past the pandemic for a while now, when there was really no live music, but I still have those moments, ya know, where we’re cranking through a song and I look out at the crowd and say to myself, ‘This is amazing. This is really fun!’”

A blunt, brilliant lesson for us all. Remember to enjoy your moments. It’s clear Adam has seen a lot since his early moment with Lucky Boys, when he and his DuPage area bandmates were catapulted to a Hollywood recording session straight out of high school. The band they started as teens signed with Elektra Records in 2000 and, after basically moving to California, released their major label debut, Throwing the Game, in 2001.

Navigating the business sideswipe

You know the song and dance after that. The label shifts strategy and drops them after the band’s second and perhaps most popular album, Commitment. In between, there were gigs and tours and fun and radio and a real level of fame. Despite business side contusions, their jumping blend of rock, pop, ska, and hip hop found a following. All these years later, the band and their fans remain cult-like connected. In a good way.

Not so ironically, Ike Reilly had a stint with Universal Records and Adam’s most personal project, AM Taxi, was with Virgin Records for a couple years before they parted ways. AM Taxi’s latest independent album, Shiver by Me, was released in January 2019.

“It’s how the business is, especially now,” Adam said. “Instead of chasing the labels and radio airplay or MTV, you have to stay focused on your music and building your fan base. For me, it’s incredible to have three bands that have their own style and have their own audiences. ”

This time of year, his schedule is a real juggling act. That means AM Taxi tends to get short shrift, but they were one of the headliners of MS Sucks ’24 on June 29 at Bottom Lounge in Chicago. MS Sucks is a fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis research. In its third year, the event was launched after Lucky Boys lead Kaustubh “Stubhy” Pandav was diagnosed with MS. “Stubhy” is doing well but, as you know, the condition makes life challenging.

Adam will be on keys and guitar with the Ike Reilly Assassination at the 39th American Music Festival at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn. The band is part of a potent July 6th lineup. An award-winning documentary about Ike, his band, his family, and his Libertyville roots will be released in multiple cities in early August. The film, which takes its name from an Ike favorite called “Don’t Turn Your Back On Friday Night,” is from Executive Producer Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine). In Chicago, the band will play a film release show at Metro on August 15.

Room for musical improv

“That ‘doc’ is really going to be great, because the music and the story is so real,” he said. “With Ike’s band, I get to just ride that wave with the other Assassination boys. All we need is a good soundcheck and we work it out together onstage. In those shows there are so many things that aren’t rehearsed.”

One example? The band’s St. Patrick’s Day shows at Schuba’s, where Adam sprung from his seat at the keyboard with a Melodica. This oddball instrument is essentially a handheld piano with a blow tube. It’s like an accordion meets a souped-up kazoo. Well, Adam whipped up the Irish in the room on one tune and then turned to the Melodica again a couple songs later. It killed.

I know what you’re thinking. How does he keep all that music in his head and continually add new material? And help young bands shape their sound? And how does he still live in Naperville?

“Right from the start I was touring and traveling, or I was recording for months at a time in places like Hollywood, Long Beach, and Austin, Texas, so it’s been really nice to return to a comfortable place,” he said, mentioning that he’s got an older brother and younger sister. “Believe it or not, I’m the only family member that’s still here in Naperville.”

Around the world, close to home

Growing up, one of his best Naperville buddies was Joe Sell. Joe was a guitar player and music lover too. Together they formed the band that melded into the band that became Lucky Boys Confusion. Sadly, Joe died in 2012 due to complications with drugs.

Adam remembers their middle school days when he and Joe would hang out at the old Record Swap on Chicago Avenue. One wall was stocked floor to ceiling with cassette tapes. They were listening and learning wherever they could. At about this time, while the guys were first getting into punk and reggae, Adam’s mom signed him up for guitar lessons at Ellman’s Music in downtown Naperville. It’s now a Q-BBQ.

“We also used to call into the North Central College radio station and just talk music with the student DJs during their off-air moments,” he said. “They’d share insights with us, like ‘If you like those guys you gotta listen to so-and-so.’”

At School of Rock, he gets to work with young people who are pretty much like he was at that age.

“It’s great working with younger people and just helping them plug into their talent,” he said. “You see them make these big leaps, and it’s really cool. At School of Rock, it’s not just working on their instruments and teaching them chords and songs and technique, but they’re also learning how to perform onstage in front of a crowd. It’s pretty wild.”

When he’s at Sound Summit, Adam’s getting deeper into the craft. He’s not just another set of ears but a musical guide to help serious bands take the next step. In fact, a few bands he’s worked with are making some noise on the scene right now. You can tell that makes him proud.

For Adam, his career highlights as an instructor are right up there (almost) with the time he manned keyboards for local legends Urge Overkill at Wrigley Field – and for other Urge gigs as far away as Spain. There's talk he'll join Adam Arling, who played bass with Urge Overkill, and former Guns 'N Roses drummer Frank Ferrer as part of Robin Taylor Zander's band for a couple shows this summer. RTZ is the son of Cheap Trick legend Robin Zander.

If only Adam had more time to pen tunes for AM Taxi.

“Music is always in my head,” he said, while hinting his lunch hour is almost up. “When I had song ideas, I used to call my answering machine and leave a message or sing a message. Now I talk to the voice recorder on my phone. It’s progress I guess.”

Talk about artistic progress. All three of his bands are still out there, still pulling in crowds with thrilling live shows, and still creating new music. Then there's all the creative crescendos at School of Rock and Sound Summit. Adam seems to be enjoying every moment and staying comfortable … in the town he still calls home.

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