Fun DMC is made up of a diverse group of musicians who cover a wide array of artists. The remarkable thing about this band is that you can take five different personalities with five very different musical backgrounds and channel that energy into a single idea. On stage we are one unit, bringing you the best in mashups and medleys. However, each member still retains their individual personalities and influences and that often surfaces during each performance. With that said, this is the third installment of Fun DMC: A Musical Journey.

Albert Capati – Vocals

I grew up listening to my parent’s records of artists like Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, and Dan Fogelberg.  It was totally normal for me and my brothers all in the back seat to sing in the car with the radio blasting. On long trips we’d play a game of identifying the song title and artist whenever a new song came on the radio.  I’d listen to Casey Kasem count down the top 40 hits every weekend, so I’m pretty well versed in 80s pop music trivia.  This was the age of Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, and Tears For Fears. In my teens my musical taste expanded outside of mainstream pop to bands like New Order, Depeche Mode, OMD, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, They Might Be Giants, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  I also had a weak spot for Hip Hop and R&B and showed off my crazy Filipino dancing skills at school dances.

In grade school and middle school, I was always singing in choirs, playing flute in concert band, and playing drums in jazz band.  In middle school I also found something I loved: Show Choir.  Singing upbeat modern songs while doing choreography.  While the audiences were always appreciative in concert choir and band, rarely did I see as many smiles as I did when I performed in show choir. In show choir camp I learned vocal techniques, partner dancing, and how to sell it to the crowd.  I didn’t need to learn how to smile while performing… that just came naturally.

High school was a bit of a letdown musically.  Failing to make the school talent show all four years that I tried out, really killed my self-esteem. Plus I was busy with sports, academics, and the tons of extracurricular activities that supposedly would help get me into a good college. I also tried out for an acapella group in college but didn’t get in.

I got my groove back when karaoke started to gain popularity stateside.  I found that all the songs I had sung in the car prepared me for reciting highlighted lyrics accompanied by a MIDI track. I could sing popular 80s songs by Journey, Bon Jovi, and Michael Jackson while playing to the crowd, while other singers were just standing there staring at the screen. I could go to a bar and sing a few songs and get treated like I was some sort of celebrity. It was more intoxicating than any beverage served there. I became a regular at several bars and even became a karaoke DJ for a short time.

I entered my fair share of singing competitions and even tried out for the 2nd season of The Voice once (I didn’t get past the 1st audition).  I entered the Springfield Secretaries’ Party Karaoke Competition in 2011. After the contest was over I was approached by a guitarist who was forming a band and needed a lead singer. I always wanted to do that, but I never really knew how to get started.  I practiced with the band once and found that I didn’t really jive with their type of music, so I decided to not join the band.  In 2012, I attended that same party and on a whim, entered the contest again. To my surprise another guitarist came up to me after I won the contest and asked me to join his band.  I asked him what kind of music the band played, and he replied, “any kind you want”. Thus, Novocaine was born.

Despite it being my first real cover band, Novocaine came together very quickly and through some karaoke connections, I was able to land a gig (our first paid one) at the Illinois State Fair barely 4 months after the karaoke competition. We played at many bars over an almost 3-year span and twice won the award for Best Heavy Metal Band in the Illinois Times. After two years with Novocaine, one of my favorite sound technicians asked me if I wanted to try out for Screamin’ Vatos – a band that had been around for 20 years and was a staple in Springfield community.  While Novocaine played grunge and alternative rock from the likes of Foo Fighters, 3rd Eye Blind, Stone Temple Pilots, Green Day, Candlebox, 3 Doors Down, Godsmack, and Incubus, the Vatos played mostly Santana covers with some old school Chicago and Steely Dan.

Since Screamin’ Vatos didn’t play out that much, I was able to play in both bands with minimal conflicts.  One major conflict was musical theatre.  In 2013, a friend on my bowling team said she was going to try out for the Springfield Muni Opera’s production of Les Miserables, I said I would help her practice.  I loved that musical when my parents took me to see it when I was in high school.  I could sing the whole show by heart at one time. Sign ups for trying out were still on, so I decided to give it a go. Since I was busy with Novocaine I decided beforehand that if I didn’t get a major part, that I would skip it and concentrate on other things. I didn’t get a major part, but the assistant director told me that if I didn’t stay on to be in the chorus, that I’d be missing out on the experience of a lifetime. I took his word and stayed on. He was right.  I loved every moment of it.  I even got to be in the Muni production of RENT later that summer. Since that year, I’ve played Eddie/Dr. Scott in Rocky Horror Show Live and have been in productions of Spamalot and Cabaret.

In January 2016, I got my first lead role in Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…Boom. This was the most challenging and most rewarding role I’ve ever played. Originally an autobiographical monologue performed by Larson himself, it was adapted into a musical with a cast of three after his tragic and very untimely death. Although the auditorium was never packed, many people that I respect and admire in the theater community have told me that the show was fantastic.

After 3 years, the numbness dissipated: Novocaine went on indefinite hiatus. I kept on with the Vatos, but even that band had its complications. After one year with the band, the last original member retired from the band. The remaining members decided to move ahead and keep the name, but to some longtime fans, it just wasn’t the same. We changed the name to Take 10, recruited some extraordinary talent, and added a ton of funk to the setlist. People who pegged me as a rock singer from my days in Novocaine are surprised when I can also sing in the styles of Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Earth Wind & Fire.

During all of this, an up-and-coming band called Fun DMC needed someone to fill in for vocals after their bassist/vocalist became a father. I had an absolute blast singing their brand of pop rock with mashups and medleys galore.  I was also impressed on how they ran the band and how much more professional it was compared to my experiences with cover bands thus far.  A few months later, they needed someone to fill in permanently and asked me if I had any suggestions. I think I surprised them a bit when I offered up my services. They welcomed me into their family and I think it’s been a pretty good fit so far.