Tock + Tone weather an evening performance

On Saturday, July 22nd, Tock + Tone, a local band from Monroe County, was part of a late afternoon gathering, out at Smash Ranch, just shy of the Wilton city limits, on HWY 71. The stage was nestled in a green valley, with a clear pond visible with a slight glance. Joel Tock and Steve Laxton are the frontmen for the group, and would eventually play, to the delight of everyone in attendance.

The invitation was titled “Smash Ranch Picnic,” with “Rain or Shine” scribbled in the left margin – a scribbled promise that the band would need to come through on. There was a tent set up, to protect people from a blazing sun, or a driving rain, both of which would have their moments. Attendees came from as close as the next-door neighbor and as far away as Annapolis, Maryland, with visitors from Chicago and New York City.

Somewhere, just after 5 p.m., uninvited gangs of clouds rolled in, and as the mic dropped, so did the temperature, drastically. As lightening flashed across the sky, degrees of Fahrenheit were leaving in a mass exodus.

 Band members and assistants started covering up all of the equipment, to include unplugging all electronic units and electrical. Strong winds amped up the scene, sending a few attendees indoors, while others enjoyed the front-row seating for the greatest show-woman on earth, mother nature.

The silver lining in the storm was that the people, from all walks of life and areas of the world, mingled and chatted with each other. The Herald met Cathy Brandstetter, from Kenosha, who was more than just a friend with Steve Laxton — she was a part of his musical history.

Back in 1983, Cathy cut the first 45 record for The Messy Dates, Steve’s first recording band. It was a trio at that time, which included Joe Brandstetter and Tim Hogan, later adding another guitarist, Smoking Kieth Ruiz, from Chicago.

Cathy had sold stock that her grandmother had left her, to produce the 45. “We sent them out, all over the country, to radio stations, which is how you did things back then. San Francisco loved it.” Cathy also did the artwork for the cover. The name of the two songs on the 45 were Fine, Fine Night and She don’t ask me. “Both were fun songs,” Brandstetter remarked.

At the time Cathy had met the band, she was working at a bar called Cubby Bear, right across the street from Wrigley Field, in Chicago. She was a bartender there, as were the members of the band. They were also the house band for Cubby Bear.

Tock +Tone were recently in New York City, putting out feelers and checking on matters related to their albums and performing. Due to a flight cancellation, Steve and Joel were forced to spend another night in New York City, staying at the home of Peter Duda, a friend of Steve Laxtons. Peter was at the Smash Ranch Picnic as well, holding conversation and mingling with others in attendance, during the brief delay.

Tock + Tone delivered the goods, as the inclement weather moved on, to crash parties further south. The temperature remained somewhere between chilly and cold, for the remainder of the evening, but that seemed to be just fine with all of the Tock + Tone fans that had braved the storm to enjoy a band that brings so much energy, with every performance.