Tangled up in blue with a little bit of pop rock on the side

St. Cloud phenoms Panoramic Blue ready to rock Playmakers

Kelly Junker

Contributing Writer

One year ago, the members of Panoramic Blue would have laughed if someone predicted that they’d be recording a full-length CD in a major recording studio. Barely a year later, they occupy their weekdays by working with well-known producer John Hermanson at Angel Beach records, a thriving studio and record label in Minneapolis that has backed the careers of Midwest favorites such as Dazy Head Mazy and Fade 2 Shade.

 “We’re hoping that our new CD will be out in March or April, but if it’s not ready, we won’t rush it just to get it out there,” said Matt Johnson, who contributes on guitar, vocals and harmonica for the energetic five-piece rock band.

The band’s first show, a performance that was largely attended by friends and acquaintances, was Feb. 21, 2001 at St. Johns University. Ironically, they’ll be performing at SU during Bison Blizzard Bash on Feb. 23, two days after the anniversary of their conception, in the Memorial Union Ballroom. If you can’t wait that long for your fix of catchy pop harmonies, they’ll be performing at Playmakers at 9:30 p.m. tonight for those 21 and over.   

What began as a hobby quickly turned into a major commitment for the members of Panoramic Blue.

“When we started, our goal was just to play some shows, have fun and leave it behind us when we graduated,” recalled Johnson. “Now, we’re poised to pursue making music for a living.” Johnson is joined by J.J Towner on vocals and acoustic guitar, Lee Kelly on lead guitar, Jeremy Sutton on bass and Frank Jason on drums. The members come from St. Cloud State University and St. Johns University.

Johnson describes the band’s music as pop/rock with a blues feel, modeled after successful groups such as Sister Hazel and Semisonic. “We definitely have a wide variety of influences, which we combine to produce a unique radio-driven sound.” 

It’s that very musical diversity that is evident on their self-titled EP. The upbeat lyrics, most evident in songs such as “Beauty Queen” and “Into You,” combine with a feel-good sound to make most listeners press the repeat button.

Their initial product consists of seven tracks, recorded in 15 hours at Hammond Eggs Studios in St. Cloud. Their upcoming release will be unveiled following approximately 300 hours of studio time. “Our first CD doesn’t really represent the quality of a live Panoramic Blue show,” said Johnson. “We’ve grown as a group since our first disc was recorded.” 

Johnson feels that their maturity is most evident during their live performances. “Our live shows are our strong point right now,” he said. “We put a lot of emotion into it because we want the audience to feel as good as we do on stage.”  When they visit a new venue or city, they draw people in by mixing sporadic recognizable cover songs into their catalog of original music. Their formula is proving its success, as their weekends are already booked with club and college shows through mid-year.  

Panoramic Blue’s approach to live performances has resulted in national exposure, opening for acts such as Nine Days and Stroke Nine. They also performed at Moondance Jam this past summer, on the same bill as The Wallflowers and Blues Traveler. They previously played in Fargo last fall at SU’s Welcome Week Street Dance. The band’s Web site is www.panoramicblue.com..