With their raw energy and soulful musical sensibility, Gran Torino made a stop once again at The Casbah on Thursday night.
The nine-member, horn-driven, pop rock `n’ soul crew are in the middle of their “Are You Livin'” Tour, in support of the band’s latest single “Are You Livin'” which appears on Gran Torino’s hugely successful sophomore effort Two.
After about six years, Gran Torino is still pumping out music that even our dear old grannies could groove to, and recently they’ve mastered the art of producing a pop song.
The release of their latest head-bobbing single “Are You Livin'” comes at the heels of the band’s hit single “Moments With You,” which was the winner in the pop category of the 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
“The song won the pop category because it’s a great song, and it followed the `pop formula’ for writing a pop song,” said Whit Pfohl, the band’s drummer and percussionist.
Dexter Murphy, keyboardist and trombonist, said, “It shows that we can definitely write a pop tune.”
With one of the largest followings of any band in the region, Knoxville-based Gran Torino is now enjoying outstanding success on the radio airways.
When it was released in 2000, “Moments with You” was added to rotation at over 35 commercial radio stations in the South and, according the band, the fan response has been phenomenal.
“It was a very well written song,” said Jason Thompson, saxophonist for the group. “Everybody loves it, my mom loves it.”
With their month-long tours and nights of explosive live shows, “Moments with You” reflects the band members’ homesickness at times.
Pee Jay Alexander, one of the song’s many writers, said, “`Moments With You’ is about being away from home, and it talks about wanting to be with the loved ones we miss the most.”
Thompson added, “The time that we have with loved ones definitely keeps us from losing our minds.”
The soul-infused song with a tasteful blend of piano, drums, bass and horns was a unique addition to mainstream radio and was featured on an episode of MTV’s The Real World.
For now, the guys are mostly playing shows close to home to get some work done.
“Our main efforts right now involve getting together new material for our new album,” Thompson said.
As for the future, who knows what it will bring for the genuinely talented group.
Radio exposure is catapulting them forward, and their dream of having more people hear and appreciate the music is finally becoming a reality. The success of their second album Two and the explosive single “Moments With You” have made the band think a few things over.
“We want to build on this grass roots base that we have and then maybe crossover into the mainstream,” said Murphy.
As for what lies ahead for Gran Torino, where they are right now is a fine place to be, and fame and glory are only added accessories.

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