Delicate Steve has had many memorable moments while touring the United States. They played basketball with Doug Martsch, the lead singer from Built to Spill, one of the band's favorite bands. While in Boise, Idaho, they visited a national park where they "renamed" an arch after the band.
"We all stood under there and called it the Delicate Arch," Steve Marion, a guitarist for Delicate Steve, said.
After traveling all over the nation from their native New Jersey, Delicate Steve will stop in at Downtown Muncie's Center Stage at 9 tonight.
Delicate Steve is an instrumental band consisting of guitars, a bass, percussion and a keyboard. The 5-piece band was formed while their members were still in high school.
"We've always been playing music," Marion said. "Music has always come natural to us."
Marion said the band specializes in the new world music genre. While on stage, Delicate Steve morphs its music organically into a live show.
"We try to figure out what parts to play and what parts we could cover," Marion said.
Delicate Steve has never been to Muncie, and Marion said the bane is anticipating the show on Tuesday.
"I'm hoping we get the word out," Marion said. "I hope people come out, have fun, be themselves and dance."
Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang has been traveling with Delicate Steve and is the second band to play at Center Stage. Janka Nabay is the band leader and vocalist, a native of the African country Sierra Leone.
Nabay's two biggest musical influences are Michael Jackson and Bob Marley, he said. He said he was called from God to be a musician at the age of 14.
The band's drummer, Jonathan Leland, said the band was formed in Brooklyn, N.Y., two years ago.
"Janka was performing by himself at a venue I was working at," Leland said. "When I heard that he was trying to get a band together, I played a couple of his songs on the drums. I brought in some people I knew, and our first show together was in June 2010."
The band combines traditional African influences with modern elements to create its sound. It uses synthesizers, organ, electronic drums and bass.
Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang's creative process has a purpose of unraveling and giving birth to music the members want to bring into the world.
"You have a dream or fantasy that isn't real," Leland said. "But you spend time creating the music, bring that to life."
The guitarist for the band, Douglas Shaw, said performing on stage is very natural for the band.
Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang have been traveling through the country in its vans for the past two weeks. On the last tour, one of the vans broke down in the middle of Pennsylvania.
"We basically coasted [our van] for a few miles," Shaw said. "This dude came out of his cabin and walked towards us. There was no one around. We just left the van there. It's a really nice van, but it was a bit dilapidated. Maybe we'll see it again one day. I left my house keys on there though."
Mike Gallope, who plays keyboards, said the band is up for the challenge of its first show in Muncie.
"We're trying to appeal to a broader audience," Gallope said. "All of our best shows have been dance parties, where we just party and dance."
CENTER STAGE SHOWS
Who: Delicate Steve and Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang
Where: Center Stage, 306 South Walnut Street
When: 9 p.m.
Cost: $5 for 21 and over, $7 for over 18
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