"We've been playing down here for over six years," Doyle said. "I think my
parents just grew to live with it, but now we're itching to move out and get
our own space and they're itching to get us out of here."
 
Doyle got the idea of playing drums from his father, John Doyle Sr., a sergeant
with the Chicago Police Department, who has played bass drum for 20 years in
the Shannon Rovers, an Irish pipe band in its 75th year. The group is best
known for its appearances at local benefits and at the South Side Irish Parade
for the past 10 years.
 
"I think that's how I got into it, because of him," the younger Doyle said of
his father. "Since I was little he would toss me up on his lap and (playfully)
hit me over my head with his drum stick."

"I encouraged him because there's a lot of families in the Rovers," Doyle Sr.
said. "John expressed interest in it and I was more than happy that he
joined."
 
The younger Doyle joined the Shannon Rovers as a drummer during his junior year
at Marist High School because he said "it was an opportunity to spend more time
with my dad."
 
"It's a lot of fun because I didn't realize how much Irish heritage I had until
I started playing with them," Doyle said. "I get to teach other people how to
play drums and I get to play in a totally different environment than I would
have been able to with I Decline."
 
Because of the unstable nature of the music business, Doyle is taking a wait-
and-see approach with his band and studio. He has recorded 25 bands in his
basement the last two years, including six full-length albums, and has plans to
start a record label called Black Rabbit with his friend, Ryan O'Reilly. Their
first release will be a compilation of local bands that will be circulated at a
local music festival in June.
 
"A lot of the bands that are going to be on the label have big drawing crowds,
but we're more concerned with the quality of the music and the workmanship,"
Doyle said.
 
Doyle bought the studio equipment while studying sound recording at DePaul
University, where he graduated with a bachelor's of science degree last
year.
 
In the past year, Doyle's band — which features fellow South Siders Tom Bucina,
Pat McLaughlin, Dustin Harnish and Mike Pesavento — has played at popular music
clubs such as the House of Blues and Double Door, and even traveled to New York
City to perform.
 
On Thursday, the group will play their first show at the Wrigleyville club
Metro.
 
"It's kind of a goal that we always strived for," he said of playing at the
Metro. "Once we cross that goal we'll have to think of another goal to
reach."
 
While Doyle's parents could do without the noise and extra traffic going in and
out of their home, his father said they are just trying to help their son with
his career.
 
There's also a promise his son made to him on which he'd like to see him follow
through.
 
"If they make it big he says he's going to buy me a Lamborghini," Doyle Sr.
said. "They cost about $200,000 or $300,000."
 
I Decline
 
When: 9 p.m. Thursday; 18-and-older show
Where: Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago
Tickets: $8
Phone: (773) 549-0203
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out this review from "hogfeldt" at Stonerrock.com  
 
I Decline - Soundtrackfortherestofyourlife 
Black Rabbit Records 
CD 
 
"If you like the latest couple of Celestial Season albums, there´s a good
chance you´ll like this album too. Stoner Rock with a Indierock vibe... maybe a
little Grunge sounding... Think Mindfunk meets Celestial Season, but
there´s also some slight Tool and Pearl Jam touches... 
 
Among the fifteen songs on this album there´s a couple really good ones and
some songs that might not get up to the same high quality as the rest
of 'em... ”I Witness” and ”Heat Seeker” are two of the better ones where the
Mindfunk meets Celestial Season reference are perhaps the most suitable... 
 
”Little John” are one of the most ”standard” stonerrock sounding songs on this
album, but the mellow parts and the high quality singing makes it stick out
none the less... 
 
”Where Oz Takes Me”, ”Lose Your Mind To Fly” and ”America Take 2” are three of
the songs that doesn´t quite get there... but mind you, they are of that kinda
quality that they might turn into favorite songs after a while... so I might
change my mind later on ;) 
 
When I listen to ”The Venus Flies” I realize that the singer actually reminds
me of Ray Alder from Fates Warning... ”City Of Gold” have a lot of cool twists
and turns and pacechanges... I guess this is my favorite song of this album... 
 
Towards the end of the album there are another couple of good songs, ”The Ohio
Dragon Song” and ”Dusting Off A Ghost”, but after the last song ”Year Of The
Black Rabbit” there´s the usual dead space followed by a weird
bonus track... I could have done without that one... But all in all this is a
really good and varied album that I´m shure will spin in my CD-player
often this fall..." Sept. 5, 2000

 

I_decline@hotmail.com