Terre Haute band impresses, seeks metanoia'
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/16/2007
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Brent Orndorff, lead singer of the band Blue News, said the first 50 songs he wrote were terrible.
"I was 13 and copying what I was listening to at the time," Orndorff said. "I had pretty cheesy tastes."
The Terre Haute native is drawing from some more sophisticated sources now, and because of it, Blue News is being featured in the PBS film series "Roadtrip Nation." Their music can be heard on the soundtrack for "Roadtrip Nation" and the Web site. Blue News will be playing at 8 p.m. at the Venue in downtown Lafayette. There is a $7 cover charge.
When Orndorff was young he joined a band after being recommended for the role by a girl in his choir class who was impressed with his voice. The experience spurred Orndorff to pick up an acoustic guitar and teach himself to play and write music. Last March Orndorff formed his own band, Blue News.
"I've always had a knack for it, I guess," Orndorff said.
The title of their upcoming album, "Metanoia," was inspired by a Greek word Orndorff came across while doing a report. It means �transformation' or �rebirth.'
"The paper was about changing the world," he said. "The only way the world can be changed on the huge scale is with personal transformation. Change inner self to change the outer world."
The way Orndorff came up with the name of his band is no less interesting. He said his brother-in-law has a habit of switching the first letters of words around to make new phrases. The words new blues, a nod to the influence of blues music on the band's first album, became Blue News.
LeeAnn Mnichowski, president of Volare Star Entertainment, said Blue News is a strong band with a wide audience.
"They appeal to a lot of different people, of all ages," Mnichowski said. "I think they have the potential to go really far."
For more information about Blue News, consult their Web site www.bluenewsband.com.