Overload! From left, Lee Talvitie - guitar & vocal, Todd Johnson - sound & lighting, Louis Griego - drums & vocal, Mike Sells - bass guitar & vocal, Mark Walters - lead guitar & backup vocal
By Aaron Graves
Although trains play a prominent role in country music, these railroad engineers and their friends lean more towards Alice Cooper than George Jones.
Overload, a Dalhart-based classic rock band, is, in no particular order of importance, Mark Walters, Mike Sells, Lee Talvitie, Louis Griego and Todd Johnson. Mike plays bass, Mark plays lead guitar, Lee plays rhythm acoustic/electric, Louis is the drummer, and Todd is the sound guru. Mike, Lee and Louis swap out singing duties, while Mark provides back-up vocals.
In a world full of alternative music produced and played by young musicians, Overload serves as a refreshing contrast. Three of the five are either pushing 50 or done pushed it; or, as Lee said, We’re just a bunch of old, fat guys playing rock n' roll.
Perhaps that is why Overload is scoring points with their audiences. Not only are they all seasoned musicians, but with age comes a deeper appreciation for the music.
“That's what makes it great,” Lee said. “Once you stop trying to make money out of it, stop trying to make something happen, then you get back to the fun part of playing music. We all have jobs and responsibilities. All this can be is a hobby and that's what makes it great.”
All four musicians have been strumming and banging out music since they were kids. All have played in bands. All have paid their dues. All now live in the real world and have to work of a living. So what would move these guys to form yet another band?
“Some people make wooden things in their garage,” Lee said. “I make music. Honestly, I've played in a bunch of bands, and I thought I was done playing on stage. I mean, I'll play music until I drop dead, but I thought I was through with bands. But we got together, and the fire just came back, that passion thing. It lit a fire under my butt again.”
It’s that very same fire you get when you’re 13, play guitar, and dream of being a rock n’ roller, Lee said.
Overload was formed in 2001, thanks in part to the railroad. Mike, Mark and Lee made their way to Dalhart from out of state via their railroad jobs. Mike, 42, from Tennessee, and Mark, 46, from Arkansas, started talking music one day on the job.
“I found out he played bass, he found out I played guitar,” Mark said. “We started playing on our off hours.”
Later, Mike and Lee (53, originally from Washington), worked on a train and ended up “stranded“ “stranded” in Childress for three days.
“We got to talking,” Lee said, “When we got back to Dalhart we had a rough song list hammered out.”
Lee was introduced to Mark, and the band’s chemistry began taking shape. It was then that Lee began pushing the other two to get serious about finding a drummer and performing on stage. Mark asked around, and a fellow railroader, Dan Loomis, introduced them to Louis.
Louis, 38, is a Dalhart native, works as lumber manager over nine Bartlett stores and serves on the Dalhart city council. He played drums in high school, had his own band, Front Lynz, and played with two other local bands, Ransom and Random.
Louis joined Mike, Mark and Lee, and it wasn’t long before a friend asked them to perform at his wedding. They hit the grindstone, came up with a two- to three-hour set of music, and blew everyone away at the reception.
That was August of 2001. Since then Overload has played in and around the Dalhart area. Mark came up with the name Overload, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the early sound and power problems they struggled with. They eventually drafted Todd Johnson to take care of the sound and lighting, seeing that he was always hanging around.
“Now we couldn't do it without him,” Mike said.
Overload covers such classic rock mainstays as REO Speedwagon, Eric Clapton, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band has two original songs and they are working on two more. But finding time to practice can be a hard thing to do.
“Sometimes we practice twice in a week, and then a month will go by before we can do it again,“ Louis said.
Once again, the experience that comes with age helps the band manage these ups and downs. A spirit of compromise helps when it comes to understanding work schedules and family responsibilities.
“When you're in a band, it's like being married to five other people,” Louis said. “Every individual in the band has his own wants and needs. So there is a lot of compromising. At times, you may be playing music you don’t particularly like, but, it’s the same on the other end. It’s a give and take."
Despite the hard work and patience necessary to keep a band together, the payoff is well worth it.
“You work and work and practice and practice,” Lee said, passing on an observation his brother-in-law made, “and then one night, it all comes together and people bang their hands together for what you just did. Once that happens, you’ll spend all your life trying to make it happen again.”
“It's just a blast to do,” Mark said. “Playing with these guys, I've had more fun with them than with any other band I've been in.”
“We’re old and worn out,” Lee said, “we don't expect to go anywhere. We just like what we do.”
And when you listen to Overload perform on stage, it shows.
Meet the Players...
Mike Sells, 42, married 16 years to Kari, four children, two grandchildren. Grew up in Tennessee. Musically influenced by his grandfather and mother. Mike learned to play bass as a stepping-stone to playing guitar. However, since “there were always plenty of guitar players around,” Mike stuck with the bass.
Mark Walters, 46, married 21 years to Linda, son Mark Walters Jr, who plays bass. Grew up in Arkansas. Musically influenced by his older brother, mother, and uncle. Started playing guitar when he was 13.
Lee Talvitie, 53, divorced, three grown children. Grew up in Washington, went to college in Arkansas. Musically influenced by his brother-in-law, a working musician. Started playing drums and moved on to guitar. Why guitar? "Once you start with a guitar, it's an endless journey."
Louis Griego, 38, divorced, widowed, and now married 1 1/2 years to Lynnetta, one daughter, seven step-children. Raised in Dalhart. Musically influenced by his uncle and a cousin. Why drums? "I always liked to bang on things.”