Now Back From Hiatus — The Great Mistake [BUFFALO BAND OF THE WEEK]

Local rock band The Great Mistake recently reunited after a year and a half hiatus and already have plans to record a new single next month.

Joe Castanza (vocals, piano/keyboards, guitar), Chris Buczowski (guitar, synths, glockenspiel, backing vocals), Steve Abramowski (drums, electronic percussion, keyboard, backing vocals) and Wil Couch (bass, electric upright bass, saxophone, backing vocals) are focusing on writing new music and playing live as much as possible in the coming months. Their first album 'Wave to the Astronaut' is on iTunes and Bandcamp, and Castanza said the band hopes to release their second full-length album by next summer.

I spoke to Castanza about the group's style, plans and memories.

How would you describe The Great Mistake to somebody new to your music?

That’s always a tough question. We used to say that we were a piano rock band like Ben Folds Five, but I'm not sure that’s really an accurate description of our sound anymore. We definitely fall under the category of rock, but from that point on it’s very difficult for me to describe. We're very versatile and eclectic. There’s a quote on our Facebook that someone said to me, and I'm not sure if it’s accurate, but it’s coming from an outside source, so I took it as something that may be valuable. He said, "You guys sound like if Morrissey fronted a post-rock band that was forced to play pop rock at gunpoint.” I’m not sure what that means, but if that’s how we sound, great.

What draws you to creating music?

If you would've asked me this 10 years ago, I would have told you a completely different answer. We do it because we're very passionate about doing it. Obviously it’s not our day job, but it’s more than a hobby. It’s like a labor of love. If anything comes of it, that’s awesome. At this point, especially now that we're coming back with a fresh perspective, we're doing this just because we really love doing it. So far it’s been good because since we've come back, we've noticed that people remember us, which is nice because I didn't think that anyone would. It’s just good to be here and back in the music community.

Do you have a favorite venue?

We prefer the bigger stages because we have so much stuff. I will say my personal favorite is the Tudor Lounge. It’s a small venue, and there’s more of an intimate setting. I think we're better able to connect with everyone there because of the size.

What is your most memorable show?

Actually my favorite one was at the Tudor Lounge a couple of years ago. Chris, our guitarist, was unable to play a show because of a family emergency, so we printed out a big poster-sized picture of his head and we taped it to a microphone stand with a toy guitar around it. We played the entire show that way. That was a fun show. I had a sampler set up in the back, and I could press different keys to play actual recordings of things he had said, so he was kind of there with us.

The Great Mistake will be playing at the The Forvm (4224 Maple Rd., Amherst) on August 9 with Weird Structures, Machine Gun Microphone, Jealous Girls and Curiosity's End. Doors open at 9. They also have a show scheduled at Tudor Lounge on September 7.

For more information, visit their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Hey, local bands: Want to be featured as our Buffalo Band of the Week? Local music aficionados, got a band you want to nominate? Email angela.stefano@townsquaremedia.com with their name!