Uakari opens new Union with upbeat concert in Phoenix Club

MTV's "A Shot at Love II" participant and UW-Green Bay alumnus Scotty Dickert opened up the fall semester with a bang. He and his band, Uakari, rocked the new Union's Phoenix Club last Wednesday night. In a scene that easily could have been mistaken as a happening downtown nightclub, students bobbed their heads and bounced around to an eclectic vibe and funky vocals most of them had never heard before. Many stuck around longer than expected or bought CD's they hadn't planned to. "I'm surprised," said undecided sophomore and free-hug-giver Ryan Birdsall. "I'm enjoying this. They're pretty good, and honestly, that's more than I expected." This sentiment seemed to be shared by others as they crowded around tables and at times even seemed to spill into neighboring rooms. There was curiosity in the air. Uakari has been in Green Bay before. In fact, the band was originally formed here in 2003. They released their first album, a nine-song compilation, called "Where the Fuakawi," in 2007 and are currently working on a nearly finished project tentatively titled, "Sunday Songs." The band hopes to record the album shortly and looks forward to beginning the project in Tallahassee, Fla., as soon as they work out the details. They expect it to have a more structured vibe than their first album, which has the definite jam band influences of Jack Johnson, Jimmy Buffet and Rusted Root. Fans looking to stay on top of Uakari's releases may also want to keep an eye on the Internet. "We also have a single in the works with iTunes and it could be one of their 'Downloads of the Day'," Dickert said. The newest member of the group, bass player Patrick Bauer, who was sporting the always-appropriate barefoot overall look, was also asked about the progress of new material. "It's good, real good," Bauer said. "We have a bunch of new songs. We've learned a lot of new stuff for this show, in fact." He also said, "We've got a two hour allotment tonight and we're looking to fill the whole slot. It's about twenty songs or so." Twenty songs may seem like a rather long night, but Uakari tackled it like old pros. Led by Dickert on vocals and band co-founder Tucker Ramsey Butch on lead guitar, they hammered out one jam after another. Adam Snippen on the drums and Ben Moore who manned the keyboard and bongos matched Bauer's bass lines note for note. The five men all appeared to be appreciative of the chance to perform. They wore bright smiles that couldn't be missed. There was dancing on stage. They interacted with their audience and they even poked fun of one another from time to time. All and all, they looked on top of the world. The band hopes to use Dickert's participation in "A Shot at Love" as a springboard to bigger and better things. They opened for headliner Ryan Cabrera at the Rave in Milwaukee last December. A new album may afford them similar opportunities in the future. "It's all happening real quick all of the sudden," Dickert said when asked of the bands plans for the future. The sudden spotlight that came with appearing on MTV's "A Shot at Love II," with Tila Tequila has opened many doors for Dickert. He is hoping the popularity of the show continues to offer opportunities. Even TV and movie deals appear to be on the horizon for this member of our UWGB family. He hinted at a possible big screen reunion with fellow MTV cast member George. And when asked about his experiences on "A Shot at Love," his reply was simple. "I have no regrets," Dickert said. "I've met some really cool people and gotten some amazing opportunities."