Artist description Transient Frank is a progressive rock/fusion band from the Indianapolis area that combines aspects of several musical genres ranging from heavier music to jazz. One moment you could be enjoying a mellow, and almost lounge-like, tune only to be followed by a heavy, odd-timed, and in-your-face orchestrated tune complete with harmonic and rhythmic complexity on the edge of musical insanity. This ability to cover a wide musical spectrum along with a strong emphasis on groove and improvisation helps to define the somewhat tricky TF sound. The TF sound isn’t entirely easy to pin down and may best be described as psychedelic funk with ‘a touch of the garlic..." As a group with strong jamband influences such as Phish, The Grateful Dead, Umphrey’s McGee, and moe., Transient Frank’s true realm lies in the mysterious possibilities of live performance. Combinations of orchestrated and improvised sections of their songs make for a potential to see a very different kind of show at each performance, and this keeps the TF sound unique, edgy, and new. Perhaps one of the greatest identifying factors of TF that sets them apart from other jam-based bands is the stylistic diversity between the band’s members. While many such bands display strong folk, blues, and jazz influences, Transient Frank incorporates strong rock influences into their musical repetoire. This makes for an interesting fusion of a number of musical elements that seem to come together in a kind of dark psychedelic-funk-roc

Music Style Funk, Rock, Jazz, Ska, Reggae, Progressive

Musical Influences Phish, Grateful Dead, Dream Theater, Frank Zappa, moe.

Similar Artists moe., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Umphrey's McGee

Artist History Transient Frank was started as a collaboration of many efforts made by both Kelly Smelser and Danny Ball. Originally, Ball and Tony Dilk were in an Indy local band known first as Yellow Number 5, then Yellow 5, and finally Y5. In August of 2000 Ball and Dilk invited Kelly Smelser to sit in on bass and the three realized that something good could come of this combination. In the fall of 2000 the members of Y5 went their separate ways for awhile leaving Ball and Smelser to take up a quest to get a new band together. They met up with Kevin Foulkrod and began regularly playing covers at The Point After for Thursday night Open Stage and soon it was a threesome. In May of 2001 the pieces started falling back together as Dilk returned and a new drummer, Jake Hayden, joined the group. After playing an initial cover gig the group has locked themselves away to iron out a regimen of new originals and some surviving Y5 songs. In mid-July due to scheduling and stylistic differences Kevin Foulkrod left the band, and Transient Frank was left a psycho-funk quartet. As Jake left the group to seek musical opportunities at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, TF picked up Phil Powers on drums. Currently, the band consists of the remaining three from the original group (Kelly, Danny, and Tony) along with Phil Powers on drums and female backup vocalists.

Group Members "Doctor" Danny Ball on guitar and vocals, "Commander" Tony Dilk on guitar, Phillip Powers on drums, and Kelly "Special K" Smelser on bass.

Instruments 2 Guitars, Bass, and Drums

Albums A.M.O.U.I.

Location Indianapolis, IN - USA

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