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Charting and touring again
By Kelley Simms
C
hicago power-pop rockers Enuff
Z’nuff have returned. Although,
they never really went away.
“We’ve somehow stayed relevant a little
bit, and I think it’s because we didn’t stop
playing,” bassist/vocalist Chip Z’nuff said
about the band’s longevity during a recent
phone call. “We kept putting music out
every year or two, and we toured around
the country playing songs. And I think it’s
paid dividends.“
Formed in 1984, Enuff Z’nuff enjoyed
decent notoriety with the release of its 1989
self-titled debut album, spawning two
massive hits, “New Thing” and the follow-
up ballad, “Fly High Michelle,” receiving
massive airplay on the radio and MTV.
More of a power-pop band in the tradition
of The Beatles, David Bowie and Cheap
Trip, Enuff Z’nuff usually got lumped into
the glam/hair metal genre that was in full
force during the ’80s.
The band's 14th full-length album,
Diamond Boy (Frontiers) - their first in eight
years – is another tasty little nugget to add
to the Enuff Z’nuff collection. “[With] this
new record, I hope I see a trajectory of
where we’re at as a band right now,”
Z’nuff said. “It’s another shot in the arm
and going out there and letting people
know that we’re still alive.”
With the departure of original vocalist
Donnie Vie (who left the band twice
before), Z’nuff takes over lead vocal duties
with flying colors. “I think I’m in a position
right now that I had no choice,” he said.
“Donnie said to me if we were going to
move forward with Enuff Z’nuff that I
should sing the songs. So I took his advice.
But little did I know that it'd [sic] get the
response and the love that it’s received
right now.” The rest of the band includes
guitarists Tony Fennell and Tory
Stoffregen, and drummer Daniel Benjamin
Hill.
Diamond Boy peaked at No. 33 on
Billboard's U.S. Indie chart and No. 49 on
20 illinoisentertainer.com october 2018
its U.K. Indie chart. Z’nuff couldn’t be
happier. “For the first time in I can’t tell
you in how long, we have a brand new
record charting in conjunction with a new
tour going around the country playing
these songs out for two and a half
months,” he said. “That’s something I
wouldn’t have put my money on years
ago. But we’re fucking back, and I’m excit-
ed about that.”
When it came time to record Diamond
Boy,*Z’nuff felt confident in the 11 tracks
that make up the album. “I had an idea of
how I was going to do this, and it was just
a matter of making the record,” he said.
“When we were recording the record, we
made sure we captured all the bells and
whistles of what the song was about. I just
put the songs together and then look at it
as one concrete record, where you can lis-
ten to it all the way through. And all the
songs seem to work together. Maybe
there’s something on there when people
hear this record, and it’ll trip their trigger,
and they’ll be excited and want to come
out and see a live show.”
SiriusXM is presenting the Hair Nation
Tour 2018, featuring Jack Russell’s Great
White, Bullet Boys, and Enuff Z’nuff.
Hosted by Eddie Truck, the tour makes its
way to Chicago's House of Blues on Oct.
25. Z’nuff said there’s nothing like playing
in Chicago. “We get to come out to our
hometown and play a big show. It elevates
our perception, and it’s a nice boost for the
band," he continues. "I look at the [tour]
dates; 42 dates in 46 days. It’s a lot of hard
work, but I welcome the challenge. I think
the shows are going to be kicking ass every
single night, and I can’t wait to hang out
with the fans out there!”
Appearing 10/25 at House of Blues,
Chicago.