By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Local band Turning Point has reunited after three years and recently played over the weekend at the Caribou VFW.
Members of Turning Point are Eric Gustin, vocalist; Donnie Hewitt, bass; Greg Pelletier, drummer; Alex Scott, rhythm and lead guitar; and Steve Quist, lead and rhythm guitar; but the band first started playing together back in 2006 with Gustin, Hewitt, Pelletier and Quist at its core.
One thing Gustin says has helped the band stand out over the years has been their dedication to sharp musicianship, which is important considering their tendency to play challenging set lists.
“That’s the one compliment we get repeatedly is that the band is tight,” Gustin said.
That extra attentiveness to their sound quality comes from a broad appreciation of music; Pelletier likes music from the 1970s but is no stranger to jazz and fusion, and the band’s newest member, Scott, likes newer-styled metal like Avenge Sevenfold and My Bloody Valentine. Gustin draws influence from ‘80s metal as does Quist — but Quist also has a large collection of Frank Zappa.
“I like it all, that’s why it all works for me,” Quist admitted.
Turning Point takes all those different bands and styles and merges them uniquely whether they’re playing Aerosmith’s “Going Down” or “Armageddon It” by Def Leppard.
“‘70s, ‘80s, and today — it’s like a bad radio slogan but we pretty much play everything … except for country,” Gustin said.
While they do play many popular artists and songs, this time around Turning Point has removed some of the longstanding songs from their repertoire in exchange for some different songs that still have the crowd on their feet.
“We’re not doing the mainstream songs like everyone else does,” Gustin said. If the band is playing a Def Leppard song, for instance, they’d play “Animal” instead of “Pour Some Sugar On Me.”
A Def Leppard song or two is no stranger to Turning Point’s set list, as it’s one of the group’s favorite bands to play … even though it’s one of the hardest to perform.
“Everyone has to sing and everyone has to play all the time,” Gustin emphasized.
Having to sing and play in high-speed unison is a welcome challenge, but band members admit they couldn’t stop playing music if they wanted to.
“It’s in our blood,” Pelletier said.
Whether it’s their friendships or respect for each other’s musical talents, Gustin, Hewitt, Pelletier and Quist keep coming back to the Turning Point collaborative.
“Donnie and I tried to get together with some other musicians … nothing ever works with other musicians,” Quist explained.
The four core members have found just the right mix of inspiration and talent in Turning Point, and they’re looking forward to sharing their skills with the region during upcoming shows.
While they did perform their first reunited show over the weekend, the group is planning a Halloween Bash for October.
Additional information about Turning Point and their upcoming shows can be obtained by visiting their Facebook Page for Turning Point.
