Cal Rifkin is a power pop group from the Nation’s Capital consisting of Erik Grimm (Guitar/Vocals), Keith Butler Jr. (Drums), and Robin Rhodes (Bass). The band formed in the Fall of 2018 and was solidified by the members’ shared love for greasy Ledo’s pizza, early 90’s baseball aesthetics, and rock ‘n’ roll music.
Chock full of jangly guitars, big riffs, and gorgeous Beach Boys-esque harmonies layered over sugary hooks, Cal Rifkin's latest EP, Better Luck Next Year effortlessly captures the essence of ‘70s power pop. The lyrics strike a delicate balance between self-aware and heartachingly sincere, and the delivery is intimate and earnest without taking itself too seriously. Grimm’s uncomplicated melodies and driving lead guitar complement the groove of the rhythm section in a way that sticks in your head for days.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
The project started when I was living in Boston after College. I’d been playing guitar for a couple other bands but had been writing songs on the side so I got some friends together to head into a studio for a late night 10pm-6am recording session to record our first EP.
I moved back to DC where I’m originally from in 2018 and hit up Robin Rhodes, our bass player, who I’d known since pre-school and had played with in a shitty rock band during high school. Robin happened to play a Jazz gig soon after with Keith Butler Jr., our drummer. During a break he showed him some of our recordings and asked him if he wanted to jam with us. Robin, Keith and I met up to jam and eat Ledo’s pizza and immediately clicked.
The band name is a pun off the legendary Orioles baseball player, Cal Ripken, who I worshiped as a kid and who still holds the record for the most consecutive major league baseball games played (2632).
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I started taking guitar lessons in middle school and learning mostly Metallica riffs for the first year. Then I joined a local band that Robin, our bass player, was in. I went to Berklee College of Music up in Boston and played in a few different groups while I was there. Then After college my friend and I started a band called Boketto The Wolf. I did a few tours with that band and we played SXSW in 2019.
First concert that you ever went to?
First real show I ever saw was The Darkness at the famous 9:30 club in Washington, DC. I remember having an incredible time and that show really inspiring me to want to be in a band and pursue music.
What's your writing process like?
Anytime an idea pops into my head, whether it's a guitar riff or vocal melody, I’ll record a voice memo on my phone. I go back and listen to some and if there are any I really like, I’ll sit down and try to flesh it out. Songs will often start with either a guitar riff or a chorus melody. Once I have a solid idea I’ll record a rough demo and then bring it to the band to flesh it out and for them to come up with drum and bass parts.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
Recently I’ve been really into 70’s power pop stuff like Big Star, Television, the Feelies as well as some later power pop like Sloan and Teenage Fanclub. Definitely very inspired by the Beach Boys and their harmony arrangements as well.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
We like to keep things a little looser for the live show. Just want it to be high energy and fun. We usually add a second guitarist for our live show and I think it's fun to let people do their own thing and not play what's on the record note for note (Shout out to Alex Salser and Knox Engler).
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?
We have not toured yet but we’re hoping to do something this Fall! We’ve had a lot of great shows but we did have one really bad show where we somehow got booked for a jazz festival up in Baltimore and were the only rock band on the bill. As soon as we started we could tell the crowd was not into it but we powered through.
What's up next for the band?
We are already working on some new tunes and planning an east coast tour for the Fall. Thanks for having us!
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cal_rifkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@calrifkin1922
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@calrifkin
Tour Dates - https://www.songkick.com/artists/10098964-cal-rifkin
Bandcamp - https://calrifkin.bandcamp.com/