GEO C AND THA STORM Band offers 'Better Way'

The band will release a new album in March.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Geo C and Tha Storm like to put a positive spin on their dance-funk music.
In fact, their new album, "A Better Way," even includes a short sermon by Rev. Raheem Kalif Ali, a Pentecostal minister in the Youngstown area, who expounds on the brotherhood of man.
But bandleader George "Geo" Case, who writes the lyrics, insists he has no religious agenda. "It's about living right," he said. "Do unto others ..."
Case continues: "I just believe in the things I'm writing about. I want to make people think about how they're living."
That being said, it must be noted that while Tha Storm's lyrics make you think, their music makes you move.
And by the way, not all of their songs have an uplifting message. Some -- like their soon to be released single "Badonkadonk" -- are just about shakin' your butt. As Case puts it, "there ain't nothing wrong with that."
The bottom line is, Geo C and Tha Storm is a band that's really meant to be seen live. The eight-piece, Youngstown-based showband is a favorite in area clubs.
"There's a lot of audience interaction at our shows," said Case. "We're in your face, and you are in ours."
Dressed in his trademark long-tailed pinstripe suit and top hat, Case stalks the stage with Prince-like moves, with guitarist Tyrone Williams and bass player Keith Crockett bouncing along on either side.
Taking its cue from the band, Storm fans like to dance. "It's infectious," said Case, who notes "both [the band] and the crowd are exhausted at the end of the night."
History
Case, who owns Geo's Music on Federal Street in downtown Youngstown, put Tha Storm together in 2003, and built a fan base on the strength of the band's energetic performances.
"We get people at shows who've never seen us, and they're like this," Case said, with an expression of open-jawed amazement. "They ask 'where are you from?' and they're surprised when we say 'Youngstown.'"
The band has opened for or played with national acts such as, The Whispers, P Funk, Fishbone, the O'Jays, and Kool and the Gang. In 2003, it appeared on the "Good Morning America" television show.
The 13-song CD "A Better Way" will be released March 29, but it is already available at shows and at www.geocandthastorm.com. About 2,000 copies have already been sold, Case said.
Case wrote all 13 songs on the album, which, at 67 minutes, covers a lot of ground. It consists of old-school, slow-groove funk and R & amp;B, lightly seasoned with classic rock and blues influences.
One song, the somber "Georgetown Road," is a tribute to Case's father, who passed away in May.
Geo C and tha Storm have already released two CDs on Earthtone Records: 2004's "Take Time to Love" and 2005's "Truth Funk Experience."
They plan to quickly follow up the March release of "A Better Way" with another album in the summer.
The band consists of Case on keyboards and vocals; Williams, guitar and vocals; Crockett, bass and vocals; Mark Hanley, guitar; Ace Holmes, drums and vocals; Tommy Butch, horns and vocals; and Craig Burney, piano and keyboards.