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Calling Cale Parks busy is like calling an ant hill busy. The concept is abstract until you actually sit down and start counting. And like those tireless little critters, Parks knows no rest, owing to the exponentially increasing demand for his services.
In 2004, Parks went from just being Aloha's drummer to one of the most ubiquitous members of Chicago's notoriously incestuous Indie scene. He turned up on a slew of CDs, playing vibraphone for Chin Up Chin Up and Owen, piano for The Love of Everything and drums, percussion, keys, etc. for Joan of Arc and Muy Romantico, in addition to his ongoing Aloha membership. Add to that touring duties with many of these bands, plus Rjyan Kidwell (CEX) and Georgie James, and you're looking at a ridiculously packed schedule.
Parks' musical history traces back to Macon, Ga., where he began taking drum lessons in the fifth grade. At 14, when his family moved to Cincinnati so his father could attend grad school at CCM, Cale continued his musical pursuits at Lakota High School.
"I did the marching band thing, the honor band thing, the all-state band thing, the Bogart's 'battle of the bands' thing," Parks recalls. "I was a complete nerd about it all actually."
He also took preparatory classes at CCM and then proceeded to Bowling Green State University to major in Jazz studies. As his technical skills were sharpening, his musical taste was blossoming as well.
"I was into Hair Metal, then Grunge, then fake Punk. When I moved to Cincinnati, 97X dictated a lot of my high school listening, then in college I got into Prog Rock and Jazz," he says, citing Pavement and John Coltrane albums as milestones in his progression.
His choice of colleges led to a watershed moment when Parks met the members of Aloha at Bowling Green. He fit the band's aggressive yet avant garde style perfectly with his fluid drumming and percussive approach to melodic instruments such as vibraphone, piano and keyboards. Even in their infancy, Aloha's music was engaging enough to garner a deal with Polyvinyl Records on the strength of a demo. At 19, Parks was the youngest member, so Aloha put off heavy touring pending his graduation, instead focusing on recordings and evolving their sound.
Upon graduation, Parks moved to Chicago — puzzling, since his band's other members resided in different cities around the Midwest and East Coast. But Aloha had toured with Joan of Arc a few times, and Mike Kinsella stayed in touch and baited him. This move coincided with the explosion of Parks sightings in liner notes, which he shrugs off with modest understatement: "The music scene is really collaborative in Chicago, I guess."
The reality is that Parks' strength as a supportive player is of particular value to the circle of artists that's redefining Post Rock with their Indie Prog endeavors. Parks is the guy you trust to complete your musical sentences while you're starting new ones. Despite what seems to be a niche, his projects are actually quite varied, and he gets different rewards from each.
"Aloha is my heart," he says. "I have a very emotional connection to everything Aloha and always will. They are my best friends. Joan of Arc is something that challenges me musically. CEX is just crazy now, like an IDM jam band. Georgie James is pure fun, honestly, the best written Pop songs I've heard in years. After this tour, I know they'll be a Pitchfork household name."
In addition to all this, Parks recorded a solo album (Illuminated Manuscript, set for a September release on Polyvinyl) in parallel with Aloha's Some Echoes last fall. The album shares the same dreamy yet musically informed quality that made Some Echoes a standout.
Though not "famous" yet, one can't help but notice Parks is another data point that suggests departure from Cincinnati is a precursor to success in music.
"I hate to say it, but everyone should get out of Ohio for a bit and try their hand," he says. "You can always come back. I'm sure I'll be back soon enough. Until then, I'll wear my Reds cap with pride."
Cale Parks drums for Georgie James Sunday at Lite Brite at the Southgate House.
