The talent: Toussaint Morrison (vocals), Spencer Austin (drums), Todd Bordewick (guitar), Linden Killam (piano/saxophone) and Alex Bennett (bass)
The sound: Red Hot Chili Peppers in a bar fight with The Roots
The gigs: 10 p.m. Feb. 13  and April 2 @ Volume, 329 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids
The rest of the story: www.myspace.com/theblendminneapolis

An interview with the voice of The Blend, Toussaint Morrison.

PL: So where did The Blend’s name come from?
TM: Way back in the day, I entered a hip-hop band into a teen talent show (when I was still a teen). We had to name the project for the sake of the show, so I called it The Blend, and it stuck.

PL: Do you perform originals or covers?
TM: All of our songs are originals. We spend a lot of time writing our own material, and have been successful because of it.  It takes talent and a creative mind to do what we do, and especially at the level we do it, because a lot of the venues we play are used to cover bands.  I think an audience can appreciate a musician more for getting on stage and speaking from their own heart and experience.

PL: Describe the energy that the audience will see on stage?
TM: Similar to a whiskey-fueled Devastator (Transformer). We definitely bring a five-man riot of insanity, but try to hold back.

PL: And how does the crowd react to the riot?
TM: It depends on the crowd. I’ve seen high schoolers go insane and crowd surf; troops that have returned from Iraq try to get on stage and play our instruments or hold conversations with me while I’m rapping; and then there’s the good ol’ fashioned Cedar Rapids crowd that loves music and dances the night away. We’re fine with all of the above.

PL: Any strange road stories?
TM: Well, last week we played for a crowd in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and the crowd began climbing on stage. One guy got yanked off by his feet and slammed his face against the stage, bled and then jumped back on stage.

PL: Favorite gigs?
TM: We love touring and playing at Volume. It’s one of the few venues that puts an emphasis on their sound system and is musician-friendly. We’re big fans of playing in Austin, Texas, Pittsburgh, Penn., and anywhere in Iowa.

PL: Band goals?
TM: To get to the national level. We love what we do, but it’d be nice to have a label take care of all the busy work. That’s the ideal, but for now, we’re down for the hustle.
— PETE