here's what RIFT MAGAZINE had to say

by Rich Horton

As more demos and packages flood the Rift post office box, the weirder stuff seems to float to the top. Codger is an exception to the exception of just being peculiar and funny. Their first CD case was a cardboard sleeve with pasted photos and a rubber band fastener. The CD also has two titles, one that says 'Life of Codger' and one that says 'Wife of Codger'. So when I first saw the package, I was confused and amused.

The music didn't strike me as the next big thing, but as a bar band or a comedy troupe, these guys do all right. The songs move from rock, to something a bit softer, to a piano tune, and then at the end to an acoustic piece reminiscent of Paul Westerberg.

After receiving the demo, occasionally I would get strange letters, with perhaps a piece of a sock with the word 'sex' written in permanent marker as an advertisement for a show at the Terminal Bar. It was signed, 'Love Codger'. So either these guys are marketing geniuses, or they're just strange and don't have anything better to do.

The Codger DVD was about the fourth thing I received from them. By then I knew they were both weird, and had too much time on their hands. The DVD is full of content featuring live footage, some videos, and a weird montage called 'Up All Night' which documents them staying up all night drinking coffee and doing stuff I canÕt even explain.

Bryan Miller, the lead singer, guitarist and pianist from Codger explained the methods to their madness. 'We started sending personalized mailers to inform the press and friends of shows three years ago. I just thought it would be a fun way to stand out from the thousands of other bands in the area, and send weird shit in the mail to give them a little laugh (depending on their sense of humor, of course). As you know, we have a crazy sense of humor.'

Miller, who works in print sales, uses Codger as a way to express himself musically and artistically. Jeff Carter (drums) is a cook at a restaurant and Craig Olund (bass) works in the IT department of a local company.

Olund's wife Annie is the band-proclaimed spouse (since Miller and Carter are single) so she has been dubbed 'The Wife of Codger.' In one of their promo shots she is in a bed with the entire band.

Miller also said this of Annie, 'If weÕre bad she'll give us a paddling on our butts. SheÕs an artist, she paints. She loves all of our antics and nonsense. Sometimes she gets a little nervous, but all in all she knows that itÕs all good, clean fun.'

As with any band, Miller and the guys would love to make a living playing music. 'Any band that has been playing together more than four years and says they don't want to make a living out of art Š because itÕs selling out or whatever Š is lying like hell. That's the whole goal. I realize that it's almost impossible, but hey, you have to have something to shoot for.'

Miller continued, 'I think, in general, that as long as I'm playing in Codger I want to make the most of it and give it every part of me. There are ups and downs. I am sometimes mean to Jeffery, what with all the pressure I put on him to learn more, but I don't try to be. We're best friends, so music would never get in the way of that. Craig is really cool and laid back, so he has to split us up when we fight. It's swell. A huge inspiration to me was reading the book Our Band Could Be Your Life. ItÕs all about the great bands of the '80s that paved the way for bands like us, before Nirvana came along. I love the DIY theory!'

For now, Codger plays at clubs, sends out their weird packages, records, and most likely contemplates their next CD and DVD projects. Too much time on their hands? Maybe the rest of us donÕt have enough time on our hands to be able to have as much fun as Codger.