Interview with The Features
SacTV.com "Video of the Day" review by
Alex Cosper on August 2, 2013
SacTV presents an exclusive interview with Sacramento 80s legendary band The Features. They have regrouped
to do a special reunion show August 9 at Old Ironsides. Band members appearing in this interview include
singer Johnny Pride, guitarist Waylin Carpenter, keyboardist/vocalist Curtis Hilliar and drummer Curtis Blankenship.
Bassist Vinnie Pantaleoni does not appear in the interview but will be performing at the Old I show. Both
Carpenter and Pantaleoni were also members of the RCA recording artist Steel Breeze in the 1980s.
The band split up in the late 80s following successful tours with Steel Breeze, a local album called
Up Up Side Side and a near record deal with A&M before the record industry went through a period
of turmoil. The Features were under the same management as Steel Breeze. Pride went on to form Pride In Peril
with Features members before returning to his home in Atlanta to teach arts and history at a private school.
Every few years he returns to Sacramento to do a Features reunion. They will also be performing with Numonix
featuring Kitty O'Neal and Thomas Bix of Mod Philo, who were also well known local bands in the 1980s.
In this interview the band members talk about the fun times in the 1980s and some of the reasons that led
to their breakup. They touch on how close they made it to a record deal then as Johnny recalls, "We thought
it was a done deal, so we just went about doing that crazy rock and roll thing that we do." Waylin talks
about his time with Steel Breeze before joining The Features after Steel Breeze lost their record deal
with RCA. The band did have a national top 20 hit in 1982 called "You Don't Want Me Anymore" and a
follow-up single called "Dreamin' Is Easy."
During the period that Steel Breeze and The Features played together frequently they were told by band
management that they would get a record deal. "We weren't paying attention, we were young," says Johnny.
They figured the lawyers would take care of everything while they concentrated on making music and having
fun. But like many bands including Steel Breeze, raw deals can come in fancy packages as managers tend
to keep a lot of the money that their bands make.
See more video interviews and performances of The Features
Interview with The Features
The Features Rehearsal of "Misfits"
The Features Reflect on the 80s
The Features: "Lost in the 80s"
The Features: Future Plans
Sac Scene 80s Reunion Movie
The Features Sacramento Show: Rich Girls/No Rock and Roll Radio
The Features Show: Blue Video
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