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another legendary New England band, Clean Living, filled in for a short time. Zonkaraz’s good fortune continued, as they were able to grab drummer Tom Grignon straight out of New England Conservatory. Grignon, a professional who always did his homework, was a solid, reliable addition, who allowed the band’s upward momentum to continue uninterrupted. In 1978, Crockett decided to go his own way. “He actually couldn’t develop his own thing in our band,� remembers Porter. “Then he met Valerie, and that was it. He was on his way.� The band auditioned many guitarists, all quite good, but “for whatever reason the connection wasn’t made,� says Vuona. “Then Larry came in, and it was OK again.� Larry Preston, who was used to playing small roadhouses in the woods with a couple of different country bands, was thrust into the madness of the world of Zonkaraz. “To be able to go into a club that was packed was great. And it was all original music, which was also great,� says Preston. “And I have to say that I ended up loving everybody in the band. It was very cohesive.� He admits to being a little intimidated at first. “Walter’s were a big pair of shoes to fill. Not only is he a great player, he’s a big stage presence.� Where Crockett’s playing was very melodic and a traditional country style, Preston was more of an experimenter, coming up with quirky note combinations that surprise the ear, and it worked beautifully in the band. The ’70s wound down with a still immensely popular Zonkaraz intact. The band survived many member changes, while founders Vuona and Porter remained at the core. After a while, Nancy
new band called The Shades that could not have been more different than Zonkaraz. It was a complete makeover. Even though Vuona remained by Porter’s side during The Shades, it was certainly not anything resembling Zonkaraz, so the name and the era died. At this point, Barnard came back into the picture. “I’ll tell ya, it was a damn good band with Joanne in it,� Vuona says. Still, as he recalls, “The Zonkaraz fans hated us,� and they left in droves. And that was it. Just like that.
REUNITING
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Bill MacGiliuray and Michael Allard Madaus joke around during a rehearsal session. Roche decided to move on, and once again they found themselves looking for a way to carry on. “We understood by that time that people leaving isn’t a betrayal. It’s just the way it is. You don’t sign up for life,� Vuona states. After a few attempts to replace Nancy, including a short stint with the talented Kim Page, it started to feel like the band’s time might be up. Meanwhile, Porter felt his creative juices heading in another direction. “The ’80s new wave was just beginning, and bands like The B-52’s and The Cars, they took me over.� He claims that he had exhausted his contributions as a songwriter in the style of Zonkaraz.
Suddenly, almost literally overnight, Zonkaraz was no more. Porter decided to chase his muse in the direction that was calling him. “It was really just a natural progression in my personal travels as a songwriter.� So, with a little prodding from Preston, Porter started an entirely
ast forward to late 2005. Zonkaraz announces that they will play a reunion show at First Night on New Year’s Eve 2006 at WPI’s Harrington Auditorium. Blissful fans filed in, happy for the chance to relive the memories. Backstage, the band members congregated in awe of the attention that they were receiving. Once they came out on stage, it was apparent that the magic was still there. Equally apparent was the natural affection between the band members. All of this inspired Vuona, ever the businessman, to give it another crack. In 2008, he upped the ante and brought the band into what was then a fresh new
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