Band's performance postponed in May

By L.J. Gambone
Apple Valley Review

Wind and threatening rain may have put a wrench in their plans in May, but the members of Under Construction are planning to prevail and give their fans the performance they want.

For the past four years, the High Desert-based musical group Under Construction has been hard at work building a loyal fan base at live shows. The six-piece ensemble has performed at the San Bernardino County Fair, Hesperia Farmers' Market, The Wine Seller, Fat Jacks and the Center Stage Lounge at the Green Tree Inn, to name a few.

On Thursday, Under Construction is scheduled to headline the Town of Apple Valley’s Concerts in The Courtyard series beginning at 6 p.m. at Apple Valley Commons, at the northwest corner of Highway 18 and Dale Evans Parkway.

The group was scheduled to perform under the same series banner in May, but gloomy weather and looming storm clouds forced Town officials to postpone the concert until skies were a bit brighter.

According to the group’s co-founder and singer Tamara Cox, she and her bandmates will deliver a high-spirited show filled with music that spans more than six decades.

“We enjoy playing music from lots of different eras,” said Cox, a former choir director at Serrano High School in Phelan. “And our audiences really love to dance, so we do a lot of current dance tunes to accommodate the demand.”

Cox said Under Construction started out playing mostly 1970s and '80s classic rock. Over time, the group steadily expanded its repertoire to include hits by everyone from Pat Benatar and Bon Jovi to Train and Katy Perry.

Its set list also includes lots of country music, such as “Gun Powder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood,” “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts and “Downtown” by Lady Antebellum.

“In the beginning, we really weren’t intending to do any country music," said Cox, who also performs with the Orange County-based band Instant Replay. “But people started requesting it all the time, so we decided to incorporate into our shows and it’s always a crowd pleaser.”

Along with Cox, Under Construction’s lineup consists of Margaret Carpenter (vocals), Brooke Kujawa (vocals), Jay Miner (drums), Tom Barnett (bass) and Dan Reyes (guitar). Reyes lives in Hesperia.

Cox, who works at Pirates Dinner Adventure in Buena Park, said most of her group’s members also hold down day jobs.

“We have a vet tech, a landscaper and a paint salesman in the group,” said Cox, a 1998 graduate of Serrano High. "Even though we’re all in different places in our life, we really enjoy getting together to make music.

"Hopefully, we’ll continue on and maybe even start doing some bigger gigs outside of the High Desert. We’d all love to do something at Disneyland.”

Along with its knack for delivering a diverse repertoire of songs to its fans, Cox said another one of Under Construction’s strengths is its soaring and tight vocal harmonies.

“People tell us that our harmonies are very impressive,” said Cox, who enjoyed a stint as a Christmas Caroler at Disneyland and also was featured in a British documentary about American choral groups. “We blend really well together and that’s something we’re proud of.

“Beyond that, the band has great chemistry and I think that comes across to our audiences, who always seem to have a great time at our shows.”

Check out the group’s website, krkujawa.wix.com/underconstruction, for additional concert dates and its latest news. Find the band on Facebook at www.facebook.com/weareunderconstruction.