Issue date: 10/31/03 Section: The Verge

The frontman from one of the most underrated bands of the 90's and one of the best bands to come out of Chicago is hitting the stage at Friends & Co. Friday.

Nash Kato was a guitarist and front man for Urge Overkill for their whole 12 years together, now he is solo and in Charleston for what is sure to be a memorable show.  Urge Overkill hit the big time with their 1993 release "Saturation" and became even more popular when their cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" was featured in Quentin Tarantino's classic movie "Pulp Fiction" in 1994, earning them a place on the charts and in people's CD collection. 

Urge Overkill would go on to release a follow up to "Saturation," "Exit the Dragon" in 1995, which was just as good as "Saturation" but not received as well by the public.  Due to record company problems and issues inside the band, the writing was on the walls for Urge Overkill, but it was just the beginning for Nash Kato. There are pretty good odds that even if you don't know who Urge Overkill was or who Nash Kato is you've probably seen or heard them before and did not realize it. 

Urge Overkill made a cameo performance in the Farrelly Brother's movie "Kingpin" playing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"We were playing a show and afterwards the Farrelly Brothers introduced themselves

and said that they were fans and wanted us to play a song in a scene for a movie that they had already finished.  The next day they flew us out and we filmed

the scene," Kato said. 

Kato also made a brief appearance in "Wayne's World 2" on the soundtrack and

in the film.  In the soundtrack, Kato sang a song with women's rock pioneer Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders singing "Superstar" under the group name of Superfan.

With the breakup of Urge Overkill, Kato decided to take the familiar route that others before him have and go solo.  But unlike many newly-christened solo artists before him, Kato was not going to go in a different direction with his sound. 

"I'm not going to come out and say, yes this is my new direction, I will

have four drum machines and synthesizers," Kato said.

In April of 2000, Kato released his solo album "Debutante" with songs that were in the same vane as Urge Overkill, but now they were all his own. 

Kato says how he plays his music is completely different from when he is in the studio compared to how he is onstage. 

"When I'm in the studio I can be sensitive, but when I'm on stage I'm over the top and

Continued...

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