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The Atomic Sharks

Bringing the sounds of ukulele fun to the Fort

By Jim Mount

Fort Wayne Reader

2014-05-20

When you hear someone playing a ukelele, more often than not they're able to take you away to someplace completely different. You could be living in the cold and snowy midwest in the dead of winter and this little instrument will have you thinking of a tropical sun, deep blue water lapping up against the white sands of some island you've always seen in the travel brochures but never heard of. If you're a member of an older generation, the ukelele probably makes you remember Laugh-Ins' Tiny Tim and his famous “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips.” But it could be that here in Fort Wayne, hearing a ukelele will make you think of sharks, specifically the Atomic Sharks.

Who or what are the Atomic Sharks? Around for a little less than a year, the Atomic Sharks is the duo of Kris Hensler and Kenny Taylor, a pair of local musicians picking up the ukelele and introducing the sound locally for an altogether different entertainment experience. Hensler, the founding member of the Sharks, explains who the Atomic Sharks are and what they play;

“The Atomic Sharks are myself and Kenny Taylor. Kenny,” Hensler says of his partner, “is a virtuoso ukulele player as well as an accomplished guitar player,” says Hensler. “He's been with the Feel back in the 80's then with Red Belly Boys after that and the Blue Moon Boys (which was Rockabilly) and other various bands as well. He's an instructor at Sweetwater teaching guitar, ukulele and banjo. He's definitely a Fort Wayne legend and I'm very fortunate that he chose to work with the Atomic Sharks.”

Hensler himself has a pretty extensive background and a born loving music; “I play mostly ukulele with the Sharks,” Hensler says of his own experience. “However I was born a drummer. I started taking drum lessons at the age of 7 then started playing clubs at 14.” Playing drums through college and professionally in and around California in the early 80's. Henslers own musical influences run a lot into the Jazz genre citing artists such as Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton when he was younger to a more heavier influence with horn bands such as Blood, Sweat and Tears and the Chicago Transit Authority and, of course, the Beatles. “When I write,” Hensler says, “I strive to make music that's easy to sing along with. If you can't remember the song the next day then I haven't done my job very well.”

Eventually getting into the ukulele as his primary instrument, Hensler says that he had originally started to play guitar, which helped him learn to write songs and it was the guitar which led him to the ukulele; “It's a fun instrument to play,” Hensler says about the ukulele, “and it's a lot of fun to teach others how to play, it's a very communal instrument.” Hensler maintains that the ukulele isn't your usual instrument and offers a view of some what the ukulele offers;
“Guitar players tend to be a solitary type of personality I think whereas the ukulele player prefers to ‘spread the love’ so to speak. The ukulele sidesteps all of the ego and focuses on the enjoyment that playing it brings. There's a huge ukulele resurgence going on right now all over the world. New ukulele groups are springing up everywhere from Russia to South America.”

What kind of music do the Sharks bring to the stage? If you can picture the tropical scene or remember the photos of Elvis wearing the Hawaiian ring of flowers while playing the ukulele that gives you an idea of the style that the Sharks have to offer.

“In short, what we play is island music,” Hensler says. “That can include influences such as Jimmy Buffet, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, traditional Hawaiian music and anything else that sounds like it was written on the beach in the Key West.”

“But we play original music for the most part,” Hensler continues, “with a few covers thrown in for good measure.”

The name of the act itself speaks to a certain level of creativity that that the duo brings to the stage. Just what exactly are “Atomic Sharks” and how did the name come about? Hensler explains: “I was searching for a name that would appeal to kids but I didn't want to appeal ONLY to kids. It was a happy accident really. I knew I wanted to feature island music based around the ukulele and as I was tossing around various ideas the name Atomic Sharks just kind of popped in my head . I kind of knew from that moment that we would be...the Atomic Sharks.

Ultimately it's the live performance is what drives the Sharks, Hensler says, everything else builds up to that and what he and Kenny Taylor hope to bring to the stage.

“Live performance is the whole exercise in my opinion. The writing, recording, rehearsal and everything in between is the moment that a musician works for...audience approval. My ultimate goal as a songwriter and a musician is to craft a song that will make people feel just a little bit better about their day. Music should be able to elevate your life in a way that is unique to the art form. I hope that I can do that for people on occasion.”

The Atomic Sharks next show will be at the Beatlefest on May 24th at 6:00 PM at the Allen County Public Library Plaza. Admission is free and if you play the ukulele you are more than encouraged to bring it with you. For more information visit the Atomic Sharks on their Facebook page.