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(12/03/13 12:53am)
Local reggae group Black Bottom Lighters brought its good
vibes and sheer talent to Marquee Theatre on Nov. 27, playing a headlining
show with a slew of local bands to back them up. The show packed over half of
the Marquee with enthusiastic fans who eagerly sang the words to every song,
including the band’s unreleased new single, “Carousel.”Later this month, the band will play on the local part of True Music Festival in Scottsdale on Dec. 14.The State Press sat down with the band's vocalist Ryan Stillwell and guitarist Taide Pineda to talk about how it got started, what’s coming up and where they would like to see themselves in ten years.
The State Press: How did the band get started and how did everyone meet?
Ryan Stillwell, "Stilly": I basically put an ad out for someone that wanted to play reggae rock and T (guitarist) was the first and only response. We got together the very next day, started jamming and within the first 10 minutes, we wrote our first hit or fan favorite, if you will. After that, we played as an acoustic band for a while. From there, we just kind of evolved into this monster.
SP: How does it feel to be headlining the Marquee? Pineda: It feels really good. Stillwell: It feels amazing. We’ve headlined here before, but … we had just started so we just had our friends but now it’s become a fan base, so it’s very exciting to be able to play in front of people that actually appreciate the music. As a local artist, that doesn’t happen very often so we feel very privileged. SP: Black Bottom Lighters has a few pretty major shows coming up. Tell us about those. Stilly: We got a call that we won a contest on Reverbnation and out of like 1,200 bands we got chosen to play with Pepper, The Dirty Heads, Stone Temple Pilots (and) 30 Seconds to Mars and it’s in Jacksonville, Fla. Dec. 14, we have True Music Festival coming up. That’s with Bassnectar, Wiz Khalifa and The Flaming Lips. That just being in our hometown is huge for us. Then in March, we just booked a show with Rebelution, Pepper, Atmosphere and Iration. That doesn’t get any better as a reggae rock band. SP: Where do you see yourselves in five or ten years down the road? Stillwell: Traveling the world. We want to also support the American dream, having a family. We want to live not just survive. The band also described its desire to take music from a part-time hobby to a full-time career. Stillwell and Pineda even joked around about being a Grammy-nominated band someday and touring the world with their music and their dream. You can find more information and music from Black Bottom Lighters on its Facebook page and on Reverbnation.
(10/29/13 10:26pm)
Rock band Story of the Year is currently celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its debut album "Page Avenue" while out on the Scream It Like You Mean It tour this fall. The State Press sat down with drummer Josh Wills to talk about the anniversary, touring with newer bands and writing new music for 2014.The State Press: Story of the Year is currently on the Scream It Like You
Mean It tour, which is a 10-year anniversary celebration of “Page Avenue.” The
band did something special for this record. Can you talk about that?
Josh Wills: For the 10-year anniversary of that record, we wanted to do something a little more special other than a standard remaster or remix of that record, because that record, in itself, sounds a certain way, and we didn’t want to just kind of redo it. We wanted to do something with the songs to make it a little bit more special that people would want to go back and listen to and see that record from a different point of view.
It’s kind of an acoustic record, but I can’t really call it an acoustic record, because it’s a whole lot more than just acoustic. There’s a lot more percussion and keyboards and strings and programming and things like that. We went a little crazy with everything, but we’re really stoked on it and can’t wait for everybody to hear it.
SP: How did it feel to go back through that record and explore it in a different format?
JW: It was cool. We’ve more or less been playing all those songs for 10 years now, one way or the other. It was cool to really go back and pick apart that record and realize now, 10 years later, that we’re older and smarter about music. It was cool to go back and see how we did certain things back then. It was cool to go back and dissect everything.
SP: How does it feel to know that the fans are still excited about these shows, especially with the 10-year anniversary element?
JW: It’s really cool and it’s a good feeling, because we have taken a lot of time off in the states. We haven’t toured the states proper in almost three years. It’s a really good feeling, because it’s scary nowadays in the music industry. You have to put together these … packages in order to have a successful tour, unless you’re Muse or somebody like that who automatically sells out arenas. To sum it up, it’s a really awesome feeling that everybody wants to come see us again. I think the goal of taking some time off was achieved with this. We’re all really excited; it’s going to be fun.
I just read something (on Facebook); we had people post memories of that album. It was really cool to go back and read. I read through about 200 comments, and it was really cool to see and read what that album meant to other people, because it means the world to us. To be able to create music that affects so many people in so many different ways is an awesome and humbling feeling.
I’m excited for people who haven’t seen us in a long time or who have never seen us, because it’s going to be a really special night. We have a lot of cool, special things planned, and it’s going to be really fun.
SP: Are you working on any new music?
JW: We haven’t yet, but we will be. I know Ryan and Dan have been writing and a while ago they sent a few demos to us. We haven’t actually started writing yet, but we will. I think that’ll be one thing that we try to do on this fall tour. We definitely want to put a new record out next year, hopefully earlier in the year. It just depends on when we can get time locked down to really write it. We want to, we’re going to, it’s going to happen, we just don’t know when yet!Reach the reporter at okhiel@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @OliviaKhiel
(10/29/13 1:29am)
Theatrical rock band Set It Off recently stopped in the
Valley as part of the Scream It Like You Mean It tour. The State Press sat down
with drummer Maxx Danziger to talk about the band’s nonstop touring, new music
and what the future holds for the band.
The State Press: Set It Off has been touring nonstop for a really long time. How does the band continue to do that?
Maxx Danziger: Honestly, it’s a double-edged sword, because we love touring. If we’re home for too long, we get really bored, (and) we start to get antsy and just want to get back out on the road. Once you get bit by the touring bug, you never want to stop. It’s amazing; you get to see all your friends that are out of town and play shows and meet new people, but on the other end, you miss family functions, you miss your family and your friends in general. I don’t think I could do anything else, but it has its price.
SP: Do you ever get burned out while on the road?
MD: Definitely. We call it our “tour wall.” You can tell when someone’s hit it. The show comes up, and they go to load in, and they’re just kind of a little bit slower than usual. After awhile, you get homesick. It usually only lasts about a day, and then it’s like, “I love this tour.” We get through it.
SP: The band also played the entirety of Warped Tour 2013. What was that experience like?
MD: The thing about Warped Tour is it’s the hardest tour we’ve ever done, but at the same time, it felt like summer camp for adults. You got to play music for a ton of kids, and you got to see and hang out with people who are all genuinely excited about seeing and hearing and watching music. And then, at the end of the day, you got to hang out with all the bands and make new friends. It was good; it was exactly like how I remember summer camp being.
SP: Are you currently working on any new music?
MD: Absolutely. We’re always writing (and) demoing out songs. We’re trying — hoping — to get out a new record by next year. We’re trying out some new things, really all over the place. Some of the heaviest stuff we’ve ever done and some of the poppiest stuff we’ve ever done, so we’re trying to find a middle ground there. We’re really excited about the songs that we’re writing.
SP: Set It Off collaborated with New Year’s Day for the reissue of “Cinematics.” How did that come about and does the band have any future plans for more collaborations?
MD: I believe that was the first collaboration we’ve ever done. We were hearing a bunch of these songs on the radio and bands writing these duets that were really sappy … so we decided (to) write a song about two people that are in love, and it’s really f-cked up and awful, kind of like the Bonnie and Clyde story. We needed a girl for it, so we figured why not Ash Costello, who is a badass. Cody and her worked really well together and their voices mixed really well. It all just kind of happened naturally. We’re always open to more collaborations and things like that if the time comes.
SP: Does the band have a dream collaboration?
MD: There are so many. We always thought it’d be really cool to have Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence do one. Eminem would be cool. The list goes on and on and on, but that’s just a few to name.
SP: Creating music and touring aren’t the easiest jobs in the world. What inspires you all to continue to be musicians?
MD: I think a lot of it has to do with the people that come out to shows. You can have the worst day ever; you get a flat tire, you can end up late to load in, you’re hungry and tired, you haven’t seen your friends or family in weeks and you get there and there are these people that are just so excited to see music and see your band, and it makes it all worth it.
It reminds us that the reason we’re doing it is for music. The reason that anyone started being in a band is because they saw a band play, and it made them feel a certain way, and they said, “I want to make other people feel that way.”
SP: Where do you see the band in five or 10 years?
MD: I’d like to say selling out arenas with One Direction. I would say hopefully just continuing to go in an upward direction, continuing to play music, continuing to have a love for it. And touring nonstop. Touring until I’m dead!Reach the reporter at okhiel@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @OliviaKhiel
(10/23/13 10:32pm)
The Tragic Thrills have crafted a self-titled album that proves that this new band is here to stay.
Comprised of former members of Allstar Weekend, The Tragic Thrills ensures that the listener will never confuse its music with that of Allstar. "The Tragic Thrills" ditches the pop hooks of the group's musical past and instead explores Mumford & Sons-esque instrumentation and stomping folk beats.
Released Oct. 22, "The Tragic Thrills" kicks off with “Afterthoughts,” in which singer Zachary Porter paints a melancholy picture of lost love.
The album continues with the rollicking “Crazy,” where Porter commiserates over his lover’s insanity. Porter's vocals are what truly makes this album worthy of repeated listens. With this self-titled record, Porter has given himself room to explore his voice, and it shows as he growls his way through “Crazy” and croons “Alive.” Something that clearly shows the band’s departure from its squeaky-clean pop roots is the rather obvious addition of four-letter words. While this may seem a bit contrived at first, it quickly becomes clear that this group has found themselves."Creeps and Strangers" shows the album's crystal-clear indie rock vibe, while "Gospel," one of the strongest tracks on the album, rightfully starts off with a church organ before launching into a bouncy acoustic-guitar based tune.
Overall, the album flows from one song to the next as it's backed by the solid instrumental talent of Michael Martinez, Brent Schneiders and Cameron Quiseng ... and nothing feels like filler.
The band members clearly spent a significant amount of time finding themselves to get to this point in their careers, and the results are impressive. While the indie vibe of the album is a bit unexpected upon first listen, it is refreshing to hear this group of men try a genre that they enjoy and evident that Porter’s vocals have grown stronger over time.
While the lyrics of the album are simplistic at times, Porter makes them sound sweetly elegant and entirely relatable. The members of The Tragic Thrills may not be newcomers to music, but this record is solid proof that this new venture has gone the distance.
The Tragic Thrills will be playing at The Nile Theater on Dec. 7 with Night Riots, Kyle Nass and The Gallery. Reach the reporter at okhiel@asu.edu
(10/16/13 4:00pm)
Australian folk/indie group The Paper Kites recently
embarked on its first American tour with City and Colour this fall. The State
Press sat down with co-vocalists Sam Bentley and Christina Lacy to talk about
their tour experiences, recording their debut album and what drives them to
keep playing music.
(10/12/13 8:35pm)
City and Colour treated fans to an enchanting evening at the Marquee Theatre on Friday as Dallas Green brought his band of talented musicians to Tempe for a lengthy concert that packed the local venue.
(10/04/13 9:26pm)
It’s safe to say that The Maine plays in Arizona a lot. While band members call the Valley of the Sun home, it is not surprising to see a concert announcement including the popular band. However, despite the fact that they are so prevalent in this scene, The Maine never fails to make each show feel like a brand new experience for its fans.
(10/02/13 10:53pm)
British rockers You Me At Six stormed into Mesa for a packed show at the Nile Theater on Tuesday.
(09/26/13 5:00pm)
Justin Timberlake and Anthony Mackie are two of the stars of
a new action film this fall called “Runner Runner.”In “Runner Runner,” Timberlake plays Richie Furst, a Princeton graduate student who gambles through online poker to pay his tuition bills. After losing all of his money, he decides to fly to Costa Rica to confront the man he believes swindled him. Along the way, he is tailed by FBI Special Agent Shavers, played by Mackie. Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton also star in what promises to be an intense movie.
(09/15/13 8:48pm)
Hot Chelle Rae visited the Valley on Sept. 12 with Carly Rae Jepsen at Comerica Theatre. The State Press sat down with guitarist Nash Overstreet, bassist Ian Keaggy and drummer Jamie Follese to talk about the band’s recent touring experiences, new music and what it was like opening for Justin Bieber.
(09/08/13 6:12pm)
YouTube darlings Megan and Liz brought an energy-filled show to Martini Ranch on Friday.
(03/17/13 9:06pm)
Los Angeles-based 2AM Club stopped in Scottsdale and talked about tour life, horror stories and what’s in the future.
(02/26/13 10:30pm)
Marquee Theatre shook with the rock music of the Take Action Tour when it rolled through Arizona on Sunday.
(02/24/13 8:21pm)
The Wake Up and Be Awesome Tour brought the heat back to Arizona with the kickoff show in Scottsdale on Thursday.
(01/24/13 11:32pm)
(01/23/13 11:55pm)
“Let’s have some fun!” Austin Carlile, polarizing frontman of hardcore band Of Mice and Men, screamed.
(01/23/13 1:00am)
(11/29/12 12:53am)
As 2012 winds down, the world settles into a time of reflection on the past year. That is, until the radio is turned on and that one inescapable pop song is playing. There is always one song that becomes so overplayed that most people immediately change the station upon the first note. Here is a list of tunes that make The State Press hope the world ends in December, just so they won’t be heard anymore.
(11/27/12 1:01am)
Mayday Parade lead singer Derek Sanders sat down with The State Press to talk about writing the new record and what the band hopes fans will take away from its music.
(11/27/12 12:46am)
Star-spangled backdrops, screaming guitars and a proposal (spoiler alert: she said, “yes”) all entertained a nearly sold-out Marquee Theatre on Saturday for the last night of Mayday Parade and The Maine’s co-headlining tour.