By: Adrian Valentine
The title says it all. Robert Plant, once the lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin, introduces a very melancholic lullaby-like melodic structure and mixes it with a psychedelic rhythm that borrows from EDM, all the while bringing it together with folk riffs spread throughout to create a very unique roar. A lot to take in for sure, but the album is imbued with Plant’s experience.
Plant is no amateur, with decades of experience under his belt, and he does not disappoint with his latest solo endeavour. Plant’s lengthy career is evident in his latest offering, as there isn’t a single errant note. Considering the myriad of different sounds he is experimenting with, he does a masterful job of bringing it all together into a wonderful harmony, like a meal brought together with foreign foods that surprisingly satisfies one’s appetite.
The album drops its sombre mood and picks back up at a whim. “Poor Howard” highlights the album’s occasional playful nature in the way that it has Plant’s vocals playing against his music while the single, “Rainbow”, is as upbeat as it gets. The latter exhibits a sort of hopeful sadness, being a song about the perseverance of love with beautiful lyrics over a bittersweet instrumental ensemble.
The final track, “Arbaden”, brings back the vocal melody of the original track in an entirely different instrumental light. The music changes to have a more, slightly overpowering, psychedelic trance without the Celtic folk influence, leaving the listener in a state of odd restlessness. This restlessness in turn provokes them to listen to the first track again in hopes of bringing back some sense of clarity in the mist Arbaden leaves.
Lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar is very progressive and the result of an experienced musician playing around with new styles. The result is wonderful and I definitely recommend picking it up to experience this new age harmony brought to us by an old classic. If you’re a fan of classic rock, EDM, psychedelic beats, or even Celtic folk music then this album is for you.
What was impressive about this group’s performance during Supercrawl on Sept. 13 was the stage presence and energy provided throughout the performance. Breaks and breathers were non-existent as poise and youthful enthusiasm added to the surprising amount of experience each member has to sound like a complete band that had been together and playing for multiple decades. Despite a relatively passive crowd at Supercrawl -- completely forgivable given they were not the main attraction -- they were confident in their music and abilities. Even if you dislike punk pop, their memorable performance will definitely raise your opinion of the genre.
Three of the four members trace their roots to 2008, where they performed together in a group called Done with Dolls. This was a more youth-focused group that had airplay on The Family Channel. Fortunately, their music has matured and grown alongside them to have a bit more angst, a good amount more depth, and a lot more talent and ability.
Their self-titled EP in 2013 was surprisingly good for an official first effort. Though it did not have any major surprises, it was consistently upbeat and fun throughout in an incredibly accessible way. The Heights EP in 2014 provided significantly more variation and expansion of their style to exciting new possibilities. These, combined with their live performances, have gained wide enough recognition to play at the Sound of Music Festival, NXNE, Osheaga Festival, Riot Fest, and many more over the course of the last summer.
Though they do not have all that much in their discography quite yet, a bit longer before they are all out of high school, and a bit of refinement to do, The Beaches are definitely on the watch list for big things in the future. Maybe a year from now, maybe five years from now, and probably with a catalog of new sounds and influences behind them as they continue to grow musically.
Tom Krell cuts a looming figure with his 6’4’’ frame towering above others. What surprises most is that Krell has the voice to match his distinctive height. Those who were near the Hamilton Airport Stage this past Saturday were in for a treat in the form of Krell’s delectable falsetto.
With his latest record, “What is This Heart?”, Krell has separated himself from the torch-bearer role thrust on him by buzz-purveying music blogs. Despite his singing style, Krell is much more than a poster-boy for the recent insurgence of so-called “alternative” R&B. On WITH, his third full-length release, Krell shuns the crass stylings of the lesser creatives he’s been grouped with in the past and succeeds in making a brilliant sounding pop record that is at once his most ambitious and intimate yet.
Clad in an indigo blue button-up, Nike Air tee, designer sweatpants, and Kobe’s on his feet to help him balance out well, Krell was in jovial spirits. Despite the chill in the air, Krell was able to create a warm atmosphere with the help of his band.
The majority of Krell’s set list was culled from WITH, but the greater portion of the audience seemed to already be aware of the June release. Supercrawl is very much a public festival, with people walking down James during and in between shows, but the crowd gathered by Jackson Square did their very best to maintain a reverent silence for Krell.
Despite the sombre nature of some of the songs he was performing, Krell allowed himself the odd wisecrack to relieve the inevitable tension. During one breather, Krell pointed to his guitarist and keyboardist and noted that they were Canadian to the obvious delight of the crowd. During another, he gave a shoutout to Hamilton’s own Jessy Lanza and all the dogs at the festival. Before launching into his next song, Krell pointed to the drone flitting around the overcast sky and jokingly asked, “can we get that drone out of there?”
The intricately produced music did not suffer when being translated to the live setting by a three-piece band. “Repeat Pleasure” and “Childhood Faith In Love” were still as delightfully catchy as their album counterparts, and Krell’s undeniable passion was infectious. As he crooned into his two separate mics, Krell clutched at his shirt as if he didn’t know what to do with all his pent-up angst.
The Chicago resident’s sadness soon found an outlet in “Suicide Dream 1”, a cut from his debut record. Krell explained that the song had been written for his best friend who promptly passed away soon after it came out. The mournful track was chill-inducing in its starkness.
I stopped going to church because I don’t believe in god anymore, but Krell’s performance of “Set It Right” — before which he reminded everyone that Supercrawl was a special festival but that there were still “a lot of hungry people out there” — was much more spiritual than anything I’ve ever felt while kneeling on pews.
The backing track died down for Krell to list off the names of people he missed, but as if he recognized that everyone was on the verge of tears (myself included), Krell launched into an uplifting rendition of Young Thug’s “Lifestyle” which put a smile on everyone’s face.
In many ways this thematic dichotomy represents everything Krell’s music is about: confronting your own burdensome issues while keeping the ability to have fun and laugh at yourself close to heart.
Although The Silhouette is a pretty big university newspaper, the name doesn’t quite hold the same weight I like to think it does when applying for media accreditation to shows outside Hamilton.
This summer has been different in that respect — barring my heartbreaking denial from One Direction’s ACC show — with one of our number getting a pass to Osheaga. That said, I was still surprised when I got an email from Riot Fest staff saying I’d gotten two press passes. I had pondered buying a ticket earlier in the year when I heard The National were playing, but I had passed it off as an unnecessary indulgence considering I’d already seen them twice during their three-night stand at Massey Hall. With the pass taking money out of the equation, I joined the thousands of others on the subway to Downsview Park. The festival lineup was one that boasted a lot of acts that were past their prime, but that didn’t matter for those looking at it as an opportunity to see bands they used to love when they were still pubescent.
After meeting up with my friend and walking past Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne (he’s also a flaming asshole) in the press tent, I walked over to the Rock Stage where Taking Back Sunday boasted a pretty large audience for a midday set. I only caught the tail end of the show, having shown up pretty late, but from what I gauged by the crowd’s temperament, TBS seemed to have aged well. The same couldn’t be said for their fans.
Brand New was next on the docket after a break for lunch and the struggle to find a dry place to sit amidst the muddy wasteland. There was another big turnout for the emo heavyweights who could never be accused of trying to pave new ground. They’ve always made scream-heavy songs with pretentious long-winded titles, but those always found a way to weasel into the hearts of angsty teens who took themselves equally as seriously. Since I hadn’t heard them for a while, most of Brand New’s songs sounded difficult to differentiate between. Regardless of the fact that I’d moved on from such music, it was cool to see a lot of people crowd surfing and losing their minds in a good way.
DFA was the first band I was genuinely excited to hear at the festival, and for the most part I wasn’t disappointed. I had missed their 2012 Hamilton Place show, so it was nice to finally get to see them. With a new album coming at long last this month, DFA is still a big draw off the strength of their debut alone. They played a good amount of their hits, but sprinkled in some newer material that didn’t really register with the bro-filled audience. Lead singer and drummer Sebastein Grainger took a break from proceedings to remark that “95 per cent of you are probably from Barrie or Orillia,” which to me sounded like a polite way to call someone white trash. I just wish they had played as loud as Brand New.
“People still listen to Billy Talent?” I thought as I trekked across the entire park to take in the native Ontarians’ set. It turned out a good number of Riot Fest attendees still do. What’s more impressive is that guitarist Ian D’Sa is still styling his hair in the same ridiculous fashion as he was when I first discovered the band in the early aughts. As corny as most of their music is, I still found myself in the mosh pit during tracks like “Red Flag” and “River Below.” Lead singer Benjamin Kowalewicz’s constant swearing seemed more of an attempt at remaining relevant in a fast-changing musical landscape than an actual desire to say “fuck you” to any establishment.
The Cure were really high up on my list of bands to see as I had missed their Osheaga set the previous year. Robert Smith and his rotating cast of band-mates didn’t disappoint for the most part. The audience was predominantly middle-aged and, as a result, rather subdued. I didn’t care if no one else was moving around and really let loose during “Just Like Heaven”.
The lady standing next to me had her phone out the entire set. The stark brightness of her phone compelled me to look down in annoyance. I read her latest text: “This is a photo of The Cure. My new boyfriend has taken me to Riot Fest. This whole day I have been subjected to gay band after gay band…I can’t believe he likes this crap.” Although I did have some grievances about the set — mainly that it was too bogged down by deep cuts — I wouldn’t have gone that far. Her conservative attitude was one that I think a lot of the people at the festival shared and it was quite sad to see. I left early to avoid the rush to the subway.
I had been looking forward to Day 2 as I was slated to interview The Bots, a two-piece rock outfit from L.A., before their early set. As their surname denotes, Mikaiah Leh and Anaiah Leh are brothers, and it showed in their impressive performance. Aptly dressed to deal with the heat in all white, both seemed to be on the same frequency as they ripped through their brief but lively set.
Mikaiah’s voice has deepened since the band’s early days and it seems that has given him a lot of confidence behind the microphone. As hard as it is to attract an audience so early in the day, the band’s talent proved to bring many to look up from their phones. The brothers showed their charisma during the quieter folksy tracks that fill out the rest of their upcoming album, Pink Palms, out Oct. 13. During those more demure, introspective tracks, wiry frontman Mikaiah kept the crowd engaged with his collected demeanor. He later won their adoration with his rabid guitar antics during ‘5:17, which spurred a circle pit to open in front of him.
No one has ever faulted three-piece Cape Town outfit Die Antwoord for not being left field enough, and they definitely stayed true to this for their Riot Fest set. DJ Hi-Tek took the stage first to spin a song whose lyrics we won’t dare print in these pages. Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er promptly joined him on stage, dressed in neon orange tracksuits despite the blazing heat. The crowd seemed like it wanted to join the two rappers in their high-spirited revelry, but the sun appeared to have gotten to everyone not in the immediate vicinity of the stage. That said, there was a good number of fans up to the task of jumping and waving their hands in the air. Power to the topless crowd-surfer. Everyone left not quite knowing what they had taken in.
I hadn’t seen Stars since last summer’s inaugural Field Trip festival, so I was happy to see them take the stage to raucous applause. As always, Amy Milan and Torquil Campbell brought their own contagious brand of utter joy to the masses as if they were put on this Earth for that sole reason. Campbell took this responsibility so seriously that he shouted “be happy” at the crowd, who obliged with little dissent. Campbell spoke his mind about Canadian politics, saying that we only had one year of Harper left and that he would hate how much fun we were having. The only disappointment the set left the crowd with was the knowledge that it had ended after only forty minutes.
Seth Cohen’s favourite band was up next. The show was bittersweet for me, as my love for them had admittedly waned since my adolescence, but the knowledge that Chris Walla was leaving the band following this tour made me incredibly nostalgic and put me in a really emotional place. As others will attest to, being so emotional isn’t that great when you have to deal with the whoppingly beautiful 8-minute barrage of sadness that is “I Will Possess Your Heart”.
The rest of the show proceeded without issue, meaning I didn’t start sobbing. Frontman Ben Gibbard admonished that they were probably the least punk band on the bill before launching into a spirited rendition of “Soul Meets Body” that had everyone singing along (read: me shouting my off-key version at others). I didn’t see as many couples making out as I thought I would.
The National are the band I came to the festival for. Also the band who unfortunately was not doing any press on this stop of their lengthy tour in support of the excellent Trouble Will Find Me. I’ve seen their live set so many times I can tell what song they’re going to play just judging by what guitars the roadies give to Aaron and Bryce Dessner, but the show was fantastic regardless. Matt Berningner consumed his mandatory bottle of wine onstage and didn’t bother with much banter. Instead, the band opted to squeeze as much awesomeness into their hour-long set as possible.
Why Riot Fest gave the ever boring City & Colour the headlining slot ahead of The National is beyond me, but at least I didn’t have to sit through an hour of Dallas Green’s sleep-inducing music to get to the good stuff. While the setlist was composed of mainstays — from the booming “Bloodbuzz Ohio” to “Fake Empire” — the inclusion of Boxer deep-cut “Ada” came as a incredibly pleasant surprise. Later, Berninger got the crowd going in the best way he knows how — by descending into it during “Terrible Love”. The festival’s 8:40 p.m. set cutoff time was so strict that there was no room for the acapella version of High Violet bookend “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks”. I’m sure Metric wouldn’t have minded, but shit happens and the band put on the best show of the weekend.
As The Bots walked towards me behind the Rock Stage at Riot Fest, it finally struck me that these guys were my age and touring the world off the back of their burgeoning band. My fleeting existential crisis gone for the moment, I gave Mikaiah and Anaiah Leh daps and immediately struck it off with the two-piece rock act. The pair of brothers hails from L.A. and it shows in their laidback demeanor. Mikaiah, 20, and Anaiah, 18, are of mixed Caribbean-Asian descent and are responsible for guitar/vocals and drums respectively. They jammed together for ten years before deciding to become a full-fledged band seven years ago, and they haven’t looked back since.
Time has proven to be an amicable force working in The Bots’ favour. It has spurred them past the awkward stages of puberty and put them on a fast track to stardom. The fact that they were homeschooled allowed them to spend an ample amount of time on the road, and it shows in the tightness of their performances.
“You do find a comfort zone and get a handle on things and how you want them to sound; everything becomes more streamlined and you can tell,” said Mikaiah, of the experience they’ve gained over the years.
Both of them also attested to the crazy sights they’ve seen at their shows.
“We played in Denmark once and we had a weird crowd who made a wall of death. That wasn’t that out place, since you expect that, but there was a guy in a cow suit and people were throwing wigs on stage and yelling ‘take it’. There was a lot of violence, which we don’t advocate, but they wanted it. We play shows where we perform folk songs and people still crowdsurf and go wild,” said Mikaiah.
The band says they’ve seen a good number of performances that have inspired both the songwriting on their upcoming record and their shows. They agreed that Kanye West’s headlining set in Sweden was fun to watch. Mikaiah gushed about Metronomy who “have five people on keyboards and it still doesn’t sound electronic somehow, which is really nice,” while Anaiah listed off Buddy Rich, Johnny Blackwell, and Brian Chase as major drumming influences.
Their sophomore effort Pink Palms is out on Oct. 13 via Fader Label, and the pair both spoke about how excited they were for others to hear it.
The writing and recording process began in November 2013 and concluded in late May, with Justin Warfield helping with production in a Hollywood studio. They worked close to every other day as Anaiah finished up his schooling. The experience of working closely with a producer was a new one for the band, but one that they enjoyed learning about.
“It made me realize that I want to take it back for the next album like how people in the 60’s and 70’s used to do it in an analog old-school studio. The current album is very produced, not in a sellout way, but it’s something you would hear on the radio because it’s a way to get our foot in the door. Hopefully it will lead people to be more interested to see what we come out with for the next album,” said Mikaiah.
Both Mikaiah and Anaiah praised Damon Albarn for the support he’s shown them, not only by inviting them to tour with him, but also in giving advice when they needed it most.
Anaiah said that Albarn helped alleviate the stress that the two felt after signing with Fader Label and feeling the need to live up to expectations on their second record.
“We talked to him at SXSW not too long ago and he said ‘just keep on writing tunes.’ Writing tunes is what it comes down to, and also what the next album will rely on. It shouldn’t be as much about production value, which is great. The songs need to be good,” said Mikaiah.
“Melodies and tunes, that’s what it’s about,” chimed Anaiah.
The Bots have high aspirations, but if they just keep Albarn’s words close to heart, they’ll have terrific chances of achieving them.
Sean Thompson is a Hamilton native who has made a name for himself as a producer-DJ extraordinaire with the moniker “ttwwrrss” (pronounced “towers”). ttwwrrss’ self-titled debut album was released by Hamilton’s own Maisonneuve Music this past April. The eight-song record is a compelling listen that combines pristine synths with the natural grittiness of hip-hop and more unorthodox electronic elements.
In a world where everyone has Fruity Loops on their computer and feels entitled to add “producer” to their Twitter bio, ttwwrrss’ masterful use of sampling is a welcome breath of fresh air. Standout tracks ‘Jungle’ and ‘Sabre’ are fire, whether you let them knock in your car’s speakers or hear them through a club’s more finely tuned sound system.
How old are you now and what did you study after high school?
I’m 20 years old now, and while at Sheridan I was in their Media Arts program. It’s a great school and I highly recommend it.
What prompted you to adopt the name “ttwwrrss”?
To be totally honest I can’t remember how I came to towers... but I do know that once I had it set in my mind that I wanted to be towers, the next task was to get all the necessary social media accounts. Obviously “towers” was taken, “twrs” was open but I didn’t like it because that was right around the time Trust’s album “TRST” came out and I felt like I was stealing. Eventually I decided to double the letters and here we are.
You grew up in a sleepy suburb and went to a high school that was monocultural in the worst way. Bearing that in mind, what compelled you to begin making music that doesn’t sound like anything that you’d hear Stoney Creek bros playing out of their Honda Civics?
I wanted to make music with machines and computers, but I didn’t want to be pidgeonholed into EDM or anything like that, so I always tried to be like NIN.
I never really felt like I had to make a certain type of music based on where I grew up, but looking back I realized everyone else I knew who got into music either “produced” questionable electro-house or trap beats, both essential bro car music genres, so I guess there was a pressure and it just didn’t get to me, thank god.
Did any artists influence you from the get-go? I know you were a big fan of Justice.
Justice was huge for me; Nine Inch Nails is what really made me want to make music. DJ Shadow & Daft Punk made me realize how intricate sampling can be.
Those are the artists that I would consider myself inspired by, rather than simply a fan.
How valuable has the experience you gained during your internship been to you?
I am so thankful for my internships at Catherine North Studios & Cable 14 Television Studio. Although I learned a lot of technical skills that I use everyday from the internships, I really value the personable skills I learned during these times. I used to be very shy but I quickly realized that trait needed to go if I wanted to be successful.
Could you walk me through your normal production process when making a new track?
I used to always start with a sample and I would craft a whole idea then start to build the track around it. I found myself starting with a bass or a lead synth for a lot of my new album. With the new music I’m working on now, almost every song started with a drum kit / beat.
What are your thoughts on the current music scene in Hamilton?
I love the Hamilton scene; it’s super cool seeing it grow with me. I have started to notice more and more people coming to shows and supporting local acts. I am very excited to see where this all goes.
Any acts you want to see at Supercrawl this year?
If I’m not a last minute addition opening for Four-Tet, I’ll most likely be in the front row.
If you could collaborate with any Canadian artists right now, who would you choose?
Grimes! I love her stuff. It might be impossible but I also think a ttwwrrss x MSTRKRFT collab would be rad.
There is almost no logical explanation for enjoying this album. The beats are repetitive, the hooks pummel one to death, and the overarching themes of love and sexuality have been treated in far better detail by countless other artists. The essential saving grace of the vast majority of Pharrell’s recent work, this album and other collaborations included, is its incredible catchiness.
The relatively narrow focus of each song in production and lyricism is more than sufficient given how well these earworms are pulled off; some of these songs represent the epitome of pop music.
The only real question to determine your enjoyment of this album is whether you can tolerate excellent segments being expanded and repeated over the course of an entire song. Not enjoying one section of a song can also completely ruin the rest of the song, which represents an all-in strategy by Pharrell. Listeners will absolutely love or absolutely hate parts of the album.
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“Marilyn Monroe” starts off the album with a love letter to a beautiful girl. Pharrell proclaims his willingness to abandon conventional symbols of powerful, sexy women throughout history for his subject.
On this note, another saving grace that drives the entire album from potentially mediocre to greatness is Pharrell’s confidence. This shines through when he elevates himself to the level he described the girl at, stating, “We’re so hard, I was so hard that they can’t chew,” which is a play on the phrase, “don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
Despite praising this girl so heavily throughout the song, he considers her capable of handling his desires and vice-versa. This line is incredibly important, as it best represents the rest of the album. Pharrell fully believes himself and the target of each song to be engaging in the greatest love and lust the world has ever known.
This is the catchy, confident, must-listen pop album of the year in certain sections. Buying into Pharrell’s ambitions and intentions is absolutely essential, and often easy as a result of Pharrell’s ability to clearly convey his aims. The only potential issue is the collapse of the whole experience due to excessive repetition.
G I R L fully represents Pharrell’s abilities, and shows he is poised for a potential stranglehold over the pop scene of 2014.
4/5
Nicole Vasarevic
The Silhouette
The Steel City’s music scene was full of life last Friday night at the Doors Pub, where Hamilton band the Bandicoots played alongside Billy Moon and the Mackinaws. Exciting, for sure, but Justin Ross – vocalist and guitarist for the Bandicoots as well a McMaster student – is no stranger to his native city’s potential for musical energy.
Just over a year ago, Ross and drummer Andrew Parkinson started the band almost unknowingly. The two first began jamming when they stumbled upon a guitar and drum kit at a house party. Soon they recruited Ross’ co-worker Nicolai Koyel as lead guitarist and school friend Max Cain as vocalist and bassist.
As the band added members, its sound, classic rock with an urban twist, also began to grow. “We play what we wanna hear,” Ross said. Their influences vary from older groups like the Strokes to up-and-coming bands such as Temples, a psychedelic rock band from the UK.
The Bandicoots debuted their sound at the Casbah, and gigs at Absinthe, This Ain’t Hollywood and the Doors Pub eventually followed. Lo and behold, The Bandicoots were taking their first footsteps into the local music world.
The band experienced their biggest break last November when they opened for Born Ruffians, an ascendant indie band from Midland, ON with tour dates worldwide. The word that Justin kept repeating when talking about the night was “awesome.”
With the dual perspective of someone both in the audience and on the stage, Ross said that not only is Hamilton full of opportunities for musicians, “it’s also just a good place to be.”
“The people in this city are not concerned with the aesthetics, they do it for the passion of making music,” he said. It’s not about being the best here, it’s about meeting people and sharing your passion for music.”
The band is planning on recording their first EP soon at Hamilton’s very own Threshold Studios. In the meantime, they will keep trying to make it in Hamilton’s music scene by adhering to a simple philosophy. “Don’t think about it. Don’t play to be famous,” said Ross. “Play and write music you want to hear, because you love it. That’s the key to this music scene.”
Sophia Topper
Staff Reporter
How did three high school band geeks end up opening for Theory of a Deadman? McMaster band Daydrunk’s origin story is one of auspicious coincidences and last minute frenzies. Jordan Hallin, a fourth-year philosophy student, who plays guitar and vocals, is also the resident story-spinner. Last winter he happened upon an MSU “Last Band Standing” poster and thought, “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, so why not throw this crazy thing together?”
With just days before the Feb. 1 deadline, Hallin recruited his acquaintance Marty Vandenberk, a third-year sociology student. The group needed a third member because the competition prioritized larger bands. Luckily Marty’s housemate, Rhett Amin, a bass player, was just next door. They called out, “Hey Rhett, you’re gonna be in a band with us,” and he obliged. The first time they practiced together was while recording their audition.
Amin’s bass is a defining part of Daydrunk’s sound. The bass often takes on elements of the melody and as Hallin said, “Rhett does things on the bass that consistently surprise me.” The early rush of success for the band has had a large influence, explained Amin. He said, “We have way more shows than we have practices, we have to listen to each other.” This unity exists offstage as well; said Hallin, “We’re the best of friends.”
Their opportunity to open for Theory of a Deadman came about in much the same way as the band got together. Hallin discovered the Whiskey Rocks contest three days before it closed, and sprang into action. Vandenberk said, “Jordan came to our house one day and said, we’re going to do this. Jordan always comes to us with these crazy ideas, and our first reaction is ‘you want to do what?’”
They filmed their music video in just one day, and Amin and Hallin spent six hours editing their footage. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder on anything,” Hallin said.
Ironically, the Whiskey Rocks contest, run by the LCBO, would not allow them to use the name Daydrunk, because they said that it promotes irresponsible drinking. Their fans on Facebook suggested switching the name to Dray drunk, which was viagra alternative accepted by the contest coordinators.
That wasn’t the only snag they ran into. Going from coffeehouse nights at Mac’s Bridges Cafe to the London Music Hall was a big change, but the band took their mistakes, such as hitting microphones, as learning opportunities. “We got to experience things going wrong and everything turning out all fine,” said Vandenberk. The band also shared their appreciation for the friends and family that came out to support them. “What they really don’t understand,” explained Hallin, “is how much it means and how much it helps us.”
Daydrunk was overjoyed by the success of their set. Hallin, who was still wearing his performer’s wristband during our interview, describes the experience as “unbelievable.” “We’ve had the experience of playing on a sound system that can deafen small children, how often can you do that?” said Vandenberk. Theory of a Deadman, who was once their childhood hero, came up to them afterwards and congratulated them on their performance.
They plan to build off this success by putting out more music in the next two months, and hope to release a full album by next summer. Daydrunk also has ideas for a benefit concert for the music program Vandenberk worked for in high school. Hallin said he hopes his shows “always have a cause…using your music to spread music to more people, what’s the downside?”
