The official title of Stare Down The Sun's third release is The Same Storm. But by all indicators—ranging from past precedents to the present product—the band's CD release party this Friday, Feb. 20 at Maximum Capacity has all the makings of a perfect storm of hype and excitement that may catapult the Holyoke heavyweights to their rightful place along major label contemporaries when the decibel-laden dust settles.
Similar celebrations for 2005's A Better Place and '07s Bleeding Through resulted in sold-out crowds in years prior. And based on the handful of pre-release tracks leaked onto the band's Myspace (.com/staredownthesun) and the subsequent reaction, Sun strummer Benjamin Jon has been beaming like a proud papa.
"I can't wait to get this stuff out," he exclaimed in a post. "This is easily our strongest work to date."
Similarly celebrating new studio product this weekend is Westfield's own Within The Ruins, who'll unleash their highly anticipated Creature upon the masses at Holyoke's Waterfront this Sunday, Feb. 22. The effort will serve as the band's debut on their new label, Victory Records.
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In other news, Drunk Stuntmen six-stringer F. Alex Johnson checked in to report that… well, he really digs The Dig.
"I don't—and have never really—done anything like this before," he adds of the impending endorsement. "But I'll be willing to stake my reputation to say that this is a band you should see now while you can still pay at the door, if you know what I mean."
The Valley veteran went on to reveal that he first learned of the Big Apple band via a friend of a friend last summer and subsequently made visits to The Dig's Myspace as regular a part of his daily routine as his morning coffee and counterfeiting coupons (a long story). But could they possibly pull off these dynamic harmonies, angular guitar riffs and relentless bass lines in a live setting? A 2008 Elevens engagement would soon yield the answer.
"My jaded jaw literally dropped as I watched a four-piece group of twentysomethings play with so much honesty and powerful elegance that you always hope for in a new band, but are seldom granted," he concluded.
This Saturday, Feb. 21, those with similar sensibilities to Johnson's will have their wishes granted yet again as The Dig nestles in to the Iron Horse with fellow New Yorkers Kaiser Cartel.
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Also Iron Horsin' around this Saturday, Feb. 21, is Suffern, N.Y. resident Jon Pousette-Dart and his Pousette-Dart Band, who'll take the stage for the late show, 10 p.m. start. Mining some of the same musical terrain as The Eagles and Little Feat, Pousette-Dart made a name for himself—and secured a deal and subsequently released four albums for Capitol Records—in the mid-'70s. Along the way he's shared stages with an eclectic array of talent, to the say the least, including but not limited to The Byrds, Peter Frampton, Journey and Father Guido Sarducci. More recently, Pousette-Dart has contributed vocals to The History Channel and ABC's Lost, and is currently at work on his eighth studio effort. For information on both Feb. 21 shows, visit iheg.com.
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Lastly, since we've slipped into a New York state of mind, a certain set of Empire Staters on the all-ages concert bill slated for the Town of Greenfield's Teen Center Feb. 21 may look familiar to fans of a certain MTV reality show. According to their Myspace (.com/shiragirl), Brooklyn's Shira Girl have teamed up with Real World cast member Devyn to write a new song and perform some shows, and are currently featured on the website realworlddailies.com.
Others on the local, multi-band bill this Saturday include Noho's Us Against The Archers, Ionia and Parking Lot Antics, the last of which will be debuting its "new, rounder sound" that evening and is currently seeking a keyboardist to fill things out even more. Parties interested can email the band directly at parkinglotanticsforyou@yahoo.com. For info on the entire show, point your browser to pdpproductions.com.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
