| |
| |
|
|
| |
Another Tragic Ending
The Divinity of Local Music:
A Group of Five Who Will Leave You With An Immortal Impression
Arriving an hour before the show to conduct an interview, take pictures, and wish some close friends luck, you can tell by the energy encompassing the building that tonight isn’t just a regular show at the Arcadia YMCA in Hope Valley. Glaring at the clock you would notice that it’s 7:05, and the opening band hasn’t even begun its first song yet. Although a feeling of excitement is rushing through your veins, it’s not Knuckle Down you’re waiting to see. Its February 28th, coming up on 8:30 p.m., and as the lights begin to dim for the last time, you take a deep breath, and you hold it.
Another Tragic Ending has been around, theoretically, for about a year. Although you might think to yourself that they don’t sound all that familiar, if you follow local music, you’d realize that they used to be Five Minutes Late. The name change came about 3 months ago, but the music hasn’t changed at all. If it has though, it’s only gotten better.
With general smiles all around the band, they turn around to begin. The only reason you release your breath is to sing along. They begin the night with "Hurting For Innocence" (which is not on the CD entitled Second Hand Hearts). Jesse Packard, the lead singer, intertwines a melodic voice with lyrics of painful heartache and misunderstanding, to lead you into the world of constant emotion. With some musical influences such as Thursday and Boy Sets Fire, you can sort of see how he uses his own originality with his own impression to write and sing the way he does.
As of late, the group who, if you met, would seem to share more than just a friendship, more like a brotherhood, has been busy playing shows at popular places such as The Met Café in Providence, or the URI Coffee House, on campus at URI. Along with gathering a group of dedicated fans, the band has also succeeded in making a name for themselves. The music and live performance, which is, in itself, nothing short of astounding, have allowed them to slowly broaden their horizon. The next song they offer is called "Waking From A Nightmare". This song tonight, above all, seems to be the one that gets the crowd into the music. The music, which the group has come to categorize as "heartfelt post hard-core", is backed by Bob Jack (lead guitar), Chris Calcagni (rhythm guitar), John Picard (bass), and Sam Lepiore (drums). Some of their influences include The Who, the Picard's Uncle, and bands that they listen to such as American Nightmare and Poison the Well. Chris, whose rhythm and vocal harmonies impress us further with the band’s talent, says that he is inspired to play as an "art of expression".
As the band begins to play "Tomorrow's Promise", a large eruption stirs the crowd. The song has been posted as a MP3 on their website, www.AnotherTragicEnding.com, for quite some time. As the song progresses, you can surely hear and see the lyrics rolling off the crowd’s tongues as they sway side to side contently to the sounds they are hearing. It‘s not unlikely to see the crowd singing, and moving, and even getting in on the action on stage during their shows. "End It All", one of the band’s first original songs, is recorded with a small background of people singing the lyrics repetitively through the chorus with those exact words. If you haven’t attended an Another Tragic Ending show, here’s why that’s on there. When the song is played live, the band allows and even seems to feed off of the crowd singing it back and acting as though the music has really overtaken them.
Throughout the night, the band promotes the CD. By the end of the night the band had sold 41 copies. At only $8, it is well worth the money. Also available for sale that night was pins. In coming days the guys hope to have another designed pin and stickers.
The last song of the night in entitled "Star Gazing Without Looking Up." As you walk outside, to go back to what now seems such a dull life, you’re singing in your head an excerpt of lyrics from that song. "But I will shiver 1,000 chilled night skies and let this ache eat at my bones, for a dance with you under clear autumn starlight, cause with you, forever is now." |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
