Limelight

THE NEXT BIG THING: SUNDAY'S BEST
By DaVonne Armstrong

It just so happens that the Trocadero is my favorite music venue in Philadelphia. So having the opportunity to perform on even its tiny balcony stage was a privilege and enough reason for high expectations. However those expectations were negated at the moment I remembered that The Next Big Thing was a local show. Typically amateur or “local” shows aren’t that good. The bands are more often than not horrendous and the organization of these mini-concerts are anything but organized. Many of the bands that play in the Philadelphia/South Jersey music scene are notorious for butchering Hardcore: a merge-genre that’s a mix of metal and punk. In other words hardcore is basically the same three or four chords, played drop or minor key, with heavy distortion, and numerous breakdowns. Professional hardcore incorporates metal thrash riffs and a combination of screaming and singing. That is just not the case in this area.

So my initial feelings toward this particular show were numb outside the excitement of performing. However they were almost immediately countered by the overwhelming talent in just this day alone. Don’t get me wrong there were still horrendously sucky bands but the number of talented bands were a pleasant surprise.

Foul Language

Amongst the brain pounding, face melting metal-core bands was Foul Language, an electric-acoustic band from Norristown, Pa. Foul Language was the only acoustic guitar act in the entire competition: “I liked being the only acoustic band, it set us apart a bit from everyone else,” guitarist Tom Connors told me. He and band mate, guitarist Bobby Waterman started Foul Language a year ago playing at Steel City Coffee Shop in Phenixville, Pa. “Me and Tom jammed together once at the beginning of last summer and after that just decided that we should make an acoustic band together,” Waterman said. They took their love for bands like Sublime and The Mad Conductor, Bobby’s nine years of guitar experience and merged it with what Connors calls “hippie music” and BANG! the birth of Foul Language.

All that jamming did not go unnoticed as their quick fingers and harmonic voices impressed the crowd at The Next Big Thing resulting in the only encore request that Sunday; the boys opted to do an improvised song instead of an existing track. “The improvised song was fun for me,” Connors comments on the experience. Bobby felt that the song was a success because of their many improvised jam sessions. Though Tom, Bobby, and newest member drummer Jordan were not winners in this local competition they were definitely successful in standing out from the rest.

Shadow Rose

“Its time to melt some faces!” lead guitarist Mike Lamplugh thought as he was waiting to take the balcony stage that Sunday. He and his fellow band members, guitarist Mark Cunard, drummer, Lee Rowbothum , and myself, bassist DaVonne Armstrong were so amped and anxious just to play at the Trocadero, that we forgot that The Next Big Thing was a competition. Until we found out that we won second place of course: “I wasn’t even paying attention [to them announcing the winners] until my mom started screaming,” Cunard says. Mark’s mind was too occupied with other things such as the status of the shocks on his Monte Carlo, going to the bathroom and being bombed with soaked toilet paper, by Rowbothum and Lamplugh, while going to the bathroom. This is typical behavior for us however, we don’t really take our band seriously at all. On numerous occasions Cunard has referred to Shadow Rose’s performances as goofy. We simply let go and be ourselves, act crazy, throw some props in the crowd and have a good time. Our music style definitely illustrates that, with song titles such as “Primal Circus” and “Pirates” and instrumental styles ranging from simple bass lines running parallel with heavily distorted power chords or casual bass riffs laced between ear piercing metal solos. Who could possibly take us seriously?

Even during an interview the boys of Shadow Rose couldn’t give a serious answer or give an honest answer with a straight face: “I had to take a wicked poop,” Cunard said when asked what he was thinking when we pulled up to the venue. It is still a mystery to all of us how and why we won that competition but we are eternally grateful.

Mahoneys View

It’s very clear why this Phillipsburg, New Jersey/Easton, Pa, band won first place at The Next Big Thing. Its almost awe striking how similar they sound to The Mars Volta, an experimental/indie/rock band known mostly for its sporadic transitions between movements of their nearly 15 minute tracks. The only thing Mahoneys View needs to do now is learn to sing in Spanish and they’ll be set. Actually they’re extremely tight musical performance and genuine connection with the audience could be more of the reason why they were named Philadelphia’s Next Big Thing. Guitarist Brian Dickey said that the days and even weeks before the big show were stressful. The day of the show they had to be on the road by 7am in order to make it to the Trocadero on time by 9am. For a band six members strong that is a great feat. Six members, Seth Phillips (vocals/sax), Matt Sheehan (keyboards/synth), Ian Muessg (drums), Conor Kimsman(bass/vocals), Brian Dickey, and Nick Kossup (guitars) are essential when your bands main influences are large jazz fusion ensembles and the Mahauishu Orchestra; sacrifice becomes a common action.

Even though this band played during the Saturday show of The Next Big Thing they definitely deserve to be mentioned (psst! They won first place, duh!)

Photographs: (Top right) Members of Shadow Rose from left to right; Mark Cunard, DaVonne Armstrong, and Mike Lamplugh, (Top left) Bobby Waterman of Foul Language, (Bottom right) Tom Conors of Foul Language