Eight Stories High returns to Doc's Music Hall
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Eight Stories High started on the eighth floor of Studebaker East about three-and-a-half years ago w...Eight Stories High started on the eighth floor of Studebaker East about three-and-a-half years ago when three guys got together the first weekend after move-in and “jammed” in a dorm room.
At the end of freshman year, the guys won Stu Stock and figured they might want to keep making music together.
From its formation and the number of transitions, the band has arrived at bigger and better things. On Friday night, Eight Stories High will be playing at 10 p.m. at Doc’s Music Hall – 215 S. Walnut St. This will be the first time the band has played at Doc’s since its CD release show Sept. 3.
“We all kind of consider Doc’s to be our home base, and we’re all really excited to get back in there and to get our home crowd excited again,” said Michael Brown, percussionist and senior music technology major.
Eight Stories High does not fit one specific genre, the group said, but covers a large genre area. AJ Wilson, pianist and senior media design major, classifies the band’s music as funk rock. Jack Ramsey, lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player, said its multi-genre rock. The general opinion is that the band plays jazz rock with some hard rock and Latin inspirations mixed in. The band tries to be unlike any other.
“We’re like the ‘superband,’” Wilson said.
This can be heard on its new album, “Fear of the Future.” The album was self-produced by the band and recorded at Ball State studios, and fans seemed impressed with the results.
“I think it’s been well-received,” Brown said.
That is not its ultimate goal, though. The band does want people to buy the album — Zach Gore, lead guitarist, said people should buy it as it’s worth the $10 — but more than that, it wants to get the album out to a larger audience.
“We just want people to hear it,” Gore said.
Although the initial formation was years ago, the six guys that make up Eight Stories High have been together for three months now. The band is constantly adding people and switching people around, but through everything, the band has not lost its strength.
No one person leads the pack. Every member of the band emphasized that it is a team effort. No single person does more work than anyone else.
“We all have our own little niche that makes it successful,” Brown said. “It’s an equal contribution from everybody.”
Along with the specific roles, each member of the band performs for a different reason. Brown said he does it because music is the universal language. People can feel what the band feels when they wrote the song, he said. Fern, the bass player and a student at the University of Southern Indiana, and Ramsey said performing is addicting. You want more and more of the euphoric feeling it gives you. It’s unlike anything else, they said.
“I do this for nothing. If I had nothing else, I would sit on the corner and play my guitar,” Gore said.
For Wilson, it’s all about the energy.
“I love the energy of being able to play music in front of a bunch of people who enjoy it, and just feeling that energy and that atmosphere of just everyone electively joining in one accord,” Wilson said.
Rico Moser, trumpet player and senior music performance major, links the experience to a specific childhood activity.
“It’s like show and tell from grade school,” Moser said. “Everybody’s paying attention to what you’re doing and what you’re saying, and it feels great. You always want to have that.”
The band is known for playing a number of bar shows, but it has recently been getting into street festivals and fairs. Eight Stories High wants to get away from the small bars and move up to larger venues.
As a part of that vision, Eight Stories High will be leaving Muncie at the end of the year and relocating to Florida, around Orlando and the University of Central Florida. All the guys are excited for the new opportunities there and the ability to generate a new fan base in a new state.
“I’m just ready to be in a different area with completely new people because change is good,” Ramsey said.
However, before any of this happens, the band is hoping for a good turnout Friday despite the fact that it’s Fall Break. Eight Stories High will be debuting a new original and its first instrumental piece at the show.
Who knows, the group might also be joined by a dancing penguin.
…
Danielle Turnbull
Eight Stories High: A Muncie Band to Get Into
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Eight Stories High: A Muncie Band to Get Into
By Stephanie Swendsen
Sitting in a garag...
Eight Stories High: A Muncie Band to Get Into
By Stephanie Swendsen
Sitting in a garage with three members of Eight Stories High, the guys seemed like your every-day college students. But as Zach Gore, AJ Wilson, and Jack Ramsey opened up, their talent, passion and love of music surfaced, and their drive for success became evident.
If you haven’t heard Eight Stories High, you’re missing out. The band is comprised of five Ball State students, with their formation rooting on Studebaker West’s eighth floor. As freshmen in 2006, Ramsey, Gore, Andrew Pelhem and Logan McNeely frequently jammed with one another. They formed a floor band, and Ramsey recruited classmate Wilson as their keyboardist. The band landed their first gig playing at Mo’s Tavern, and it was that night that they realized they were doing exactly what they were meant to do.
Pelhem and McNeely eventually stopped playing with the band, and Mike Brown stepped in as the new drummer with Tom Lyday on bass. Eight Stories High improved with the new additions, and they began playing as Bygones Bar and Grill’s house band every Thursday night. As their popularity grew, they got gigs playing at Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s annual Halloween party, numerous Waterbowl festivals, and their most recent accomplishment, being added to Doc’s Music Hall and Doc’s on Dill Street’s rotations.
Eight Stories High is a melting pot of musical genres. When you hear them, you can catch remnants of classic rock, funk, soft rock, jazz, and reggae, with the occasional jam session. As they struggle to pinpoint their genre, Jack lays it out and describes their music simply. “It’s like, bring your party… its party music.” No matter what your musical tastes are, there is something from Eight Stories High you can relate to and love.
The band’s individual members are as diverse as the their genre. Gore, the lead guitarist has 12 years of experience on guitar, playing since third grade. He took guitar lessons during his childhood. Upon entering middle school, he picked up the saxophone as well. He continued playing sax for his high school marching band, and played guitar for the jazz band. Currently, he is a classical guitar performance major, and has built two classical guitars. Gore is a self-described “Led Head”, showcasing his love of classic rock.
Wilson got his musical roots playing percussion. He was pushed, against his will, to begin playing drums in the fifth grade by his mother. But his love for music grew, and he continued to play percussion all through high school in both the marching and jazz band. He then developed an interest for the keyboard, and taught himself how to play. With his natural talent and musical background, he picked up on the keys quickly. Wilson dates his first musical influence back to the music he grew up with in church. Today, Dave Matthews Band is his favorite band, and his greatest inspiration.
Ramsey, the vocalist and guitarist, started off playing trumpet for his middle school’s band. He decided not to play in high school, and picked up the guitar instead. He and a high school friend played a number of gigs their senior year around the Indianapolis area. Ramsey pulls inspiration from a number of genres including: country, rap, rock, and classic rock. However, his greatest influence comes from Incubus. Starting off at Bygones with two, three-hour sets a night, the band played many covers. They covered bands such as The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Beatles, Sublime, Steve Miller Band, Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more. Currently, however, they are in the process of transitioning to playing strictly originals. With Ramsey as the main songwriter, and Gore and Lyday also contributing, they have eight official originals, and many more in the works.
Eight Stories High is taking advantage of Ball States recording facilities, and have been in the recording studio every Monday for the past month. They plan to have their album finished by Dec. 1 for their album release party, where they will be giving away three to four hundred CDs. They have been putting a lot of time and effort into recording, and will have an eight-tracked album they’ll be sure to be proud of.
In regards to their future, the skies the limit for Eight Stories High. As they finish out their last year and half at Ball State, the band looks forward to finishing their album, gigging as much as possible, increasing their fan-base and building connections. This talented band has endless potential, and the passion necessary to reach it. They plan on staying together after graduation, and will go with whatever comes their way.
Wilson said it best when he emphasized the importance for the support of the local music scene to increase. “If there was anything I could say to the people here, those that love music, it is to go out and expand your horizon. Go see some local bands that are out there playing. Even if it’s not us, there are a lot of good bands to experience. There is so much time and effort put into playing and getting out there, and a lot of time people don’t come. We want to entertain people and want people to see how good we are as musicians and experience the music we’re creating.”
You won’t be disappointed if you take the time to come out and see Eight Stories High perform. Each member brings something unique, and they make it work. Different musical ideas are always popping up for these talented musicians, creating an exciting, musical spontaneity.
Band Members:
AJ Wilson- keys, vocals
Jack Ramsey- guitar, vocals
Zach Gore- lead guitar
Michael Brown- drums
Tom Lyday- bass, vocals
Upcoming Shows: Thursday, October 30 9:00 PM Doc’s Music Hall Friday, October 31 9:00 PM The Waterbowl Thursday, November 6 10:30 PM Doc’s on Dill Street
Website: www.myspace.com/eightstorieshigh
supersonic
