Averi

During Averi's effervescent set Friday night at the Paradise, the mood was giddy and exuberant, like a scene in a teen drama when the awkward heroes prove themselves at the school talent show. Though the local pop band's musicianship was much more accomplished than anything Hollywood could script for a high school act, the members played the first of their two-night residency with as much fresh-faced joy.

The band quickly launched into a tight set that never lost momentum, even though it played without a founding member, Michael Currier, who was in the hospital (complications from pneumonia), and with sometimes as many as nine musicians onstage. Using blasts of saxophone, bright keyboard fills, and crunchy guitar hooks, Averi gave its songs an '80s radio rock sheen but tempered them with the modern earnestness of bands such as Live and Creed. Such deft instrumental touches also saved the group from veering too closely to the musically simple yet emotionally overdramatic mold of adult contemporary rock, with the exception of the ballad "In Tune."

A prancing guitar melody opened "Flutter," which got the crowd singing before singer/guitarist Chad Perrone showcased the gorgeous, soaring voice that seemed impossibly big for his slight frame. Andy Happel added elegant violin over big strums of guitar and lithe piano accents during the gentle rocker "The Time it Takes to Disappear." A brassy beat and a playful dip into the Eurythmics' "Here Comes the Rain Again" kicked off the spirited dance rocker "This Liminal Life," which burst with soulful harmonies by three female singers.

In a rowdy encore, Perrone sang the strutting rock song "Waiting for a Ghost" with a cordless microphone from the balcony, where the band's parents sat. After making his way through the venue's second floor, Perrone sang another verse while perched on a fan's shoulders. The band finished with a fun, funky take on Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours."
- The Boston Globe

On Wednesday, April 7, Averi, Guster and the Barenaked Ladies played a benefit concert for the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts. With nearly eighty percent of the concert profits going to the fund, including ticket sales and t-shirts, the fund will help Massachusetts families that lost a loved one in the September 11 attacks.

A special section was reserved in the audience for family members and many met the bands before the show, presenting the band members with T-shirts, signed by the family members, and a commemorative clock for their efforts. Each band expressed their gratitude at the chance to play for such a worthy cause.

Boston-based band Averi, an up and coming band that jumped on the chance to play a larger venue, kicked off the concert with a five song set. They have played a variety of places on the east coast from New York to Maine, usually at smaller venues of coffee houses and colleges. Playing at the benefit concert gave the band the chance to share their music with a larger audience and many people waited in line after the show to meet them, get their autographs, and buy their CD's.

Averi has performed together for five years and has previously recorded two CD's. Their 2001 album, Direction of Motion, received a lot of recognition from their live acts and promotion by fans. The five members of the group include Chad Perrone, vocals and guitar; Mike Currier, saxophone and percussion; Matt Lydon, drums; Chris Tilden, bass; and Stu Berk, guitar. Perrone writes the band's songs with occasional help and the band creates a sound that envies Third Eye Blind, but the combination of catchy rhythms, solid lyrics and saxophone puts Averi in a category all their own. - The Clock (Plymouth State College)

When I attended the Matchbox Twenty concert in late September, I was shocked and dismayed to discover one of the two main-stage opening acts was a no-show. I then came to the crushing realization that I had over an hour and a half to kill and absolutely nothing to do.
With $5 jumbo pretzels and $4 soda bottles beckoning to me at every turn (and only a few dollars in my pocket), I realized that aimlessly meandering about the Tweeter Center outskirts was not the best option. So I decided to take a walk to the side-stage.

Now I had been to this side-stage many times at previous concerts, and none of the experiences had been particularly memorable. Most often, the side-stage is home to a local band with a measure of potential and an independent album or two to their name … but not much else.

What a pleasant surprise it was to discover a band like Averi this time around.

Standing at the back of the crowd, I was instantly taken by Averi's unique sound and readily apparent talent. I stood there transfixed, losing myself in the melody. Their 45-minute set made an instant fan of me. I went up to the front and gladly forked over the $10 for their CD as soon as the show was over.

As it turns out, Averi is similar to most side-stage acts at the Tweeter center. Hailing from Boston, they are a local alternative rock band with two independent releases to their name: the EP "At Wit's End" and the full-length "Direction of Motion." However, they have a good deal more than a mere measure of potential.

Perhaps the bostonherald.com summarized it best when they recently proclaimed, "Averi is the future of pop in New England - and likely beyond."
Indeed, Averi's rising popularity has found them opening for everyone from SR-71 to Lisa Marie Presly to the Goo Goo Dolls.
And one listen to their full-length debut, "Direction of Motion," will tell you why.

Every song by Averi is infused with a sense of musicianship not found in most contemporary alt-rock: a seamless blend of melody, emotion, and distortion. Songs like "Waiting for a Ghost" and "Numb" are exhilarating rockers while "In Tune" and "Home" are breath-taking as ballads.

Chad Perrone, lead singer and guitarist, is a strong tenor with an impressive range who can hit high notes without ever sounding whiney - an impressive feat in today's world of Simple Plans and Dashboard Confessionals.

Adding diversity to Averi's sound is Michael Currier, backup vocalist and saxophone player. Acting somewhat like a lead guitar would in other bands, the saxophone's roll is prominent (the solo in "This Liminal Life" comes to mind), but never overbearing. It fits startlingly well with the rest of the band's music.

Rounding off the band are bassist Chris Tilden, guitarist Stuart Berk, and drummer Matt Lydon, all talented musicians in their own right.
Averi is slowly but steadily gaining a fan following. A little more touring and they'll perhaps be popular enough to be signed onto a major label and be picked up by mainstream radio stations. - The Sun Chronicle