Music
Press
Black in the Mind
House of Blues Orlando Show
January 17th, 2009
By The XR Volume Correspondence Team
Black In The Mind, a group of promotional-savvy musicians won the over the audience of the House of Blues in their hometown of Orlando before the performance even started by tossing out free t-shirts and CDs. The XR Volume Correspondence Team got the sense that performing in front of a screaming, moshing audience wasn't a new experience for the band; front man Michael Folds seemed almost bemused at the enthusiastic response from the crowd. Nevertheless, Black in the Mind were at the top of their game throughout the performance, truly showing off their individual musical talents on songs such as "It Gets Weird" and "Let Me Be the One."
This being the first Black in the Mind show for the XR Volume Correspondence Team, we were intrigued by the way their raw music spoke to the audience with relatable lyrics rather than simple screaming guitar riffs accompanied by screaming vocals.
Their wide range of obvious influences were everything from the Beatles to Green Day and it made for a far more interesting, involved concert experience.
Throughout their performance it was intriguing to watch the way the musicians of Black in the Mind carried themselves on the hallowed ground that is the House of Blues: bassist Ryan Sylvester basked in the moment by focusing solely on the music, while guitarist Chuck Knickerbocker enjoyed the well-deserved fan attention from the crowd. Drummer Brandon Crowley looked ecstatic throughout the show and front man Michael Folds gave his fantastic performance a considerable edge with his vocals.
The members of Black in the Mind appeared very personable as well as approachable, and still retained that brief pre-stardom mindset.It will serve them well in their future career to remember these early performances.
Of the five bands performing at the House of Blues that night, Black in the Mind was the only one who caught and kept our attention during their entire set---a rarity, to be sure. The night was a definite success for Black in the Mind, and this group will certainly go a long way in the music industry as long as they keep the same spirit they displayed at the House of Blues.
Text Copyright XR Volume 2009
All Rights Reserved
- XR VOLUME
Discography
Black in the Mind EP 2007
Black in the Mine EP 2008
Radio Single: Still Seeing Red (2008), Double Life (2009), For You My Love (2009).
Black in the Mind: For You My Love (full length cd)
Photos
Bio
The Story
In a small central Florida town in the beginning months of 2007, singer and songwriter Michael Folds had a revelation. His dream to build a band combined with his brilliantly written guitar segments that set a new standard in the world of music was placed in full effect. Accompanying Michael’s inconceivable vocal range and dominating performance, bassist Ryan Sylvester saw promise to his mission and immediately joined him. Ryan’s assembly of undulating bass lines and intense, inimitable stage performances contributed greatly to the start of a new generation of music. The work now had begun, and finding and making a name for themselves was just the beginning chapter.
They needed to find the perfect band name, a name that would catch the minds of the fans and draw in the others. They came up with ‘Black in the Mind’. So what does it mean? The question itself can almost be the answer you’re looking for; it’s whatever you want it to be. Being Black in the Mind is easy; you simply "black out" your mind and allow your thoughts and worries of everyday life to dissolve into nothing. When you free your mind of everything, you find yourself in the right state of mind to really hear music. To be Black in the Mind, you must be able to "hear" the music. If so, the music will be free to take your imagination anywhere it wants to go. This creates a strong bond between the music and the listener, a personal relationship. This is what music is and does for us. So there it is- Black in the Mind is more than just an idea; it’s a place, a feeling, a safe haven of escape that’s always there when needed. You can make it whatever you want; it’s your musical world to customize.
Even with a band name, the two were still missing the musicians that had the talent and commitment to fill in the open positions at drummer and rhythm guitar.
Finalizing the lineup was just the first step and they quickly succeeded at this task as Brandon Crowley (drums) and Chuck Knickerbocker (guitar/backup vocals) filled the voids with unprecedented talent and drive.
The next step was to start promoting and performing to the public. They did this by playing almost anywhere; the 4 were determined to make a name for themselves. Through their eccentric stage presence which included 360 jumps and intense audience participation from Ryan, the incredible, mind-numbing drumming talents of Brandon, and the mesmerizing harmonies that Chuck and Michael produced almost effortlessly; their stage performance caught the fans and helped create an extremely loyal fan base.
Already creating a rather large buzz, their full length CD would establish the now inevitable victory in their battle to prove to the world that they could accomplish anything. This dream for achievement is now becoming a reality and is only a matter of time before Black in the Mind performs their stories of love, hate and experiences of life to the world and perseveres in the overtake of a person’s mind; putting them in that place of pure bliss; with no consideration of any elements except that of music.
BITM- As a band, weve accomplished a lot in a very short time. Weve played major venues for sold-out crowds such as; House of Blues, local stage @ Vans Warped Tour, Jannus Landing, The State Theater, The Orpheum to name a few, all of which are located in the Central Florida area.Weve been hired as an original/cover band for many local events such as; birthdays, festival events, and fairs. Upon entering two major battle of the bands events in our time, weve come away twice with the first place prize. We have a very loyal fan base that we appreciate very much and will continue to play for. We are very proud of what weve done together in our short two years as Black in the Mind.
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