Congress of a Crow
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Congress of a Crow

Band Rock Reggae

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"The Sound & Fury"

It's shortly after 10pm on a Friday night, and there's a line growing outside the door of the Blue Dome Roadhouse, the room that wraps around (and behind) the diner on Second Street. No big surprise really, since this is Dfest, but the line is stalling out and the room is packed. Fortunately, I've got one of a limited number of all access staff passes, which, besides meaning I've got work to do and won't be able to stay for the entire set, also means no one will argue with me when I circumvent the line and slide in the back to see what's going on.

Inside, I'm not sure "packed" is the appropriate term. It's pretty much shoulder to shoulder; the bar is about to run out of beer and everyone's too entranced with the band that's thrashing about onstage to even consider leaving.

Of course, the people up front aren't too worried about the bar; in a gesture of gratitude, appreciation and plain ol' promotional moxie, the band is actually giving them beer--essentially welcoming their closest fans to the party.

On stage, the young lady holding their attention is a sight to behold--short skirt, striped tights and electric blue hair. She's flanked by two long-haired, tattooed guitarists who subconsciously weave between funk, metal and reggae without flinching with a thrashing, but rock-solid rhythm section behind her.

As tight as the band is, most of the audience can't keep their eyes off the cerulean-maned singer. Inspired by four decades of female rockers, she marries the mannerisms of Gwen Stefani (rocker-girl Gwen, not the current, pop diva version), new wave chic of Debbie Harry, and attitude of Wendy O. Williams, finished off with a touch of Pat Benatar's confidence and swagger.

And just in case that's not enough, she's eve got the chutzpah to pull out a trumpet and blare away in the middle of a rock concert.

When local rapper PDA appears on stage to take a special guest turn on "Hammer," it not only pushes the musical envelop a little further, it also puts the crowd over the top and the room feels like it's about to split open. Even if you aren't completely sold on the band's sound, it's easy to see why this is one of the most talked about local bands of the weekend.

So who is it? It's Congress of a Crow, and the band is not only living up to the hype and buzz, but delivering a show that will keep people talking the rest of the weekend.

The Chemistry of Rock

What a difference a year makes. Flash back to Dfest 2006, Mercury Lounge for what many consider Congress' coming out party (too, the venue was packed for a performance that grabbed the attention of otherwise uninitiated local music fans and industry people alike and even drew rumors of an impending development deal).

One year later, the band is king. No longer the new kids on the block, the band was out to stake its claim as one of Tulsa's premier rock acts and it did just that, filling the Blue Dome to capacity and leaving upwards of 100 people waiting outside, hoping to catch the show.

The band's original lineup, including vocalist Danelle Phillips and guitarists Adam Tichenor and Wil Sutherland, first convened nearly two and a half years ago, and, after four months of rehearsals, the group debuted with a performance at Boston's in August of 2005.

Since then, the band saw a revolving door of musicians shuffle in and out, going though three drummers and three bass players before finally settling into its current configuration, which includes drummer Nathan Lindley and bassist Todd Shaver.

With the final addition of Shaver nearly a year ago, all the pieces fell into place for the band as it found an identity all its own and hit a breakthrough point in its development.

Even so, there was a distinct chemistry between the core members from the very beginning.

"I remember the first time Danelle came to a rehearsal," said Tichenor.and the bass player from Vastu. We played 'Time 2 Wake Up' (she sings the exact same lyrics now that she did then) and at that moment I was like 'OK, we're onto something here.' That was pretty cool."

That connection or bond within the group is reflected in the band's moniker. Taken from the Kama Sutra, Tichenor explained that "it symbolizes the perfect union, the perfect coming together in a spiritual and harmonious way."

"In my mind," said Tichenor, "being in a band is kind of like having sex, in a very platonic way, but you come together and give to each other, trading energy. In this case, we come together to make a unique sound."

It's a union that doesn't necessarily work on paper, but makes for an original and creative sound. Members from two disparate bands (Sutherland and Tichenor were previously in progressive rock act Vastu and Phillips departed from the celebrated pop machine known as Fridgebuzz) meet somewhere in the middle, then turn left. The resulting mixture is an intriguing blend of pop, progressive rock, funk and hard rock held together by otherwise unexpected reggae - Urban Tulsa


Discography

Congress of a Crow - Self titled EP

Between Shadows & Sunrise - full length CD.
(Several cuts have received substantial radio & internet play)

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Bio

Left of center and pushing the envelope, Congress of Crow is a kinetic five piece regionally touring band from Tulsa, OK. Modern rock, pop, reggae and funk are twisted into a powerfully dynamic sound pushed to the top by lead singer Danelle's lyrics and vivacious stage presence. Congress doesnt just play their shows, every performance is a new & evolving experience for their legion of fans, referred to as the “Congress”.

Arousing guitar layers and fat bottom beats blend perfectly with Danelle's ability to harness the most breathy and bittersweet tones. The music is hard to classify, but it sticks with you long after the music stops.

Congress of a Crow tour regionally, performing over 120 shows a year both as a headliner as well as support for national touring artists like Paramore, Candlebox, Shiny Toy Guns, the Toadies and the Startlight Mints. The band’s first full length release Between Shadows & Sunrise has received substantial radio airplay on both Commercial and College radio.