Music
The best kept secret in music
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I heard Crew was going to be back in Tulsa on the 29th to play a show, so naturally I had to go. They started their set with some old favorites, and the crowd went crazy. The energy never stopped, and a woman even managed to injure herself after a misjudged stage dive. The crowd quickly cleared out space on the floor for a mosh pit, invoking multiple smiles and nods of acknowledgement from the band. The crowd danced, moshed, waved cell phones, and sang along word for word. It was the most electric crowd I’ve ever seen at a local show.
A few songs into the show, lead guitarist Doug Brown let the audience know they were going to play some new material. All in all, they played new material for almost 3/4ths of their set, and the crowd ate it up. Their new songs bear passion, clarity, and a voice that isn’t present in their first recordings. All their new songs have the hallmarks of greatness, but two in particular stood out above the fourteen or so that were played. In “Shadow,” the band showcases tension-filled verses that explode into a jaw dropping anthem chorus. Then, with the crowd screaming for a fourth encore (yes, fourth), Crew played “Gone Away” and it quickly became the highlight of the night. With Brown behind a piano, Crew projected the words to the heart-wrenching chorus up on big screens, and had the audience sing along with them:
I think I'll be gone away awhile,
Tell me all the things that I,
Will be missing here in this old life,
Cause I just don't know… No I just don't know…
In the end, there is no way that I (or anyone else) can argue against the claim that Crew embodies the “All-American rock band.” Performing everything with passion, they love their fans, their home, and they love life. They are the personification of the great American idea of rock. Long live Crew!
Stephen Carradini
Editor, Independent Clauses*
*Independent Clauses is a monthly publication dedicated to the reviewing of music, independent or signed.
- Independent Clauses, Tulsa OK
Crew lit up the 24-7 Building on Saturday with both new and familiar sounds of their continuing musical career. Opening for Crew were newcomers Vertugo, who were well received by the standing room only crowd. Crew took the stage around 9:45 and a near capacity audience received the dynamic performance of their hometown band with great enthusiasm. Concert goers were entertained with an explosive delivery of new songs and solid renditions of the old.
Woven into the set of new songs were well known tunes such as “Down,” “Last Time,” and “December.” Lead singer Doug Brown expressed several times that the band truly missed playing for their hometown fans. The band took the opportunity to interact with the attendees by inviting a few people on stage, taking a few pictures, and even singing “Happy Birthday” to a young man standing in front of the stage. A combination of excellent musicianship, reliable security, and an organized technical team resulted in a show that will not readily be forgotten by all that attended.
Rachel Wegner
Entertainment News Editor, Muse
- Muse, Tulsa OK
NASHVILLE- The four former Oral Roberts University students who now comprise the rock band Crew return to Tulsa by popular demand on Saturday, January 21. They will perform at 9:30 p.m. at the 24/7 building of on the corner of 81st and Delaware, 918.491.7835. Doors open at 8:00 and an opening band performs at 8:30 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge and the show is open to all ages. Nelson Mazda is sponsoring the band and performance.
Crew’s popularity harks back to a win at a spring 2002 Oral Roberts University battle of the bands at the Mabee Center, and in the only time in the University’s history, a repeat win in 2003. Crew also quickly sold over a thousand units of a homemade CD and became a strong, and well-known, regional act. Encouraged, Crew spent two years building their fan base in Tulsa before relocating to Nashville in spring of 2004.
“Before moving to Nashville, Tulsa was my home so it's both exciting and sentimental to be going back to perform for our Tulsa fans,” said Tate Cunningham, Crew's drummer. Other band members include Jeremy Henshaw from Tulsa (bass), Doug Brown from Ramsey, New Jersey (vocals and guitar), and Dave Garofalo from Ringwood, New Jersey (guitars).
“We all went to school just a block away from this venue so this is really where Crew got its start; this is our home and we are so excited to be here,” said Henshaw. “Since our last performance in Tulsa last April, we have received at least several messages a day from fans through our web site asking when we are coming back. We can’t wait for this performance.”
Crew came to the attention of manager and Tulsa native Brenda Cline while they were still in Tulsa. Cline has worked with such acts as Tracy Lawrence, Rachel Proctor and Blake Shelton.
“The irony is, when Crew was first pitched to me neither of us knew the other was from Tulsa,” said Cline. “I encouraged them to come to Nashville for a meeting and was immediately impressed because they are such great guys. They are also incredibly intelligent, great musicians and songwriters, and to top it off they look like movie stars. They are the All American Rock Band.”
Cline has been working in Nashville¹s music industry for sixteen years, but still considers Tulsa home. “I will always be in love with the music that I cut my teeth on . . . the Tulsa Sound. And as far as Crew is concerned, it will be exciting to land a record deal for an act from both of our home towns.”
Cline hooked Crew up with producer Greg Archilla, whose previous credits include Neil Young, Collective Soul and Matchbox 20. Henshaw said the choice of Archilla as a producer was a no-brainer as Crew acknowledges comparisons to Matchbox 20, and other super-bands such as U2, the Foo Fighters, The Police and The Beatles, all styles that are very familiar to Archilla.
Crew also takes live performance a step higher. “We try our best to make every performance special for the fans,” said Henshaw. “From extra build-out on the stage to all we put out in our performance, we really take it to the next level.”
-30
For more information, interviews or hi-res photos, please contact: www.crewband.com, Brenda Cline, NashRock Entertainment, 615-256-0392, brendacline-hizen@comcast.net
- Tulsa World
Discography
Stay (2006 EP)
Crew (2004 EP)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Finding their way into the hearts of fans everywhere, Crew produces music that is hard to turn off. Their commitment to their fans and to their craft has resulted in packed venues and admiring critics across the country and around the world. In the past year, Crew has played shows for thousands of fans, moved its home base to Nashville, Tennessee, and entered into the studio with critically acclaimed producer Greg Archilla. With the anticipated release of their 2006 EP, Crew prepares to once again exceed expectations.
In the spring of 2002, a campus Battle of the Bands competition was announced at the school they were attending, and Tulsa, Oklahoma became the birthplace of Crew. After an unanticipated win at the competition and continued success afterwards, the group decided to take their music to the next level. In the winter of 2002, the band took their first step forward by entering a home studio and recording their first collection of songs. After selling over a thousand copies of their makeshift CD in only a few months, the band took a sabbatical to New Jersey, spending the summer of 2003 perfecting their songs, developing their show, and becoming fused together as one unit. The product of this concentrated time away was a band united in purpose.
The fall of 2003 brought the formal presentation of Crew to the public. Playing mainly for college and high school students, it didn’t take long to develop a following of loyal fans who quickly turned “Crew” into a household name. Soon after, finding themselves back at the same Battle of the Bands where they started their journey, Crew did what had never been done before and won back-to-back Battle of the Bands titles at their University. This victory solidified Crew’s reputation regionally.
As their exposure steadily increased the band began to develop their signature sound. Acknowledging comparisons to Matchbox Twenty, U2, and the Foo Fighters, lead vocalist, Doug Brown, sees the band as a blend of many great influences. “Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) is a phenomenal songwriter, period,” says Brown, “and U2 and Coldplay, both musically and lyrically, are simply unbeatable.” The influences of today combined with inspiration from earlier groups such as The Police and The Beatles have laid the foundation for the sound of Crew.
During the spring of 2004 the band made the decision to leave Oklahoma and relocate to Nashville in order to make their presence known in the music industry. Crew wasted no time and met the challenge of being new to Nashville head on. They found their way through the crowd the only way they knew how; being excellent at their craft and appreciating their fans at every opportunity. Since the move, Crew has played everywhere from Nashville rock venues to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, signed with management company NashRock Entertainment, and recorded with renowned producer Greg Archilla.
To explain the rare composition of youthful exuberance and musical maturity, Crew members allude to their strong friendship. “There is an incredible chemistry between us,” explains bassist, Jeremy Henshaw. Guitarist, Dave Garafalo adds: “We were friends first before we were involved in the band. Beyond the music, they are everything to me. We are guided by the same vision and we have a long-term unity of purpose.” Stage or studio, they are guided by that same purpose - to play great music together, with a unified goal of long-lasting, worldwide success.
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