Dawning By Day

Dawning By Day recently recorded their first EP, The Red Sun EP, featuring six original songs. The heavy guitar riffs and lively drum beats set rhythm for catchy lyrics, and while their recordings on MySpace still sound a little rough, don't let that discourage you. For those of you who read my column on a regular basis, you may remember me mentioning this band that opened for Four Letter Lie a while back. They were the exceptional opening band then, and they still impress me now.

And although they've shared the stage with some pretty great bands, don't think that's going to their heads.

"A lot of bands we play with have this 'we're in a band, we're cool' type of attitude," said John Olivier.

Olivier, David Vanderbush, (both SDSU students), Joe Olivier and Tyler Hennagir have only been playing together for about a year now, but these guys are in no way newbies to music. All of the members have been playing for years, mostly in church bands.

But don't be so quick to categorize these guys as just another Christian band.

"We're a rock band, but our inspiration comes from our faith," said Olivier.

Vanderbush agrees that their self-described "straight up rock and roll with an edge" music is about more than preaching.

"It's about writing and singing about our faith," said Vanderbush. "We just hope someone pulls something from it."

The boys are working on setting up some shows for summer, which you can find on www.myspace.com/dawningbyday. Above all, the guys seem to count more on making a friendly impression on those they meet than appearing as rockstars.

"We have an atmosphere of humility," said Vanderbush. "We tend to respect others a lot and try to help people as much as possible." - The Collegian

On March 2, Four Letter Lie played at Nutty's North in Sioux Falls. Here are a few things that stuck out in my mind.

First, I'm old. At 21, I'm not seriously old, but at these shows, where the median age is 15, I might as well have a cane and white hair. The upside of this, however, is that the bar was completely barren, allowing us to get drinks without waiting in line. This fact alone makes the white hair bearable.

Second, the opening acts were impressive. Most shows seem to book "this-is-our-first-gig" type bands that make the main act look ten times better. This is also why most people skip the first hour of the show. However, I was lucky enough to catch the first band, Dawning By Day, and was pleasantly surprised. By the end of the first song I wanted to know everything and anything about these guys. Their music was catchy and polished to near-perfection, but without hindering the ability to present an on-the-spot stage presence that allows performers to connect with the audience. They were the first band, and they were good! I knew right then that the show would be better than I had thought.

Third, my love for Camera Can't Lie and Avery was reinstated. It's not that they've done anything to make me hate them; it's simply been far too long since I have had the chance to see either of them live.

Camera Can't Lie, who reminds me of Switchfoot with a twist of Ryan Cabrera (in a good way), was amazing as always. The guys seem to form some sort of trance over the crowd because I just couldn't stop watching them.

The same seems to go for Avery. I've seen these boys several times and never get bored. In fact, they make me want to pull out the Nick Thomas sway (most people reading this would know what that is, but for those of you who don't, go to YouTube.com and look up "The Spill Canvas").

Fourth, if I could be in anybody's "crew" as they say these days, it would be Four Letter Lie's. This is the second time I've seen the band and was not let down. The guys seemed more talkative, funnier and all around connected with the audience better. They cracked jokes on stage like you would with your friends and created a comfortable atmosphere that allows even Awkward Eddy to feel good.

Although Four Letter Lie won't be back in town any time soon, you can see the other bands coming up soon. Camera Can't Lie plays at the DSU Battle of the Bands in Madison on March 7 at 8 p.m. Also playing is Trey Lane, Foley, Liquid Thin and Quarter to Nine. The show is free to DSU students but has a $3 cover to non-students. Avery plays on March 13 in the Volstorff Ballroom in the Union at 8 p.m. free of charge. - Lucinda Albers