Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Section: Houston
Lifestyle & Features
April 8, 2004, 9:04AM
Engine Room turns up local talent for Sunday show
By EILEEN McCLELLAND
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
Hot Houston bands line up for a high-energy demonstration of local talent at the
Engine Room on Sunday.
Paris Green and Pilot Radio will be joined by Drop Zero, Three Fantastic,
Likeminds and Four Men Walking for the all-ages show.
Jason Price, manager of Paris Green, also books bands at the Engine Room.
"We thought it would be good, especially on Sunday, a night that's not saturated
with everything else, to showcase local bands," Price says.
The Woodlands-based Paris Green, formed in 1997 was named for an insecticide
mentioned in a high school chemistry book. The band has played with national
acts including Blue October, Eve 6, Bowling for Soup, Hoobastank and Better Than
Ezra. Its first release was in 1997, an EP called Neptune Wide, followed by
Simplevision. Paris Green cites influences including 311 and Def Leppard as well
as high school chemistry.
The bands' fans are generally 19 to 30 years old, with a strong interest among
college-age adults.
"Pilot Radio leans more toward mainstream, sort of Goo Goo Dolls, Bush," Price
explains. "Paris Green is a little edgier, but it's nowhere near like a metal
band. A lot of people who have seen them describe them as an aggressive R&B kind
of band. They have a great front man, Matt Patin, whose voice is really strongly
R&B-influenced. There's a little bit of rap in their stuff."
Geoff Perron, tour-production manager for OutKast and Usher, is also involved in
Paris Green's management, Price says. The band's next album, due to be released
in midsummer, is being produced by Eric Delegard (Bowling for Soup).
Price began shopping Paris Green to record labels last year. In March, the band
participated in a multilabel showcase at the Roxy in L.A. and a BMI showcase at
South by Southwest in Austin.
"Momentum is picking up and reaching outside of Houston, which is cool," Price
says. "It's my first experience to see people latching onto a band. I used to
have to hustle to get any interest, but it's really, really cool for the band to
be catching on with an audience, and it's the same way with the labels."
Pilot Radio, a smart quintet from Katy, has been playing the local and regional
music circuit regularly, picking up fans across Texas and releasing the LP
Antiques in 2002. The indie pop/rock group is known for pairing intelligent,
emotional lyrics with soulful melodies. The band, which cites Tom Petty as an
influence, is also a college-circuit favorite.
"We're just big rock 'n' roll fans," says Ricky Young, singer and guitarist,
who, naturally enough, hates trying to describe his music. "We want to write the
best songs we can." One new crowd-pleaser is Top Hat.
"I like to think we don't have anything in common with them (the other bands in
the show) other than being from Houston," Young says, "but I don't mean that in
a negative way. I think we stick out in the way we put songs together, the way
we do things. I don't know of any other band in Houston that does what we're
doing."
Drop Zero, a trio, is known for its ability to incite dance by infusing soulful
rock with an underlying edge. Hard-hitting rhythms accent powerful guitar riffs
to create a deeply melodic, somewhat Southern sound. Catchy anthems and onstage
antics have earned the band a devout following. They've played shows with R.E.M.
and Sammy Hagar. EPs Soar and In the Making were released in 2003.
Three Fantastic, based in Conroe, is known for its original, melodic, hi-fi
stereo sound. Likeminds and Four Men Walking will open the show.
Houston Music Showcase
Where: Presented by Vortex Entertainment Productions and the Engine Room, 1515
Pease.
When: 7 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $6 for 21 and older; $9 for 21 and younger; and $4 with a college
ID;.713-654-7846 or www.engineroomhouston.net.
HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Houston
Lifestyle & Features
This article is: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/music/2477938
- Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON MUSIC SHOWCASE AT ENGINE ROOM
Local Bands Paris Green, Pilot Radio, Drop Zero & Three Fantastic To Perform
HOUSTON (March 24, 2004)—Houston’s local music scene is primed and ready to show Texas that we are home to some of the best up-and-coming acts in the business! On Sunday, April 4, the Engine Room, in conjunction with Vortex Entertainment Productions, will host six of Houston’s hottest local bands—Paris Green, Pilot Radio, Drop Zero, Three Fantastic, Likeminds and Four Men Walking—for an evening of raw talent and energy-laden rock.
Local favorites Paris Green have worked the live music scene with uncommon fervor and determination. The Woodlands-based band has spent the past five years touring, recording and writing together, establishing themselves as a mature group of musicians and a powerful live act. As a result, they have attracted an impressive local and regional following, playing alongside national acts such as Blue October, Eve 6, Bowling for Soup, Hoobastank and Better Than Ezra.
Pilot Radio, a “smart” rock quintet from Katy, Texas, have been playing the local and regional live music circuit regularly, establishing a wide base of fans across Texas. Their music offers fans intelligent, inspired and emotional lyrics paired with a complex musical dialogue. The combination of soulful melodies, haunting rhythms and lyrical prose results in a musical maturity that extends far beyond the bands years.
Texas trio Drop Zero are known for providing audiences with an energetic, rock show guaranteed to make you move. The band’s music combines hard-hitting rhythms, powerful guitar riffs, and a melodic deep Southern sound, offering fans soulful rock with an edge. The band’s high-energy, catchy anthems and on-stage antics have helped them develop a loyal following. Having played alongside acts such as R.E.M. and Sammy Hagar, they know how to get the crowd on their feet and moving.
Three Fantastic is a group for the future. They care not what you like or don’t like. They care not what you embrace or fear musically—they challenge fans to expand their musical horizons and question the traditional. The Conroe-based band is truly an original on the live music scene. Three Fantastic seeks to penetrate audiences to the very depths of their souls and relax, excite, titillate and surprise them simultaneously, with their original, melodic hi-fi stereo sound.
Likeminds and Four Men Walking will open the show.
The show is open to all ages, with tickets available for $6, 21 and up; $9, under 21; and $4, with a valid college ID. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The Engine Room is located at 1515 Pease Street. For more information, call 713. 654.7846 or visit www.engineroomhouston.net.
- Gina Rotolo
Discography
Soar EP released 6/03
1. Off the Fence
2. Soar
3. Good Ending
4. No Lights (Acoustic)
5. Sincerity's Out
6. Stick (Acoustic)
Live from the Woodlands (9/03, Unreleased)
In the Making EP released 12/03
1. No Lights
2. Stick
3. How We End
4. Addiction
5. Difference
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
A chance meeting is cool, but fate is LARGER THAN LIFE. When Houston-based Drop Zero formed, members Gary, Steve and Bam Bamm knew they were on to something big. Coming from all different corners of the music scene, no one could ignore the fact that each member brought something extremely different, yet vital to the table. Like an engine firing on all cylinders, Drop Zero takes a volatile mixture of creativity, energy, expressionism, and passion and converts it into an explosive sound that embodies hard-hitting hooks and clever melodies as reminiscent of 70’s rock anthems as they are of present-day power-pop. They like to call it: Soulful Rock With An Edge.
In 2003, Drop Zero started kicking down doors with the release of their debut EP, Soar. With a definite road map in hand, each show Drop Zero takes on has a higher impact than the last. Moving quickly from the bar scene to the regional/national level, Drop Zero has been on a steady rise to the top.
In mid-2003, the band won the 106.9 The Point’s Battle of the Bands, and was chosen as the supporting act for REM at the Woodland's Pavilion. Drop Zero immediately followed up with their second independent EP, In the Making, showcasing an even more professional, edgy sound. The single, Stick, has recently been getting airplay on Houston’s 94.5 The Buzz and on Outbound Music.com.
Moving on to the Dallas Music Fest in December 2003, Drop Zero impressed many industry professionals with their energetic performance and decisive drive. Additionally, the band was featured in the January 2004 issue of National Noise Magazine, and can be heard on the 2004 National Noise Compilation CD.
Kicking off 2004, Drop Zero’s momentum continued to accelerate, as they were selected by the Messina Group to perform at the Houston Super Bash, a 4-day party hosted by Sammy Hagar and showcasing national acts Eve 6, Reverend Horton Heat, DubTex, Deana Carter, Trick Pony, Better Than Ezra, BR5-49, and Asleep at the Wheel.
Immediately following Super Bash, Drop Zero shared the stage with former Guns ‘N’ Roses drummer, Stephen Adler, supporting his latest act, Adler’s Appetite.
In March, Drop Zero was asked to attend the 2004 SXSW Music Conference in Austin, TX, where they performed at multiple showcases sponsored by TexasJam.com, including an acoustic performance and interview at the conference booth sponsored by Dingo Gold Records, TexasJam.com, Outbound Music.com and TexasLive TV. The performance and interview was simulcast live over the Internet on Outbound Music.com and TexasLive.tv, and later aired on the TexasLive TV show. Additionally, Drop Zero was filmed and interviewed by National Lampoon Networks for a television show that should air by summer 2004.
Most recently, Drop Zero has been working with TexasJam.com where they are scheduled to perform at several “Showcase with a Bang” Concert Series Events throughout the fall of 2004 at venues throughout the Southwestern U.S.
Drawing from a deep pool of talent and friendship, Drop Zero's 3 members possess an uncanny creative songwriting ability, and powerful expressionism that is explosive to watch and moving to hear. Their tight performances are matched only by their level of dedication. All original, unsigned, Drop Zero is currently seeking national representation, as they are ready to take the music to the next level and beyond.
For information, please visit dropzero.com or contact us at info@dropzero.com
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