Evazan

One of the hottest bands in the Hudson Valley, Evazan, stands poised to hit the big time this Sunday with a win in the finals of “The Break,” held at The Chance in Poughkeepsie. “The Break” is a battle of the bands put on by the creators of the Bamboozle Festival, covering New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The winner at each host venue will perform at Bamboozle, held at the Meadowlands on May 1st and 2nd and featuring bands such as Weezer, The Aquabats, Ok Go, and more. Who Is Evazan? Evazan has made a name for themselves across the Hudson Valley with high energy performances and a beefy three guitar attack. Named after a character from Star Wars (“I have the death sentence on 12 systems!”), Evazan is not afraid to have fun with their music, as evidenced with some unusual song lyrics and song covers (T Pain, anyone?) Evazan’s greatest strength comes from its ability to jump from one style to another. One moment they’re a jam band, the next alternative, the next they’re channeling transistor rock through their speakers. They’re a band that eschews the hipster niche sounds and goes straight for the balls with pure rock. Evazan Gears Up For the Finals Like a kung fu movie prep scene, the band is psyching themselves up for the big show. “It feels great to be in the finals. This is by far the biggest battle I've been in so making it this far is a huge accomplishment. I can't wait to be on that stage!” Says Evazan’s drummer, John Mena. Support Evazan by coming out to the Finals at The Chance on Sunday! I know that I have some readers in the Po-town area; check out this band and you will not be disappointed. See their website for more details. - NY Roots Rock ExaminerCraig Sanders

For Monroe rockers Evazan and Goshen rapper Dylan Owen, the biggest stage yet awaits. The two acts are playing Bamboozle, a two-day festival this weekend at the Meadowlands Complex. They're playing because they won The Break Contest, a multistate competition to unearth new talent in music. "Definitely the biggest crowd I've played in front of," said Owen, an alternative-style rapper and senior at Goshen High School. He's attending Cornell University in the fall and hopes to market himself as the "Ivy League rapper." Backed by DJ Intelligent Design, Owen is looking to release a new album, aptly titled "Senioritis." He'll play Sunday on the Lincstar B-Boy Stage. Evazan, meanwhile, will play Sunday on The Break Contest stage. The Monroe-based pop-rock band — comprising Nick Barone, Ralph Garcia, Ryan Harden, Mike Mahony and John Mena — has released a three-song demo and an extended player, and is looking at July as a possible date for a third album. The band's sound nods to classic rock with an ear to modern melody. "It's rock with a strong pop influence," said Mahony. "We want our music to be accessible, but it really has to have punch to it." The crowd at the contest felt that punch. They loved Evazan so much they were screaming the band's name. "I got the chills as I was taking away my drum kit," Mena said. Other local winners included For the Record of Poughkeepsie and Naenia of Wappingers Falls, who will play The Break Contest Stage at the festival. Middletown band The Closers won a spot on the Bamboozle Roadshow, which comes to Six Flags Great Adventure June 24. ON THE WEB • Evazan: www.myspace.com/evazan • Dylan Owen: www.dylanowenmusic.com • For video of Evazan and Dylan Owen performing at the Times Herald-Record, visit www.recordonline.com/entertainment tmalcolm@th-record.com - Times Herald Record - Timothy Malcolm