Intermission

Cory Howard still gets stopped on the street by strangers who
recognize him as a semi-finalist on local TV talent show Gimme
the Mike.

And he sees it as just another opportunity to plug his
alternative-classic rock band Intermission.

A shameless self-promoter, he was ready to sell his band's
merchandise before its first show.

Howard was living in Coeur d'Alene and was struggling to put a
band together there, so he moved in with his brother in
Spokane and linked up with childhood friend and drummer Jack
Bingle.

The two were invited to compete in 2005 RAWK Final Four just
days before the competition and found bassist Brad Beeman
through www.spokanebands.com.

"We found Brad that night and put together a 30-minute set,"
Howard said. "Needless to say, we didn't win, but we put on a
solid set. We sold a lot of merch. I had it ready it to sell even
before the band."

Intermission hosts its CD release party tonight at 7 at Fat
Tuesday's, 109 W. Pacific Ave. Seattle rock band Blane opens
the show along with local act Scarletta. Tickets are $7 at the
door, $5 in advance through 4000 Holes, 1610 N. Monroe St.

Intermission's self-titled debut is nine tracks of semi-jammed,
funk-laden classic rock.

"When we play, we like to beef it up a lot; it's even more improv.
Depending on the night, we might play a song for five minutes
or 10," Howard said.

After playing around town this winter, Intermission is hoping to
stack enough chips for a van and trailer to hit the road for a
tour.

"It's something we've been passionate about since we were
kids. Now we're ready to take hold of it and go somewhere,"
Howard said. "This is the only thing I have as far as lifelong
goals. If I'm not in a touring band, I'll probably be running a
studio. I'm ready to do music as a career." - Spokane 7 - Isamu Jordan

Intermission (the band) lists classic rock among their chief
influences. Lord knows classic rock is in the middle of a pretty
intense resurgence right now (Sleater-Kinney, the Hold Steady,
Black Mountain et al.), so you might want to check them out
before they get too huge for this town. We listened to an
unmastered demo, which didn't really reveal much. One thing
they have plenty of, though, is confidence. From their press
release: "Intermission has labeled itself as a very promising...
act" They play Friday at Fat Tuesday's. - The Inlander - Luke Baumgarten