Librium

"This past Saturday, the community of Lansdale celebrated it's annual street St. James Day. Featured were street vendors, showcases, and activities for children. But one highlight called for special recognition.

Librium (formerly known as Brick) performed during the St. James Day festival in front of Casa Buono as one of their first but quite possibly most memorable local performances under their new name.

Amazed at how their make-shift stage wasn't collapsing from the amount of energy and sound pulsating from the group, fans seemed compelled by what was happening and willfully hypnotized to see what was about to happen.

For those unfamiliar, Librium has been playing around the New England area (and more recently the southern east coast of the U.S.) since 2005 giving people a refreshing look at what rock is all about. Though you can tell how serious they take their music by the bulging veins in their necks on-stage, off-stage their is a relaxing and positive aura among them: only broken to offer a beer.

When I first met Joe Giampa, he was sitting on a fender combo amp after the show in a pair of ripped jeans, a grey biker jacket and a Jack Daniel's hat. He seemed almost unapprochable as if he'd just been crowned king of rock and no one in the room would dare deny it. I approached him, careful not to disturb his obvious internal coversation, and introduced myself. We started first on his take of music:

J-'Music has always been a form of therapy for me. It helps keep my demons in check. If I didn't have it I'd be lost. I have a major problem expressing myself in everyday life. Whenever I'm walked on I just eat it and keep it inside until one day it just explodes out my mouth on-stage in the form of banter and crude selfishness.'

E-'It seems like people really pick up on that and not only love you for it but participate as well.'

J-'Sometimes you just want to let your anger own you, and in this kind of environment it's not only safe but appropriate. I think people really recognize that and in turn feel really comfortable to let loose at our shows. We're definitely a special breed. Everyone feels it, but not everyone gives in like us.'

'There's a point on stage when you just click emotionally with the music and people seem to click right with you. It's like someone was shot and all of a sudden everyone's trying to find and kill the perpatrator all at once. It's a rush.'

Librium's new album, "Absolute Zero" sold over 1000 copies to the crowd attending St. James day. It is available on their website in physical form (www.libriummusic.com)or you can download a digital copy from any of the leading digital vendors (iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, etc.)"

-E.H. - Hauppauge Edition