Mad Hornet After Hour

June 17, 2004

Being a "stay at home Mom," writing reviews of young bands was a bit daunting. I've been relegated to the world of SpongeBob and Elmo, so when I was assigned "Mad Hornet After Hour, I wasn't sure if my "old ears" would handle it. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.

Mad Hornet After Hours consist of 5 very gifted musicians: Corey Ford, Casey Colvin, Matt Drummond, Zach Drummond and Patrick Gray. What surprised me was how tight their compositions were. They used 2 part harmony with ease and their "stops" were infused with energy. While listening, I had to wonder why these guys weren't on the radio. Considering my demographic (35 to infinity), I would go and see this outfit. I could understand the lyrics, their individual ability with their instruments were extremely impressive, and their music was energizing. In short, this band is GOOD!

I hope original music fans will check these guys out. They are professional. I wish when I were in my 20's I could have found musicians that were this sharp, tight and talented as Mad Hornet After Hour. Watch these guys folks. They are definitely on their way up!

Visit www.madhornetafterhour.com to listen to their music, find upcoming shoes and biographic information on the band members. - Linda Grant - Chicago Music Guide

EMOTIONAL IMPACT:
LYRICS: impact of words and phrasing; clarity of content; structural and grammatical.

Rating: Strong.. 10 of 10

MUSIC: emotional impact of the musical score; originality.

Rating: Strong.. 9 of 10

TITLE: ability to attract listener attention; pertinence to the song.

Rating: Strong.. 9 of 10

OVERALL EMOTIONAL IMPACT


COMMENTS ON EMOTIONAL IMPACT
These lyrics are charged with passion and soul! The music has a driving beat and excellent instrumentation that sets the mood with energy an dexcitment. The title is a very strong choice!

Rating: Strong.. 9 of 10

TECHNICAL EVALUATION:
VOCALS: vocal acuity, tone quality, and compatibility with musical style.

Rating: Strong.. 10 of 10

MUSIC: Composition, originality, musicianship, and general melodic and rhythmic flow.

Rating: Strong.. 9 of 10

MELODIES: originality, creativity, and coherence.

Rating: Strong.. 8 or 10

STRUCTURE: composition elements and arrangement.

Rating: Strong.. 10 of 10

PRODUCTION: sound quality, mix, dynamics, and finishing.

Rating: Strong.. 9 of 10

COMMENTS ON TECHNICAL EVALUATION:
The vocals have a measure of heart and soul that charges this song. The instrumentation is absolutely wonderful. The melodies are simple, yet fresh. The structure is flawless. The production is ready for that magic professional touch.

MARKETABILITY:
MARKETABILITY

Rating: Strong.. 9 of 10

COMMENTS ON MARKETABILITY:
This is a song that will get a listener (or a pair of listeners) moving to the rhythm. This should be grabbed up rather quickly by a buyer and just might make it to the charts.

- VH1 Song of the Year Review 2004

Chicago, IL – October 31, 2005 – Chicago rockers Mad Hornet After Hour continue to make waves in the music scene. Mad Hornet After Hour was first conceived in the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve 2002 and has since developed quite a following in the Chicago area. In addition to playing several sold-out shows, Mad Hornet After Hour has now broken the airwaves.

MHAH was one of four bands to participate in the Q101 (WKQX) “Local Music Mail Room” on October 21, 2005. Listeners were invited to the station’s website to listen to a song by each featured band and vote on their favorite. In a landslide victory, MHAH’s Can U Fly? received over 1,000 votes, trouncing the second place band by 500 votes. Can U Fly? was then played on air for approximately one million Chicagoans.

“It was incredible,” says MHAH guitarist Corey Ford. “We have listened to Q101 since we were kids. Hearing our song on primetime Q101 was one of the proudest moments so far in our band’s history.”

The “Local Music Mail Room” victory was not the first time Mad Hornet After Hour made an on-air appearance. Their debut single, Can U Fly? was featured several times in August on 94.7 “The Zone” (WZZN) as part of the Local Zone hosted by James Van Osdol. The Q101 competition was a successful first step in getting the music of Mad Hornet After Hour on air, despite a shrinking Alternative/ Active Rock radio market.

“We tapped into every fan we know, every family member and friend who loves our music to vote for us on Q101 and get Mad Hornet back on the air,” says lead singer Patrick Gray.

Currently there are only two weekly, one-hour radio shows that feature local rock music: WKQX’s Local Zone and WXRT’s Local Anesthetic. Competition among hundreds of bands hoping to earn spots on Chicago radio has increased significantly with the recent exit of WZZN. Through the persistent efforts of MHAH and their fans, the band has kept their music at the forefront.

Mad Hornet After Hour is available for interviews and live performances. Please contact Corey Ford at (312) 375 – 6389. Several songs, including MHAH’s debut single, Can U Fly? can be heard at www.madhornetafterhour.com.

Mad Hornet After Hour is one of Chicagoland’s hottest up-and-coming original rock bands. Members include: Patrick Gray (lead vocals), Corey Ford (lead guitar), Zach Drummond (guitar and vocals), TJ Davis (bass guitar), and Casey Colvin (drums). Their debut LP, Biggest Boom Around, drops in late November and features 12 original tracks. - Jessica Wackwitz

February 12, 2004

They came together like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. Two years ago Mad Hornet After Hour began as a three-piece acoustic rock group. Jamming late at night after a full day of work and classes, they met under the watchful eye of a favorite character on an old Mad Hornet Fireworks poster that gave them their name.

Prospect High School graduate Corey Ford and his Columbia College roommate, Zach Drummond from Huntington, West Virginia, were already writing rock tunes for guitar when they met. Ford and his fellow Prospect grad, Patrick Gray, had been free-styling at local jam sessions ever since high school graduation. With Drummond on lead guitar, Ford playing rhythm and Gray as vocalist, the original trio was formed.

They began working festivals, bars and every open mic opportunity they could fit into their school and work schedules. At a bash in Wrigleyville one night, the group ran into Casey Colvin. Ford and Colvin had attended St. James School in Arlington Heights together, as had their fathers before them. Old family friends, they had parted company when Colvin went off to Hersey High School. Now Colvin was looking for a band that needed a drummer and, coincidentally, Mad Hornet was looking for a drummer.

All the pieces fit:
The decision of bass guitar-player Matt Drummond, Zach's brother, to come this direction for college rounded out the group. All the pieces were in place.

One year ago this month, their core following of friends, relatives and hometown fans packed the Boiler Room in Arlington Heights for their debut performance as a quintet. Since then, they have been adding more performances and more venues with the aim of reaching 75 performances in 2004.

"We're spreading our wings," Ford says. "The local music scene is really competitive, but we intend to make a name for ourselves." The band would seem to have the potential for doing just that with their tenacity for networking. They have put out thousands of flyers and demo CDs.

Mad Hornet prefers to do original work, with Ford and Zach Drummond doing most of the writing. "We like to work through a new piece," Ford explains, "by allowing each member to add a layer until we get to the sound we want. We usually perform four-or-five to one -- original works to cover numbers."

Their taste runs across the rock genre. "We definitely don't want to be stereotyped," he says. Spreading their wings and not being stereotyped also extends to the variety of venues the group seeks to schedule each month. Their over-21 performances are usually in Chicago, but they are working on expanding their fan base across the age spectrum in the suburbs. And they like to plan at least one out-of-town gig each month.

Captive audiences:
The band always welcomes the chance to play for a ready-made audience in places like Starbucks. Recently the group performed for the Eastern Illinois University crowd in Charleston. Broadening their exposure on the college circuit is definitely a plan.

Mad Hornet has scheduled two Northwest suburban concerts this month. Both are aimed at an all-ages audience. On Friday, Feb. 27 they will appear at the Gary Morava Park District facility in Prospect Heights. The next night they will be playing at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington Heights.

The band has been renting the KC hall once a month to showcase a variety of rock performers. They always feature a local high school band. This month they will be joined by Toast Face, a group of seniors from Rolling Meadows High School. Ford explains that this is part of their networking strategy. "We feel we can help each other this way. We give them an opportunity to play for a broader audience and they bring their fans along to hear us."

Sad Hannah is also on the program for that Saturday night. This Indiana group is a well-established band that works summers as a house band for Great America in Gurnee.

Local rock fans will also be treated to an appearance by Rolling Meadows grad Dave Tamkin. The singer-guitarist has built a very successful career since his days as a teen rocker and is a popular performer at Durty Nellies and Taste of Chicago.

Visit the band online at madhornetafterhour@hotmail.com. For booking information, contact Corey Ford at (312) 375-6389.
- Sharon Findley Kirmse - Arlington Heights Post

December 6, 2005

I've been at Gunther Murphy's once before, but this was the first time I'd gone into the back room. And what an amazing back room it is. There's a stage with all the gear a musician drools over, I mean needs.

This open jam is run by Billy Oaks, who hosts a radio program called Hostage Radio on DePaul University's station (you can get more information about the show for unsigned bands here - www.hostageradio.com). He's friendly to all there and seems to enjoy the music.

However, this is a little different from other jams I've been to. The set-up here is that this is a spotlight show. Some unsigned band is chosen to be the spotlight act for the night. They open the jam and get to play again for the last hour. In between - anything goes. The talent ranged, but the highlight was the spotlight artist for the night: Mad Hornet After Hour. These five guys are doing exactly what I want to be doing.

Remember I wrote in a previous post about how easily I am influenced musically? Well, this is what I love - music that rocks. They have worked together for three years and it shows. Their sound is tight. I really like what they're doing and although it would have been nice to hear the harmonies a bit better, what I heard I really enjoyed.

I stuck around to hear them play again. Listening to them, all I could think about was how that's why I want to find a lead guitarist and drummer so desperately. I want what they're doing. I want that sound - I want to feel it, I want to belt it out. I want to do what I love. Blues is fun, don't get me wrong, I still love the blues, but I want to rock.

By the way, the Mad Hornet After Hour has a home here on myspace.com. I completely recommend you check it out and go see them live if you can: http://www.myspace.com/madhornetafterhour

Love & Music,
Lisa Mandl
http://www.myspace.com/getbranded
- Lisa Mandl - Branded