Meeting Of Important People

"...a distinct blend of garage and folk-rock that translates into an explosive show onstage." - The Pitt News

Pining after something new from the Shins, you know those purveyors of indie rock that craftily plunder from the past while defining the future, well Pittsburgh’s Meeting of Important People are here to make your wait all the more enjoyable. A cursory swoop through the net reveals very little about this trio, which is surprising given the melodic flourishes of their new single ‘Mothers Pay More’. Make no mistake this is a finely crafted piece of music that saunters for a bit, teasing the listener until the expected honeyed chorus finally arrives. When our embryonic label finally sprouts legs this is the sort of band we’ll be taking on, a creative it’s pretty clear will soon be breaking all the right hearts. KD - mp3 hugger.com

Some bands bludgeon, some caress, some invent and some copy. Pittsburgh trio Meeting Of Important People craft their tunes from purest homeycomb. Their new single 'Mothers Pay More', a sweet piece of lo-fi pop that's like receiving an unexpected hug from a dear friend.
But there's more to MOIP than reinvented retro. Check out 'I Know Every Street' on their myspace site which could be an outtake from 'Nirvana Unplugged' and 'Brittney Lane Don't Care' which wouldn't sound out of place on 'Chutes So Narrow' and One O'Clock Can't Come' could be the Kinks in their pomp.
One of the Devil's favourite blogs mp3hugger commented that when they get their label off the ground Meeting Of Important People are the type of band that they'll be taking on. That's some compliment.
The band have an album scheduled for release in early 2009 and it's already shaping up to be in the end of year Best Ofs.
- the devil has the best tuna!

Upon taking in the very first moments of the song Mothers Pay More, you might be lured into expecting an altogether radio-friendly listen, but as the underlying classic garage feel of the vocals and guitar take shape, any thought other than that of infectious indie folk-rock should quickly disappear. For more music we seriously recommend, as well as information on the upcoming full length debut slated for release in early 2009, pay a visit to the MOIP MySpace page. The next live performance will take place as part of a Roustabout! event at College Station/PSU venue Bar Bleu on December 3. Have fun with what we consider a truly addictive song and expect a follow up on MML once the debut album is released. - Milk Milk Lemonade

In particular, the indie pop of Meeting of Important People stands out. “I Know Every Place” and “Brittney Lane Don’t Care,” though simple, really work, mostly because of the singing and energetic guitar playing of Josh Verbanets.
The Key Party came to life in Pittsburgh, a town not particularly well known for its music scene. The Key Party should give a little bit of hope to every college student or recent graduate living somewhere that isn’t Brooklyn—all it takes to make a scene is the right club, a few good bands willing to work together and some good songs. - Key Party live show review, Chicago Press

Event Details:
Some of us were able to catch these guys the other night when they packed the entire upstairs of the brillo well past capacity and rocked out with their brand of local indie pop rock, and all of us wanted more! This show is their CD release party, so it promises to be a good time with a full set of guitar-slapping tunes to keep us moving. MySpace will give you a taste of their stuff, which I think sounds like a cross between a garage band, Vampire Weekend, and the Rolling Stones!
- meet Inpittsburgh scene topix

Meeting of Important People is a classic case of rising from the ashes.
The Pittsburgh-based group, which is playing tonight's Roustabout! show at 10 at Bar Bleu, 114 S. Garner St., was born from the rubble of another band.
"We've had kind of a cool history," singer/guitarist/songwriter Josh Verbanets said. "We used to play as The You, we were on a label."
The You was a fixture of the Pittsburgh indie scene, and the group gained the attention of Pure Tone Music, a newly formed indie record company.
"A Sony Epic rep was starting an indie label," Verbanets said. "We thought it would have all the positives of recording on a major label."
One of those positives was the opportunity to record in Chicago with Brian Deck, who had previously worked with Modest Mouse and Iron and Wine. The resulting album was 2006's For the Masses. However, when it came time to release the record, there was a snag.
"We pretty much had to litigate against the record company. It was one of those things where the company wasn't fulfilling its obligations," Verbanets said.
He said he attributes the ordeal to the inexperience of Pure Tone's owner with running an independent label.
"He was a guy from a traditional label so he didn't know what to do with our band," Verbanets said. As a result of the group's break with its label, For the Masses went unreleased. However, a few copies of the record still found their way into circulation.
"What's interesting is you can find copies of it on Amazon," Verbanets said. "I've seen them on eBay."
From the remnants of The You arose the three-piece Meeting of Important People. Verbanets said the name is a tongue-in-cheek nod to indie names like Elephant Six and Broken Social Scene.
"We thought we would do almost a fake indie band name," Verbanets said. "A lot of band names are representative of an anonymous group of people."
The name may be a joke, but it's also appropriate to the band's roots. Meeting of Important People itself is a member of a close-knit group of indie bands and fans in Pittsburgh that calls itself the Key Party. Verbanets himself is also a member of fellow Key Party band Lohio.
Verbanets said he's almost thankful The You collapsed, because the period following the band's fold gave the group a chance to mature.
He says Meeting of Important People still plays some The You songs.
"We're reinventing the band," Verbanets said. "I've written new songs, we play some of the old songs."
Tonight's show is not part of a tour but rather one of a few dates the band is playing in support of its new single, "Mothers Pay More."
"This is their first time playing Roustabout!," Roustabout! promoter Jesse Ruegg said. "It's always exciting to get some new blood in the mix."
Verbanets described the band's sound as "garage pop."
"We play as a three piece, but not in a traditional way," Verbanets said. "We really love bands like The Who and Nirvana. We want to sound like Nirvana playing a Motown song."
Meeting of Important People is in the process of recording a new album.
The band plans to tour in support of the album, which will be released in early 2009. Verbanets said the band strives to maintain its live style in the recording studio.
"On the record we try to preserve the feel of three people playing," Verbanets said.
- PSU Collegian