Messiah

It’s rare for a garage band to obtain sought-after fame and fortune. But from the looks a1nd sounds of it, Osceola County band Messiah is on its way to being one of those bands. Though the band counts among its musical influences groups such as Soundgarden, Tool, and Rage Against the Machine, members say the most influential are rock bands Our Lady Peace, A Perfect Circle and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In describing the sound of Messiah, multitalented vocalist, keyboardist and drummer Derek Rowe says “It limits and artist when you paste a genre on their work, but that being said I would call it ‘Progressive Art Rock.’
The band also features Alex Jergensen on guitar and Tony Luaders on bass guitar. Craig Hansen completes the lineup providing drums and backup vocals.
Alex and Derek, friends since middle school, started in 1998. Craig and Tony followed, Tony after only three months of playing his instrument. “Aerosmith’s ‘Rag-doll’ made me pick up the bass,” he said. To Alex, “music is expressing parts of me that I can’t express as well in words.” In keeping with these sentiments, all the members hope to continue making it a part of their lives.
Both Derek and Alex want to make a living with music for the rest of their lives.
While the band members clearly would like to hit it big, they insist they will not compromise creative control of their music.
So far, Messiah has played several local gigs and competed in a couple of Battle of the Bands’ competitions around Orlando. The band is not picky about where they play. “Give us a gig, please!” says Craig. With things going the way they are for the band, Messiah sees nothing but success in their future.
- Nathan Bower