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So the plan last night was to roll down to Maxwell’s, grab some dinner, and catch a few bands. It seems that my waitress was having a less than stellar day and decided to take her unhappiness out on my table. Long story short, the ridiculous amount of time that it took for dinner caused me to miss Lovedrug. Don’t worry Maxwell’s I still love you. Your macaroni & cheese is far too delicious for me to harbor bad feelings towards you. Fortunately, I did get to see the brand spanking new band Overnight.
The guys took stage at promptly 9:30pm, which was great for old man Chip. I had no idea what to expect, and ended up being pleasantly surprised. For such a young band, their songs have already solidified to a level that surpasses many touring bands I have seen this year. The catch is that there seems to be a bipolar disorder in the group, as the set was precisely divided into two sections. Lets refer to them as Overnight A and Overnight B. “A” comprised of the first three songs, which were strong alt-pop tunes in the vein of Phantom Planet meets Jason Falkner, with a kiss of U2. “B” was more rock and more sex, making them a suitable opener for Interpol. Both versions of the band utilized great songwriting and catchy melodies, showing a respectable amount of talent on stage. Regardless of which persona Overnight decides to keep, they have already found a winning formula that got the ladies to dance. And when you really think about it that means they have already won half the battle. Watch out for this band to start making waves in 2005.
For more info - www.overnightmusic.net
-Reported by Chip Adams on 11/18/2004 - Live – Overnight At Maxwell’s, NJ
Overnight caught my attention when their live performance of the track "Are You With Me" was recently sellected as the first streamable web exclusive offered from Fearless Music TV. Not a bad accomplishment for an unknown indie band making it's television debut with no CD in hand yet.
"The list of groups they've had on the show is a crazy who's who of indie music and frankly we're a pretty small band considering their usual fare." says Overnight front man Philip Watts. "We had a great time and they dug it enough to make it their first exclusive downloadable video, which meant we've gotten a ton of welcome attention"
Watts then warns me with a laugh, "we're going to be around for a while so you better get used to us."...
...The musical chemistry is so good, Watts realized off the bat when they came together over a year ago that it was better not to try and control this ban's sound.
"We all learned my solo Los Angeles recordings first as a jumping off point but as soon as we had them up and running and we attempted writing together it became obvious that we had something really special," says Watts. "I decided right there and then that I was not going to micro-manage or over-write for this band. This was going to have to be different. I could tell it really had the potential to be a whole greater than the sum of it's parts, which is what chemistry is all about."
The band' got an EP on the way that's "full of vibe and vinegar," says Watts. Until it's June release, you can check their website for upcoming gigs and hear the tracks "The Scene Today" and "Under the Ice" on their website: www.overnightmusic.net
"Under the Ice" is one of the songs I'm most proud of writing, if that doesn't sound too cheesy," says Watts. "It's pretty much a little three act play surrounding a 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 98 Convertible I used to own. It doesn't have much to do with the actual car really, out-side of the obvious metaphors. It's just three episodes that took place in the car. It's about feeling trapped and getting free and connecting someone else that has a hard time connecting with people. The last few lines of the song are how the car went up in a massive fireball on the side of the highway, Strange but true."
- Tina Whelski
Discography
"Beat the Drum Till They Follow" 6 song EP Due in October.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
OVERNIGHT
Winter 2003: Philip Watts (Cobra Libre, Gliss, Breech) came to a realization--He’s sick of Los Angeles. After finishing a handful of 60’s inspired recordings, he quit his crappy job, all the bands he was in, packed up the '85 Dodge van, and headed east.
He called a friend in Jersey City, indie-rock drummer-de-jour Greg Leto (Mercy Jar, Rye Coalition) and the two set out on a quest for the right players to complete the group. The mission was agonizing to say the least.
"A slow parade of foolishness, delusion, and poor social skills." is how Greg puts it.
Dozens of prospective players came and went before discovering John Majer (Lazy Cane, J. Rawls), and Ben Davidson (Black Cat Revolver, Candy Darlings). The four had instant chemistry and began writing together the very first night they played. A name was chosen and Overnight was ready to go.
Watt’s 60's inspired garage-pop served as a starting point for Overnight’s sound—but only to be taken into a dancier, more experimental direction.
"I decided pretty early on that I wasn't going to try to control the direction of this band's sound. There something very cool and organic about our chemistry and I know enough not to screw that up by over thinking it." He says.
Leto's background in indie rock had been fused with his recent success as a dub and funk DJ in and around New York. His dub instincts combined with Davidson’s punk-rock background create vigorously intense rhythm section. Majer’s pulls together the groups' elements into tight, modest arrangements, adding just enough color and texture. Watts and Majer also take turns on keyboards, electric piano, and an ever increasing palette of instruments.
Although the band is only a few months old, they are already beginning to make waves. The live show has proven to be a real strength of the band, as they wear their energy and enthusiasm for what they do on their collective sleeve. After their first show, they were asked to squeeze onto a CMJ bill sponsored by Fader Magazine the very next week. Their fourth show was reviewed glowingly by industry newsletter "The Tripwire." -JK
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