Pomegranates on Fire
Clifton, Virginia, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2019 | SELF
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Pomegranates on Fire, a rock band made up of high school students from Robinson Secondary School and Colgan High School, recently won the battle of the bands in the Garage Band category during First Friday June at Harris Pavilion in Manassas. The students played a show the following day at the barn in Clifton to an energetic group of students and adults.
The event in Clifton started with an opening band from George Mason, Epitope. The trio warmed up the crowd and ended their crowd pleasing set with a mashup of the melody from Wham’s “Careless Whisper” and lyrics from Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” It can only be called, Careless All Star. Pomegranates took the stage like a band that just won an award to an enthusiastic crowd. The singer, Syd, has a strong sweet voice that is effective on angsty songs such as “Creep” by Radio Head and their original, “Emergency Zone.” Other songs such as “Blitzgrieg Bop” by the Ramones and “Brand New Cadillac” by the Clash got the crowd dancing. The band kept the crowd excited for almost an hour and a half before ending the show at 9:30. Everyone was gone by 10 p.m.
Times change, today punk has become an acceptable form of expression. In this case, a wholesome choice of parents looking for a safe place for their kids. There are five members Sydney Denardo (vocals), Abby Clark (bass), Marshall Lockey (guitar), Brock Flanders (guitar), and Terra RussekRobbins (drums) and they call their music pop punk. They practice about once a week in the “Sweets” or “Suites” the attic practice space attached to the bedroom of the drummer’s home in Clifton.
The band has a gig at the Baltimore Sound Stage on June 30. This show presents a special problem for the band. How do you get your fans, most of which can’t drive up to Baltimore? The inventive nature of this band solved the problem by renting a vehicle to bring their fans with them. In order to ensure a seat on the bus, contact @pomegranate.fire on Instagram and @pomegranatefire on Twitter. POF can also be contacted via Facebook. Tickets to the show are $10
Their biggest challengers coming on July 5 at the battle of the bands at Jammin Java in Vienna. Four days of preliminary battles against bands with more age and experience. If they can get enough fans to show up they may have a shot at the finals. Five bands will be chosen from the preliminaries to face the finals on Aug. 30. “I hope we can just make it to the finals. I mean, I believe we could win but I am excited just to play,” says Terra. They have received at lot of positive feedback, but do they have what it takes to be a finalist at the Mid Atlantic Band Battle? Come to Vienna and find out on July 5. Remember to shout, “Pomegranates on Fire!” - Burke Connection
ASAP - The Discovery
Discography
Pomegranates on Fire is in the studio working on their first album. It is expected to drop on June 3rd.
Photos
Bio
Pomegranates on Fire, winner of the 2019 Manassas Battle of the Bands and finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Band Battle, is coming out with their first album in June. It will be released on June 3rd and be available on all streaming platforms and CD. Until then, hear them at their shows or on YouTube videos taken by their fans.
The band did not begin as your typical high school band. Terra, the drummer, who had already been in two bands before the age of 15 was looking for something special. So, she recruited bandmates from her high school, Robinson, as well as Colgan, an arts magnet school a county away. Within six months, they were a band that would win contests. Soon after, they started writing original material and have become a band that can entertain an audience for hours. They write catchy songs with all members contributing to create their sound. They call their style of music “a Franken-genre, a beautiful mess of a genre (thrash-punk-indie-rock).”
The lineup of the five-piece band consists of two guys and three girls who drip music from their fingertips. Syd is the lead singer. She has a remarkable voice that excites the crowd when they hear her sing. She is magnetic and knows how to paint a musical picture. Syd is from a military family that just moved to Virginia. She was a student at Colgan and heard about the band and asked to try out. It was a perfect match. In addition to taking the lead in many theater productions Syd plays flute in the marching band.
Brock, guitar, is also from Colgan and studies music technology. He is a talented piano player as well. Terra met him through a guitar teacher recommendation from her father’s music store. Brock is so kinetic he looks like he is trying to come out of his body when he plays.
Terra, with the neon hair, plays drums in the band, but she also plays cello in the Robinson Philharmonic, serenades her family and friends on piano and has studied seven instruments in total.
Abby is first chair bass in the Robinson Philharmonic Orchestra, plays bass in the regional orchestra and was invited to try out for the state orchestra. She also plays bass in the Robinson Jazz Band and studies dance. Most importantly, she plays electric bass for PoF. Abby bops around the stage like the happy sprite of bass.
Marshall, guitar, is in the Robinson Jazz Band and helps teach guitar to other high school students. Forever in pursuit of great guitar tone, Marshall modifies and builds his own pedals. He and his thick mane of hair, is the cool breeze to Brock’s hot squall. (Ask Marshall about his canned fish vlog which is surprisingly popular.)
The excitement of the band is contagious. The band has been written up in local newspapers, scoring a front-page picture after winning the Manassas Battle of the Bands. Their strong draw and press are examples of how much people are rooting for this band.
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