Stairway Denied
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Stairway Denied

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Music

The best kept secret in music

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"Let the Led Out"

No, they don't dress like the band; no, they don't have fascinatingly horrendous drunken brawls that make E! Top 100 lists; and no, they don't play "Stairway to Heaven." They are Stairway Denied, an awesome Led Zeppelín tribute band that calls Corvallis home, and they are rocking into Eugene this weekend.

The group consists of vocalist Noah Stroup, guitarists Dylan Nelson and Curtis (no last name provided), bassist Dusty Stallings, and drummer Chris Harver. It was Stroup and Harver, along with a former member, who started searching for a bass player to get their tribute band off the ground. Almost as soon as they did, the home-town crowds responded with enthusiasm.

It is easy to see that these boys are no college band singing about unrequited love for the girl who sits two rows up in Bio 101. They play time-tested rock, creating instant electricity from the moment they take the stage, and if you close your eyes it's really Jimmy Page et.al.playing just for you.

It must be understood that these guys are not mocking the music, they aren't impersonating the band, and they will never be recording an album of Led Zeppelin. They just want to rock. According to Harver, they are also "Really attractive, smart, and good looking," and that pretty much says it all. So, if you're looking for a hot musician to hook up with, or you just need a little more Zeppelin in your life, head to Quackers Saturday. There's no cover, so no excuses. Spend an evening with these boys, you'll thank me in the morning. - Eugene Weekly


"Take the Stairs"

As the music begins, listeners do a double-take. Is that Zeppelin? A sort of "Rock on, kudos to the men who gave the world 'Stairway to Heaven'" ripples through the crowd. But wait…this is live, and it's pretty certain Zeppelin isn't touring these days…especially not in Corvallis. It can only be Corvallis' own Zeppelin tribute band, Stairway Denied.

These guys sound like the real thing. Though the band strongly emphasizes its desire not to be a carbon copy of the magnificent original (no dressing like the band, etc.), when vocalist Noah Stroup utters the first line of the night, the likeness gives you chills. Guitarists Brian Hunter and Dylan Nelson mimic the immortalized riffs of Jimmy Page to perfection. And rounding out the sound are bassist Dust Stallings of Jahbong fame and drummer Chris Harver who bring their own incredible talents to the mix.

Stroup had wanted to start a Zep cover band for eons when he met the rest of the band through mutual friends. Three of the members (Stroup, Harver and Hunter) lived together and began the long search for a bass player. Once Stallings was on board, the only thing missing was that second guitar. Harver found him in a co-worker, and the work of building the stairway was complete.

Though the group is still in its infancy, the band members are no strangers to the music scene. Harver and Stroup are also members of a well-established Corvallis band, Maryspeak. In fact, the only "band virgin" of the group is Nelson who, until drawn in by the power of Zep, was a casual player.

Musical influences range from AC/DC (y'know, the band on Butt-head's shirt) to Huey Lewis (who tried to convince the world that it's "Hip to be Square") to Nirvana. Harver notes that due to a neighbor who was also a professional drummer, he listened to a lot of Carlos Santana. On the other side of the spectrum, Hunter is into death metal, which hopefully rounds things out a bit.

In the seven months these boys have been together, not too many crazy things have happened. Mostly rowdy, drunken crowds abound, but that's not unusual anywhere in Corvallis. Harver does recall someone humping his leg as an expression of musical appreciation…well, to each his own. - Eugene Weekly


"Got a Whole Lotta Love for Zep"

Sure, the Ducks are ending 2005 with a trip to the Holiday Bowl. But this year Oregon State produced a winning team of a different kind. And they've been proving it with their road game.

On a recent weeknight, Stairway Denied, the Led Zeppelin tribute band made up of OSU students and recent grads, made its third trip to Portland, dazzling the crowd at Towne Lounge with renditions of Zep's early canon.

"They're the most covered band in the world," said vocalist Noah Stroup, 23, the 2005 grad who founded the band last April. "There are tribute bands in Japan and Peru . . . but all of the tribute bands are like 40- , 41-year-old men who are doing (Robert Plant) when he was older." Stairway's goal, Stroup said, is to "share our passion for Led" and "get people our age to listen to Led, and more classic and heavy rock."

Breaking from the confines of such Corvallis clubs as Platinum and Bombs Away Cafe, the band has been making headway into Portland's music scene, with Dante's and Ash Street Saloon hosting Stairway's earlier visits.

A delay in play (caused by one member lingering over a final exam) didn't stop the quintet from paying faithful homage to Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Stroup ripped out those crucial opening howls of "Immigrant Song" with hair-raising accuracy. While "Communication Breakdown" could have benefited from one more run-though between study breaks, "Whole Lotta Love" and "Rock and Roll" were successful excavations into rock's core.

Heads bobbed this night, but one recent gig back home saw a crowd less lively. "We played in Corvallis on the night of the Civil War game," drummer Chris Harver said. "A lot of sad faces, and everyone wasted."

Ah, but Stairway's the team the whole state can root for. -- Lee Williams Special to The Oregonian
- The Oregonian


"Stairway Denied: Hair, Guitars, Zeppelin"

Like hobbits, long haired Chris Harver and Noah Stroup emerge from their basement dwellings and gather themselves near the makeshift stage area surrounded by tapestries and red lights.One by one, Brian Hunter, Dylan Nelson, and Dustin Stallings descend the wooden stairs at The House of Rock like finely oiled machines.

Stroup yearns "You need coolin', baby I'm not foolin'..."

Shivers run up your back and you wonder if its just your keg cup taking effect. No one moves.

Stroup hits "gonna give you my love" and the basement begins to shake. This is serious. This is good.

The world stops and for a brief moment you forget it's 2005 -- Led Zeppelin lives.

Corvallis, welcome Stairway Denied.

"I started playing guitar because of Jimmy Page," said guitarist Dylan Nelson, 25. "(Led Zeppelin) has so much influence -- much more than any other band from that same time period."

"They created their own style," said drummer Chris Harver, 23.

Never heard of the House of Rock? Walk down 10th street and follow the bass drum banging away from any of the four bands that practice basement style at Stairway Denied's home or the House of Rock.

Lead singer Stroup, who could easily be mistaken as Robert Plant's love child, wrestled with the idea of forming a Led Zeppelin cover band for years -- the thought simmered.

Influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, The Police, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Nirvana, and Huey Lewis -- the boys bring an eclectic mix to the stage.

And then there's Led Zeppelin.

Watching a split screen of Plant and Stroup would be pointless confusion. With movements so mastered, mixed with guitar riffs, theremin and a rhythm section, there is no denying the accuracy of the presentation.

While Hunter claims to "celebrate the entire Led Zeppelin collection," Stallings and Nelson couldn't pick a favorite song.

"That's really hard to say," said Nelson.

"'Since I've Been Loving You' is my favorite (Led Zeppelin song) because it has the most heartfelt, real raw emotion" said Harver. "... plus sometimes I feel really tired."

One thing is for sure, however, these five are never too tired for music.

On and off the stage, Stairway Denied understands what it takes to produce good music. Perhaps that is why the five of them are such good friends. They share everything -- well, almost.

When asked what would be the one thing they would bring with them on tour, it is evident a sense of humor and soft spot for love prevail.

"I'd bring my girlfriend," said Hunter, 22. Stroup, 22, agreed, saying, "Yes, I would also bring your girlfriend."

Taken or not taken, with Pantene quality hair these boys know how to woo the ladies. What would happen if it was cut off in the middle of the night?

"I'd probably take a shower," said Dustin Stallings, 24, while Stroup plotted to destroy the world if anyone came close to his locks of love.

Looking five years into the future, the band hopes for nationwide festival crowds or just "working at American Dream delivering pizzas or paying alimony," said Stroup.

"I want to get to the point that we can just do this all the time," said Harver.

So, how does one successfully start a cover band??

"Don't try to look like the band," said Hunter.

"Don't pick a band that has been formed in the last 20 years... and don't be old," said Stroup. "Honor the music, not the people. Today music is all about the image and we're trying to remember a time when it was about the music."

Children, the draft and the hottest woman alive couldn't stop the creativity. For these locals, music is life and Stairway Denied is just another creative outlet.

"If my hands and feet were cut off and I couldn't sing any more because I was mute (is the only way I'd give up music)," said Stallings.

With the name Stairway Denied it is evident this band won't be playing "Stairway to Heaven." But why?

"It's all part of the revolution," said Harver.

"Because none of us play the flute and there is a flute part in the beginning," added Stallings.

Stairway Denied will also be playing Da Vinci Days in July and Harver and Stroup will perform in OSU's Battle of the Bands with their other band, Maryspeak, in June.

"Led Zeppelin is to music as the sun is to the earth," joked Stroup. But kidding aside -- you'd better be finding the cure for cancer to not stop by Bombs Away Cafe tonight.

"If you like Led Zeppelin and want to rock out, come out," said Hunter.

"If people come, it will hopefully trigger something in their brain to remind them of music that they should listen to that used to be created by musicians and records that sold 500,000 copies in the first week who were made by real musicians doing all the music and work themselves," said Harver. "They were really skilled."

Become a Led Zeppelin fan tonight or just proclaim your devotion. Stairway Denied is waiting to give every inch of their love. But ... will you tak - OSU Barometer


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Stairway Denied is a group of musicians who have gathered together to pay tribute to the music of one of the most innovative and influential bands in rock history, Led Zeppelin. Unlike most tribute bands, Stairway Denied does not attempt to recapture the glamour of the band, only the music and the revival of Rock & Roll!

The band consists of five members: drummer Chris Harver, guitarists Curtis Monette and Dylan Nelson, bassist Dustin Stallings, and vocalist Noah Stroup. Their strength lies with their ability to combine the powerful sound of Led Zeppelin's live performances with the intricate, well-polished arrangements of their studio work. From the heavy guitar riffs and booming basslines, to the wailing vocals and thunderous drums, Stairway Denied strongly delivers a show for Led Zeppelin lovers both young and old.