Stone Avenue

Stone Avenue Musical Endeavors rocked the house at The Handlebar last Thursday, delivering with great style what the band describes as "Cosmic Americana" music.
Tired of seeing the same shows, the same bands and the same venues doing the same thing over and over, Bradley Barnes (guitar/vocals), Tonya McGuire (piano/keys/vocals), Marty Meadows (bass) and Mike Turner (drums) were ready to put some soul into the local music scene.
Stone Avenue's music is a mixture of blues, jazz, country, folk and, definitely, rock and roll.
"It's something fresh and new," former University of West Florida student Barnes said. "We don't really pull any punches; we just make it out of what comes out. As far as our music, we call it 'Cosmic Americana,' - chock full of soul - just because Americana is such a broad term, from early folk songs to protest songs."
While the boys have been playing together for a while, back up singer McGuire only joined the band two months ago.
"I was at a Waffle House with a friend of mine when the guys approached us to talk about the band," McGuire said, recalling how she met her other band members. "They asked us if we liked to sing, so she pointed at me and told me to sing something. It happened and we started hanging out all the time and I joined the band."
"Sad Songs About Happy Things" is Stone Avenue's first album and it contains four tracks.
Barnes said it is a very good representation of the band's work and they want to be back in the studio soon to cut a full-length album with 21 songs.
He also said they are working to make it possible for fans to purchase their albums from their MySpace page. Their demo, t-shirts, and stickers are available at their shows.
"We encourage everyone to come out and see us because we've got a lot of energy onstage so people get the full effect, rather than just the demo, which might not really capture all that we are doing," Barnes said.
McGuire said that Stone Avenue's songs are basically Barnes' music, but he is open to anything a band member wants to add.

Barnes said that the songs are about life experiences. He also said that the band can be in the middle of a jam when inspiration strikes and they just go with it.
"We have a song called 'Dictator'," he said. "I feel that a lot of us have been blind with what's going on around us as far as our leadership in the country. Some of the lyrics of the song say: 'Burn the books instead of reading; hold your nose instead of breathing; shut your eyes so you don't see the truth.'"
Barnes said it is not all political and that they just go with whatever pops out and with whatever inspires them.
Adam Lewis, Stone Avenue's fan and friend, said that they are an interesting group of characters that have a great sound and a great point of view in each of their songs.
"Stone Avenue's music is a mix between contemporary/modern songs and, I guess, '70s rock," Lewis said. "The point they are trying to get across is basically what the bands back in the '70s were."
Carlos Waldrof, a Pensacola resident checking out the band's performance, said that Stone Avenue's music is fresh and relevant.
"Whether you like it or not, you've got to respect it because it's very unique, especially if you are a music lover," he said.
Barnes said people should keep an eye out for their shows, which are going to get bigger and better.
"We're not just hiding behind a glossy sheet," he said. "We're raw, we say what's on our minds. It's something new and it's something old - a little bit of everything."
For booking information, call (850)723-0619 or e-mail the band at stone-avenue@hotmail.com. Go to Stone Avenue's MySpace to listen to some of their songs.


- Voyager