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Innocent Bystanders was next up and did not disappoint. Also from the Buffalo area, IB has been together for three years. Their primary genre is rock and their sound is reminiscent, according to their Myspace page, of "... the Beatles and Green Day..." The four other members of the group include Kevin Sampson on piano, guitar and vocals, Brandon Adler on guitar, Scott Bernard (drums and percussion), and Adam Schroeder also on guitar.
The band kept the energy of the crowd up throughout the remainder of the concert with pounding rock songs to which listeners could sing and sway. One of their best early songs was "Popsicles," a classic jealousy tune with a terrific chorus, which has received radio play on several Buffalo radio stations.
Unfortunately, half-way through the show a power glitch left IB without working microphones for their vocals. The band took it in stride and spent the next several minutes doing some impressive jamming for their loyal audience. The stage crew was eventually able to fix the problem and the show resumed.
The second half featured memorable songs like the slower-paced "Under Wraps" and their great finishing number "queen City Sessions," which the audience met with a huge round of applause. - The Lamron
Discography
Self Titled Debut album - The Innocent Bystanders
1st Single - Under Wraps
2nd Single - Popsicles
Photos
Bio
Hometown: Buffalo, New York The groups songwriting abilities reflect contemporary songsmiths like Ben Folds, and The Barenaked Ladies, while there sophisticated arrangements harkens back to the glory days of Warren Zevon, and The Band. If you take that then add the edge of Green Day and the Foo Fighters, shake it up a little bit, you have the IB sound. Melody and harmony are important elements in the make up of The Innocent Bystanders original and individual sound.
The band consists up of singer-songwriter Kevin Sampson (piano, guitar, vocals), guitarists Brandon Adler and Adam Schroeder, and the tight rhythm section of Chris Nanula (Bass), and Scott Bernard (Drums). The five band mates who today make-up The Innocent Bystanders found a common bond while students at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, a Catholic boys' high school in Buffalo. The band went through various members, styles and names before becoming the band they are today.
After working through 2006 to record a self-produced demo, their work found its way into the hands of Lenny Silver, owner of Amherst Records and area record store chain Record Theatre. Amherst Records and the band reached an agreement in June 2007 and were signed to the label that month. This cleared the way for work to begin on their professional debut album, and recording started immediately at Buffalo's Audio Magic Studios.
The eponymous, full-length recording has been released to the public as of October 2007. Nomadik, of the hip-hop duo Boss Playa$, produced the record. In the meantime, through the support of the record label, the band's first single, Under Wraps, was released to radio in July 2007, and has received steady airplay on Various top 40 stations across the US and Canada over the last year and half. Since then the band's second single "Popsicles" has gained considerable amount of "buzz" in radio markets and through the internet.
The Innocent Bystanders take pride in their ability to incorporate several genres into their performances. Leader Kevin Sampson's ability to Bounce between guitar and piano allows IB to switch from McCartney esque piano rock to Dave Grohl inspired power pop.
The tongue-in-cheek nature of the lyrics proves that The Innocent Bystanders don't mind poking fun at their genre, other bands and themselves making for an extremely enjoyable live experience. The band mates themselves are much less interested in selling Tee shirts and more interested in rocking your socks off which has allowed them to connect with their fans in a more "music first, business later" way than some of their counterparts.
The band is currently Writing and Demoing their sophomore release due to be released in 2009.
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