The Pitch

Based out of Champaign, Illinois since August 2002, The Pitch is an aggressive rock band that prides itself on combining melodic hooks with heavy riffs while keeping things fresh and interesting. Their sound is best described as a combination of the raw energy and inventiveness of Fugazi mixed with the sense of melody and composition found in the music of Pearl Jam. The alternative influences of Foo Fighters mixed with even the time/tempo changes of Rush also give The Pitch a unique mix. A touch of hardcore and a little progressive rock completes the band's style. The group is led by the guitars of vocalist Ryan Lee and Eric Lawrence, while bassist Matt Castelein and drummer Cory Anderson hold down the rhythm section. Rounding out the band is violinist Sarah Kobylewski, adding gentler dimensions to their brand of hard rock.

The Pitch made their local debut in front of a crowd of 500 plus at Kairos in Champaign. That first raucous show, in which lead singer/guitarist Ryan Lee broke his guitar in half while diving off the stage, set the tone for the band’s energetic live shows and planted a memory in people's heads. Since then, the band has rapidly gained popularity leading to headlining gigs in Champaign/Urbana's premiere rock venues as well as branching out to larger venues like Chicago's Metro.

Last year, the band caused quite a disturbance in the local music scene by tearing through 107.1 The Planet’s Opening Band contest, narrowly losing to the eventual champions in the finals of the college bracket by only a handful of votes. As local DJ Chris Calef stated on air during the first round of the contest,“This is the one that impressed everybody. Nobody had heard of this band going into the judging and were pretty much blown away.” During that first round of action, The Pitch garnered over 750 votes from The Planet’s listeners alone! Since then and as a result, the word is out and a chain-reaction buzz about the band has spread through the local scene.