Red Line District

Hey, Fearless fans, SouthSide's back on the beat for another fun filled adventure! This time she spotted a very familiar (and unmasked) face taping at the Double Door. It was none other than Flabby Hoffman who hosted a free caravan show Wednesday night. Though it was a watered down version without the fun and comedy of Sloop Biederman and those fabulous Flabby prizes, there was still great music to be heard. Sloop, by the way, was hosting another Flabby caravan show at the Elbo Room that same night. Yet, SouthSide was at the Double Door by special request to see and review one band. She met a couple of the members at the Elbo Room during another show and heard they packed the basement lounge on April 28th which was an amazing feat itself. Red Line District promised this Fearless reviewer one HOT rockin' experience she would never forget. And believe her when she says, they didn't fail on that promise either.

What a show it was, Fearless fans, totally energized in sound and music from the 1st riffs of the guitars to the very last whine at the close of their set. Whew! It was rock aerobics with Red Lind District because these guys did not stay one place on that Double Door stage. Hopping around it and on the floor like mad bunnies, every single member of this band was absolutely jamming to their music. This band certainly knew what their fans wanted and how to keep them entertained. Their music, hardcore to the bone, had this awesome electric rhythm and bass as well as wild drumming in the back. This music had the crowd going nuts as they rocked with Red Line District even while taking the ass kicking sound now a notch or two. SouthSide enjoyed the electrifying guitars solos during the instrumental breaks. The new song, Pan's Labyrinth, started off mellow and gentle from a guitar solo until they kicked up with some bad ass rock. Red Line District f-ing rocked the Double Door down for their many excited fans and this Fearless reviewer. The guys weren't kidding when they told her what to expect from their performance and what they said didn't actually prepare her for the wild craziness she saw.

Never had SouthSide seen so much energy for a rock band like Red Line District. The guys really had the most entertaining set for this unplugged Flabby caravan taping. One minute one of them would be hopping off stage and the next he's back on stage rockin' or singing with the rest of the band. This Fearless reviewer didn't have enough words to fully describe the energetic show as their sound blew away her ears. You have to check them, Fearless fans, as well as snag a copy of their demo CD. She highly recommends No One Like Superman Anymore and Stuck to get a sense of what their rockin' energy is like. For more information about Red Line District and where the wild, crazy guys are performing live next, visit the band at www.myspace.com/theredlinedistrict. Also visit SouthSide's good friend, Flabby Hoffman, to see where the masked man will be taping next at www.flabbyhoffman.com or www.myspace.com/flabbyhoffman.

Until next time, Fearless fans, support your local indie artists and music.

Peace

SouthSide

- Fearless Radio

Hey, Fearless fans, SouthSide's back on the beat for another fun filled adventure! This time she spotted a very familiar (and unmasked) face taping at the Double Door. It was none other than Flabby Hoffman who hosted a free caravan show Wednesday night. Though it was a watered down version without the fun and comedy of Sloop Biederman and those fabulous Flabby prizes, there was still great music to be heard. Sloop, by the way, was hosting another Flabby caravan show at the Elbo Room that same night. Yet, SouthSide was at the Double Door by special request to see and review one band. She met a couple of the members at the Elbo Room during another show and heard they packed the basement lounge on April 28th which was an amazing feat itself. Red Line District promised this Fearless reviewer one HOT rockin' experience she would never forget. And believe her when she says, they didn't fail on that promise either.

What a show it was, Fearless fans, totally energized in sound and music from the 1st riffs of the guitars to the very last whine at the close of their set. Whew! It was rock aerobics with Red Lind District because these guys did not stay one place on that Double Door stage. Hopping around it and on the floor like mad bunnies, every single member of this band was absolutely jamming to their music. This band certainly knew what their fans wanted and how to keep them entertained. Their music, hardcore to the bone, had this awesome electric rhythm and bass as well as wild drumming in the back. This music had the crowd going nuts as they rocked with Red Line District even while taking the ass kicking sound now a notch or two. SouthSide enjoyed the electrifying guitars solos during the instrumental breaks. The new song, Pan's Labyrinth, started off mellow and gentle from a guitar solo until they kicked up with some bad ass rock. Red Line District f-ing rocked the Double Door down for their many excited fans and this Fearless reviewer. The guys weren't kidding when they told her what to expect from their performance and what they said didn't actually prepare her for the wild craziness she saw.

Never had SouthSide seen so much energy for a rock band like Red Line District. The guys really had the most entertaining set for this unplugged Flabby caravan taping. One minute one of them would be hopping off stage and the next he's back on stage rockin' or singing with the rest of the band. This Fearless reviewer didn't have enough words to fully describe the energetic show as their sound blew away her ears. You have to check them, Fearless fans, as well as snag a copy of their demo CD. She highly recommends No One Like Superman Anymore and Stuck to get a sense of what their rockin' energy is like. For more information about Red Line District and where the wild, crazy guys are performing live next, visit the band at www.myspace.com/theredlinedistrict. Also visit SouthSide's good friend, Flabby Hoffman, to see where the masked man will be taping next at www.flabbyhoffman.com or www.myspace.com/flabbyhoffman.

Until next time, Fearless fans, support your local indie artists and music.

Peace

SouthSide

- Fearless Radio

What are you looking for in a local rock band? Ear splitting riffs, stellar guitar work, soaring vocals, explosive stage presence, ear grabbing tunes and band members flying off the stage like bombers off the edge of an aircraft carrier... well if that's what you want, your search is about to come to an end. Red Line District is all that and a bag of chips to boot. - The Flabby Hoffman Caravan

What are you looking for in a local rock band? Ear splitting riffs, stellar guitar work, soaring vocals, explosive stage presence, ear grabbing tunes and band members flying off the stage like bombers off the edge of an aircraft carrier... well if that's what you want, your search is about to come to an end. Red Line District is all that and a bag of chips to boot. - The Flabby Hoffman Caravan

SouthSide On the Town
November 30 2007



"…he's eye candy and vocals…"
-Fearless Reviewer SouthSide


Hey, Fearless fans, SouthSide enjoyed a very special Friday night checking out the Chicago music scene. SouthSide had an amazing time at another exciting Local Anesthetic show hosted by Radio Station 93 FM WXRT at the famous Cubby Bear. The lineup featured three local rock bands including her good friends, Red Line District. It was good to catch up with this awesome hardcore band after first meeting them back in May. According to Red Line District, things are definitely moving in the right direction. With a new lead singer, Ben, the guys feel more confident about their music and live performances. Plus, there are plans in the works to record a full length album and tour next year. SouthSide is already hooked on their latest track, Stuck. (Checking it out on their myspace page.) SouthSide is convinced that the guys of Red Line District are making a lot of progress in their musical career.

Red Line District certainly kept their promise to preform an amazing show tonight. SouthSide was shocked and amazed. Red Line District showed much improvement since their Double Door show. This reviewer enjoyed how energized the band performed on stage as they kicked off their set with a solid song. They not only appeared confident on stage but also seemed to be having a lot of fun. Their edgier guitar rock sound added more depth to their music. Even when toning down the intensity to perform a love song, they still retained a sharp grunge sound. Red Line District prides itself on their amazing guitar sound by Chris, James and Collin. Their sharply defined guitar riffs kept the crowd excited.

One thing that impressed SouthSide was the new lead singer. This reviewer believes that Ben brought something to Red Line District that was previously missing when she first reviewed the band last May. Ben's vocals not only provided the energy needed to sustain the momentum of their grunge sound, he also provided a bit of eye candy for the ladies. He is one attractive looking lead singer. His sexy voice seemed to mesmerize all the women in the audience. During a few songs, he fired up the crowd by screaming out angst filled lyrics. Often one could hear shouts from the crowd demanding for Ben to take off his shirt. His affect on the crowd was rather intense to say the least. SouthSide can definitely say Red Line District's new lead singer fits perfectly with their hardcore rock image.

The band as a whole performed a solid set from beginning to end. After performing a song inspired by the movie Pan's Labyrinth, the fans were demanding for an encore. It was one of the most hottest finishes ever. Red Line District's concluding song left everyone breathless. SouthSide's looking forward to more good times with Red Line District in the near future. She highly recommends seeing them wherever they perform next. For more information about Red Line District, visit them at www.myspace.com/theredlinedistrict. Until next time, Fearless fans, support your local indie artists.

Peace,
SouthSide

--

For the orginal story, please go to

http://www.fearlessradio.com/fearless/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2075&Itemid=160

- Southside - Fearless Radio

SouthSide On the Town
November 30 2007



"…he's eye candy and vocals…"
-Fearless Reviewer SouthSide


Hey, Fearless fans, SouthSide enjoyed a very special Friday night checking out the Chicago music scene. SouthSide had an amazing time at another exciting Local Anesthetic show hosted by Radio Station 93 FM WXRT at the famous Cubby Bear. The lineup featured three local rock bands including her good friends, Red Line District. It was good to catch up with this awesome hardcore band after first meeting them back in May. According to Red Line District, things are definitely moving in the right direction. With a new lead singer, Ben, the guys feel more confident about their music and live performances. Plus, there are plans in the works to record a full length album and tour next year. SouthSide is already hooked on their latest track, Stuck. (Checking it out on their myspace page.) SouthSide is convinced that the guys of Red Line District are making a lot of progress in their musical career.

Red Line District certainly kept their promise to preform an amazing show tonight. SouthSide was shocked and amazed. Red Line District showed much improvement since their Double Door show. This reviewer enjoyed how energized the band performed on stage as they kicked off their set with a solid song. They not only appeared confident on stage but also seemed to be having a lot of fun. Their edgier guitar rock sound added more depth to their music. Even when toning down the intensity to perform a love song, they still retained a sharp grunge sound. Red Line District prides itself on their amazing guitar sound by Chris, James and Collin. Their sharply defined guitar riffs kept the crowd excited.

One thing that impressed SouthSide was the new lead singer. This reviewer believes that Ben brought something to Red Line District that was previously missing when she first reviewed the band last May. Ben's vocals not only provided the energy needed to sustain the momentum of their grunge sound, he also provided a bit of eye candy for the ladies. He is one attractive looking lead singer. His sexy voice seemed to mesmerize all the women in the audience. During a few songs, he fired up the crowd by screaming out angst filled lyrics. Often one could hear shouts from the crowd demanding for Ben to take off his shirt. His affect on the crowd was rather intense to say the least. SouthSide can definitely say Red Line District's new lead singer fits perfectly with their hardcore rock image.

The band as a whole performed a solid set from beginning to end. After performing a song inspired by the movie Pan's Labyrinth, the fans were demanding for an encore. It was one of the most hottest finishes ever. Red Line District's concluding song left everyone breathless. SouthSide's looking forward to more good times with Red Line District in the near future. She highly recommends seeing them wherever they perform next. For more information about Red Line District, visit them at www.myspace.com/theredlinedistrict. Until next time, Fearless fans, support your local indie artists.

Peace,
SouthSide

--

For the orginal story, please go to

http://www.fearlessradio.com/fearless/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2075&Itemid=160

- Southside - Fearless Radio

RED LINE DISTRICT: Stuck
Listen to Red Line District's “Stuck”
By Stephen Markley
For RedEye
Published November 15 2007

Listen to Red Line District's "Stuck"

Return to the Chi-Tunes home page.
Red Line District can be found at myspace.com/theredlinedistrict.


Cal Passero and Chris Gomez did the "whole college band thing" when they attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

But after graduating in 2006, they moved back to Chicago and into their non-musical careers. They made it all of two months before the allure of sweat-drenched sets of hard-hitting rock music roped them back to the stage.

"We broke up the college band to pursue our jobs," said Passero, a guitarist for Red Line District. "But that only lasted until September or October before we were auditioning people."

Those auditions led to the addition of James Meador on bass and Chris Palmerin on drums. The final member, lead singer Ben VanBuskirk, came along only three months ago, replacing the previous front man.

"Ben fits well with us," Passero said. "He works with our edgier sound and we're getting some very good feedback on it."

VanBuskirk seems to have brought with him a dose of good fortune. The band recently played a sold-out House of Blues show while opening for Within Temptation. The band also traveled to Grand Rapids, Mich., to open for Lifehouse.

"We all clicked really well," VanBuskirk said. "And it seems like we've found a new way to play that's working for us." Passero said that the band, with its reference to Chicago's "L" in its name, counts such Chicago-based bands as Smashing Pumpkins and Chevelle as influences.

"I live off the blue line," VanBuskirk said, laughing. "We all grew up in this city, we love it, and we wanted a good Chicago feel to our music."

Passero said many Chicago artists are influencing music. "Everything from Fallout Boy to Kanye West," he said. "It's that alternative rock sound we're trying to represent."

[ stephen markley is a redeye special contributor. ] - Red Eye - Sun Times

RED LINE DISTRICT: Stuck
Listen to Red Line District's “Stuck”
By Stephen Markley
For RedEye
Published November 15 2007

Listen to Red Line District's "Stuck"

Return to the Chi-Tunes home page.
Red Line District can be found at myspace.com/theredlinedistrict.


Cal Passero and Chris Gomez did the "whole college band thing" when they attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

But after graduating in 2006, they moved back to Chicago and into their non-musical careers. They made it all of two months before the allure of sweat-drenched sets of hard-hitting rock music roped them back to the stage.

"We broke up the college band to pursue our jobs," said Passero, a guitarist for Red Line District. "But that only lasted until September or October before we were auditioning people."

Those auditions led to the addition of James Meador on bass and Chris Palmerin on drums. The final member, lead singer Ben VanBuskirk, came along only three months ago, replacing the previous front man.

"Ben fits well with us," Passero said. "He works with our edgier sound and we're getting some very good feedback on it."

VanBuskirk seems to have brought with him a dose of good fortune. The band recently played a sold-out House of Blues show while opening for Within Temptation. The band also traveled to Grand Rapids, Mich., to open for Lifehouse.

"We all clicked really well," VanBuskirk said. "And it seems like we've found a new way to play that's working for us." Passero said that the band, with its reference to Chicago's "L" in its name, counts such Chicago-based bands as Smashing Pumpkins and Chevelle as influences.

"I live off the blue line," VanBuskirk said, laughing. "We all grew up in this city, we love it, and we wanted a good Chicago feel to our music."

Passero said many Chicago artists are influencing music. "Everything from Fallout Boy to Kanye West," he said. "It's that alternative rock sound we're trying to represent."

[ stephen markley is a redeye special contributor. ] - Red Eye - Sun Times

Paying their dues

By Elena Ferrarin
Reflejos Staff Writer

Members of the band "Red Line District" are getting increasingly jittery at the thought of stepping onto the stage of Chicago's House of Blues next weekend.

But it's all good nerves, they say.

"We're really excited, really pumped," said drummer Chris Palmerin. "You just can't wait for that time when it's your cue to go on set. We've been waiting, waiting, waiting."

Guitarist Chris Gomez said the band "did the grunt work," playing their brand of hard-edged alternative rock in Chicago's underground locales and working their way up to established venues like the Double Door.

For a band that officially formed only eight months ago, it's quite an accomplishment to score a gig at the House of Blues, where Red Line District and California-based The Dear and Departed open Sept. 15 for headliners Within Temptation, a Dutch rock band.

How did they do that? With persistence, Gomez said.

"I submitted a physical press kit (to the House of Blues) and then got a referral to their booking agent. I must have called him 10 times," he said. "One day I got an e-mail from him saying we sounded great, and it all came about."

Gomez, 23, of Burr Ridge, and guitarist Callin Passero, 24, of Willowbrook, met through a mutual friend and formed the nucleus of the band they named in honor of Chicago's "el" train. "We're all representing the Chicago area, and we had promos on the red line," said Palmerin, 24, who lives in Chicago. "We're a Chicago band, and we're going to come out strong and let people know that."

The other band members are singer Ben VanBuskirk, 24, of Lyons, and bassist James Meador, 26, of Clarendon Hills. They practice out of an empty office space in Hinsdale that belongs to Passero's father.

Red Line District plans to unveil a couple of new songs written by VanBuskirk to add to its current 10-song set. The show will also be VanBuskirk's vocalist debut after singer Brian Mazzaferri was let go in late July.

According to Gomez, Mazzaferri's acoustic style didn't mesh well with the band's harder sound.

"The feedback we got from people, family and friends is that musically we were always on point, but that the singer wasn't fitting our genre," he said. "(Mazzaferri) definitely helped us get to where we are right now."

Writing new material is a collaborative process that generally starts with lyrics by VanBuskirk or music by Gomez and Passero, to which Meador and Palmerin add smooth transitions and overall "flavor," Palmerin said. "Sometimes we have to take a step back because if you have too many people working on the same thing, it's not going to work," he said.

Except for Passero, who is taking time off work to focus on his music, Red Line District's members have full-time jobs. Their goal, however, is to record and play music for a living.

"You don't want to be known just as a 15-minute band, but as a really good band that influenced people," Palmerin said. "My dream is to be recording in the studio with big label producers, working on the next album. My dream is to go as far as we can go — there is no limit."

This story can be found @

http://www.reflejos.com/story.asp?intID=1725&refsection=vidaymas

- Reflejos

Paying their dues

By Elena Ferrarin
Reflejos Staff Writer

Members of the band "Red Line District" are getting increasingly jittery at the thought of stepping onto the stage of Chicago's House of Blues next weekend.

But it's all good nerves, they say.

"We're really excited, really pumped," said drummer Chris Palmerin. "You just can't wait for that time when it's your cue to go on set. We've been waiting, waiting, waiting."

Guitarist Chris Gomez said the band "did the grunt work," playing their brand of hard-edged alternative rock in Chicago's underground locales and working their way up to established venues like the Double Door.

For a band that officially formed only eight months ago, it's quite an accomplishment to score a gig at the House of Blues, where Red Line District and California-based The Dear and Departed open Sept. 15 for headliners Within Temptation, a Dutch rock band.

How did they do that? With persistence, Gomez said.

"I submitted a physical press kit (to the House of Blues) and then got a referral to their booking agent. I must have called him 10 times," he said. "One day I got an e-mail from him saying we sounded great, and it all came about."

Gomez, 23, of Burr Ridge, and guitarist Callin Passero, 24, of Willowbrook, met through a mutual friend and formed the nucleus of the band they named in honor of Chicago's "el" train. "We're all representing the Chicago area, and we had promos on the red line," said Palmerin, 24, who lives in Chicago. "We're a Chicago band, and we're going to come out strong and let people know that."

The other band members are singer Ben VanBuskirk, 24, of Lyons, and bassist James Meador, 26, of Clarendon Hills. They practice out of an empty office space in Hinsdale that belongs to Passero's father.

Red Line District plans to unveil a couple of new songs written by VanBuskirk to add to its current 10-song set. The show will also be VanBuskirk's vocalist debut after singer Brian Mazzaferri was let go in late July.

According to Gomez, Mazzaferri's acoustic style didn't mesh well with the band's harder sound.

"The feedback we got from people, family and friends is that musically we were always on point, but that the singer wasn't fitting our genre," he said. "(Mazzaferri) definitely helped us get to where we are right now."

Writing new material is a collaborative process that generally starts with lyrics by VanBuskirk or music by Gomez and Passero, to which Meador and Palmerin add smooth transitions and overall "flavor," Palmerin said. "Sometimes we have to take a step back because if you have too many people working on the same thing, it's not going to work," he said.

Except for Passero, who is taking time off work to focus on his music, Red Line District's members have full-time jobs. Their goal, however, is to record and play music for a living.

"You don't want to be known just as a 15-minute band, but as a really good band that influenced people," Palmerin said. "My dream is to be recording in the studio with big label producers, working on the next album. My dream is to go as far as we can go — there is no limit."

This story can be found @

http://www.reflejos.com/story.asp?intID=1725&refsection=vidaymas

- Reflejos