Evelyn Red

"Eva: They're not the Rebekka Carol band!"<br><br>Westhampton native Rebekka Carol has been a staple on the Long Island music scene since releasing her debut album Strangely Innocent, back in 2001. Relying on street smarts, determination, a sweet strong voice, and shared insight from writing partner/backing guitarist Brian Lupo, Carol's brand of acoustic, image inducing balladry earned her airplay on several Long Island radio stations as well as tour spots with numerous fests and benefits. She also hosts and performs at the weekly Sunday Night Open Mic (now on Thursday's) at The Village Pub in Port Jeff. NY. <br><br>Her latest project Eva, a four-piece  band featuring herself singing and playing guitar, Lupo on guitar, Chris Petchonka on bass, and Greg Dobrinski on drums, is a vast, exponential sound expansion compared to the aural soundscape that characterizes her previouse work.<br><br>Lupo agrees, "What comes out of Eva is our musical honesty. We're all a little bit burnt on trying to play the success game. Eva is our outlet for just being ourselves. We're four individuals and we want our own identities to come through. At the same time, the music that we produce together is fucking awesome."<br><br>Presently working on their first CD, Eva is on a mission to capture their audience with their honest, creative and emotional music.<br>Drawing from Carol's influences (Pink Floyd, The Cranberries, Tori Amos and local heroes Dearly Departed), and Lupo's background (artists as diverse as Sepultura and Coldplay). Eva combines their tastes with Petchonka's backbone basslines and Polish Born drummer Dobrinski's explotion from behind the drum kit. As Eva explores new musical frontiers, the four members feed off each other's individuality.<br>Carol adds, "Right now we're writing new material and are being open to whatever happens. We don't have stars in our eyes and we're not willing to change our sound for anyone's evil purposes (laughs). If someone like an independent label notices us, that's great, but if they don't, we're just as happy doing what we do."<br><br>For more information on their tour dates and MP3 downloads, visit www.RebekkaCarol.com or www.EvaMusic.com. - Goodtimes Magazine- Henri Rosenblum

"Eva @ The Village Pub South"

The next band of the evening was Eva, featuring Rebekka Carol and longtime guitarist from their acoustic act Brian Lupo. Brian's style lends itself well in a full band format where he can frequently cut loose. Greg Dobrinski on drums and Chris Petchonka build a solid foundation for the band as Rebekka sings with all her heart and soul. Not even a cold and sore throat could hold her back. Eva opened with "Enough for Me" and it was clear Rebekka would still nail every note with full power. A personal favorite of mine is a song called "Shudder". It is beautifully complex and certainly not an easy song to sing. Rebekka gave it her all, reaching for her squeeze bottle of honey for her sore throat when it was over. The set ended on an intimate note with just Rebekka, accompanied by Brian's acoustic guitar. - Goodtimes Magazine- Diane Ward

During the past few years I have performed at events where fellow singer/songwriter, Rebekka Carol, was also on the bill. I have always enjoyed listening to her music because i appreciate quality songwriting with lyrics that still keep me thinking about the song afterwards. And if it's acoustic, even better. So I was kind of surprised when I heard she was forming a band and wondered if it was a phase she was going through or if she was burnt out after all of those nights hosting open mics. Depending on how the evening is going and if there is a full moon, an open mic could make you never want to hear or perform acoustic music for the rest of your life. But that doesn't seem to be the case for Rebekka. Fresh from winning the semi-finals at this years Long Island music festival, "Eva", along with Rebekka, is comprised of members Brian Lupo on lead guitar, Chris Petchonka on bass and Eric Rucker on drums. For those of you who have seen Rebekka in the past, you're most likely going to remember Brian. In my opinion, he's one of the most tasteful guitar players i've heard. Some lead players either play too much or end up fighting with the vocals or the other guitar. Brian is the complete opposite, accentuating the songs rather than burying them. One of the reasons that Carol wanted to add drums and bass was because she felt it provide a natural opportunity to grow musically. While she enjoys playing acoustic with the band she feels she can "experiment more with music" and that the additional influences are beneficial as well. And while most of the ideas for the songs stem from Rebekka and Brian, all of the members end up collaborating on the music, which we will be able to hear by the end of the summer when the anticipate their first CD will be ready for release. Until then, you can go and see them live on July 15th at Mulcahy's or at Nappertandy's on July 22nd. Oh yeah and don't forget to show your support when they play the second round of the Long Island music festival. And for those of you going through ARWS-acoustic Rebekka withdrawl syndrome symptoms-rest assured she hasn't given up that part of her life completely. She is still booking acoustic gigs. Tou can also see her unplugged at some of the open mic's she regularly hosts on the island.
But whether acoustic or electric, Carol will always be writing music and performing.
For more information please visit www.EvaMusic.com - Aural Fix- Kathy Fleischmann

... - The Inside Connection

Music fans in Riverhead have the best of both worlds. They are within reach of the Island's best bands, and the town has a venue that was made for the concert experience. April 10 brought the 6 For 6 Concert to The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall on Riverhead's Main Street. This is a remarkable place to catch live music. The theater atmosphere and old century stage setting gave us the feeling that we were not at a show as much as an event. Just about every seat was filled, and the crowd was more than eager to take full advantage of the opportunity to spend Saturday with six very talented Island acts.

Taking advantage of the momentum in the room, Eva claimed the stage and kicked into a set that combined some great new material with a handful of the fan favorites that have helped Eva build their reputation as the area's premiere rock act. These guys have a sound and live presence that leaves little doubt that it is only a matter of time before the suits from the big labels come calling. Rebekka Carol's unique voice and strong demeanor bring added dimension to the show, and from the way the young girls respond to her, she has the potential to be a leader for the next generation female rock movement. Biggest pops for Eva came for rockers "Not Alone" and "No Regret To Reason." Carol and lead guitarist Brian Lupo bring their strong working chemistry as songwriters to the stage adding to the strength of the band's performance.

- Goodtimes Magazine

Rebekka Carol's electric alter ego, Eva, was the next band to conquer the evening. The four piece played tracks of their "Brand ne spankin demo" including, Into Her Mind, What About Me and my personal favorite Alive. In addition to that the audience was treated to a new yet unreleased song titled No Regret to Reason. Carol is one of the few acoustic turned electric artists who have the gift of stage presence when it comes to performing without the crutch of a guitar. Whether kneeling or leaning against lead guitarist Brian Lupo, it comes across as natural as opposed to going through the moves because it's something that the latest "Stepford Wife Top 40 Female Flavor of The Month" is doing on TRL. Brian Lupo is the perfect gentleman of lead guitarists. He opens the door for Rebekka and lets her sing, still playing while she is walking through but never jumping in front-weaving the nores in and around her footsteps and then bursting through the door after her at that perfect moment. Same goes for melodic bass player Chris Petchonka and, Keith Moon in training, drummer Eric Rucker. For more info visit www.EvaMusic.com - Aural Fix- Kathy Fleischmann

The acoustic format took a seat as the much anticipated set by Eva began. Singer/writer Rebekka Carol fronts this five player group that mixes sounds, styles and genres in their own special rock & roll blender and the result is something unique and tastey with a tight driving foundation. Although performing for only the second time with a new guitarist, Eva was at full strength. Each player has a mastery of their instrument and Rebekka brings enough power and attitude to the stage to make this band as hot as any act on the New York/Island circuit.<br> - Goodtimes Magazine- Dan Brown

EVA
Independent
This is Alternapop the way it ought to be!

Eva is local songstress Rebekka Carol's first attempt at working
with a full
band. They were semifinalists in last summer's Long Island Music
Festival,
and with a little luck and a slightly larger crowd vote, they
could have
possibly taken the whole thing. There are 4-songs on this
self-titled EP-CD.
As you'd probably expect, the sound is fuller than Carol's solo
work, which
somehow just seems to lend her voice more power.

Honestly, this band has a chance to be huge. Carol has one of
the best
voices on the local scene, or anywhere else for that matter.
There's a
happy mixture of power and beauty here that allows her to be
equally at home
on ballads and hard rockers. Add to that the creativity and
energy of Brian
Lupo's guitar work, and the skill of Carol as a songwriter that
might not be
can't-miss, but is definitely shouldn't-miss.

All four of the songs on the cd are strong. "Not Alone" is a mid
tempo
ballad. "Into Her Mind" picks up the pace a bit and rocks out a
little
more. "On My Own" is the rockiest song on the cd. (If you've
seen her live
shows, it's pretty recognizable. It's the one witht he chorus
that starts "I
don't want to feel like this forever!") Then the cd takes a
chance, by
ending with a slow, moody number called "Alive".

There needs to be more music like this.

Eva's Website is www.evamusic.com
- Rich Hughes- Aural Fix Magazine

As Eva continue to work on their full length project, they've released
this
seven song preview to satisfy the desires of their ever-growing fan
base.
To find what makes this band so successful, you need to look no further
than the music itself. Where so many bands rely on the synthetic juice of
distortion boxes and bass drum foot pedals working double-time for
their power, Eva
digs deeper. By laying dynamic highs and lows throughout the song
structure itself, voice, drums and guitars unite to trigger a minefield of
emotion for the listener to feed upon.
Rebekka voice is fueled by awareness and empowerment,
making her lyrics resonate more as an exercise in self-discovery rather than
self-indulgence. Brian Lupo's space-concious pickings accent the drama, serving as a deliberate companion to Rebekka's soul-fueled vocals. On the disc opener, "Not Alone" and track six "No Regret To Reason", Lupo and fellow guitarist Steve
Goldstein provide raw power while refusing to waste a single note, or
intrude where silence serves the moment better.
Eric Rucker's drumming is not just a backdrop for the melody, but an equal voice in each song's arrangement. His style compliments the Eva
sound much in the same way Stewart Copeland brought added color and dimension to
so many of Sting's visions. Along with bassist Chris Petchonka, the rhythm
section gets hard and heavy while treating the softer end of the songs, not
just as a place to rest until the next build, but as an opportunity to exploit
the potential of the moment, adding only for the purpose of reinforcing the
song's intentions.
Stop by EvaMusic.com to find out about picking up this truly great
disc as well as where and where you can catch Eva's live show.
- Dan Brown-Goodtimes Magazine

On Friday November 28th, at The Bay Village Inn in Amityville, NY, one of the the four bands of the evening was Eva...Next to grace the stage was Eva, which features former solo artist Rebekka Carol. Rebekka has been an active member of the LI music commmunity for quite some time. She now adds a very talented backing band to her repertoire. Each members talents were easily identifiable and they are very professional. The vocals are reminiscent of Avril Lavigne, but of course with their own uniqueness thrown into the mix. Eva was the definate crowd favorite at The Inn this evening. Eva advanced without question to the second round. - The Inside Connection Magazine