Verona Red

"Fresh and vibrant, as well as brazen and confident. A balls-out brawl of sheer rock and roll intensity. It’s as if the Stray Cats turned their amps up to 11. This band will rock your ass." - Zaptown Magazine

The infectious EP is chock full of rollicking tunes that make us want to shimmy, shake, jump, jive and create a general ruckus. Deep brassy vocals like those heard in “Sweet Rose” carry a hearty soulfulness and are paired off with an echo-y swell of electric guitar that reminds us a lot of the gospel like rock bands such as The Dear Hunter deliver. Other songs, like opener “Kitchen Song” are more of a rockabilly meets do-wop concoction, with jaunty drums, group harmonies and an auctioneer like pace to its chorus. Pound caught our attention in the first five seconds of its opening track and continued to hold on to it through the very end. We’d put our money on it doing the same for most listeners and gamble our entire savings account on this band putting on an awesome live show. - Reviewsic

“The four-piece easily blends blues, roots rock, swing and country twang into its complex sound. As a native Texan, I bow to Verona Red’s love of honky tonk.” - Loud Loop Press

“When it comes to bands kicking ass, only the truth comes out, and Verona Red is the best Chicago band you must hear, Faithful Reader, hands down”

“Their sense of humor couldn’t be mistaken, and for the first time in a while, it was a breath of fresh air to see a band so jolly and happy, ego-free and friendly, but who could also play some fantastic music.”

Read the full review at http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/12/verona-red-send-up-a-heat-wave-at-subterranean-19/ - Consequence of Sound

Verona Red creates a “dark, yet uplifting, bluesy sound that is both nostalgic and cutting-edge.” At their live shows, “expect to witness a grossly satisfying night of live music that’s sure to be high in energy, talent, and pure entertainment.”

Read the full show review at http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/01/verona-red-at-the-melody-inn-concert-review

- ZapTown Magazine

Many bands cultivate strong local followings simply because they're nice people who play inoffensive music. Not that they're not nice, or that they're offensive, but Verona Red, a Chicago-based quartet with roots in Barrington, Lake Zurich and Elk Grove Village, offers a dynamic, anthemic, at times ambitious sort of rock that genuinely warrants a hearty grassroots fan base. The libidinous mélange found on their debut full-length album, "Side Effects," isn't without precedent, but its nervous energy is compelling all the same.

"Hesitations and Clichés" steps out with Mike Panagakis' drums swinging, connecting with frontman Chris Balzer's dramatic piano banging, squeezing sexy confidence out of the singer's deep drawl. It's a winning combination of saloon singalong and driving pop with a refreshingly shadowy heart. Later, "Marjorie" revisits the template with even stronger results thanks to Tony Focht's frazzled, jangly guitar and Tazdeen Rashid's nimble, propulsive bass. As opposed to most mix-buried bassists, Rashid actually turns out to be Verona Red's secret weapon, providing a warm pulse for lively disco-rock hybrids "In the Coat Check," "All We Ever Had" and "Dragonflies."

All is not perfect here, as string-laden acoustic ballad "All We Would Lose" and upbeat alterna-rocker "After All" weaken the album's middle section with shockingly average radio rock, and "Stereo" is only elevated by Focht's expressive indie guitar melodies. Aside from closer "Disappear," a brief but engaging slow burner, Verona Red does best with the funkier, more spirited tunes that dominate "Effects." Those showcase their unique personality, a lounge-lizard-takes-Manhattan brew that not only tries to appeal to all tastes, but very nearly will.

Verona Red performs a CD release show with Moxie Motive, Pistols at Dawn and AMFM at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $8. (773) 489-3160 or doubledoor.com.

- Daily Herald - Jeff Pizek

Many bands cultivate strong local followings simply because they're nice people who play inoffensive music. Not that they're not nice, or that they're offensive, but Verona Red, a Chicago-based quartet with roots in Barrington, Lake Zurich and Elk Grove Village, offers a dynamic, anthemic, at times ambitious sort of rock that genuinely warrants a hearty grassroots fan base. The libidinous mélange found on their debut full-length album, "Side Effects," isn't without precedent, but its nervous energy is compelling all the same.

"Hesitations and Clichés" steps out with Mike Panagakis' drums swinging, connecting with frontman Chris Balzer's dramatic piano banging, squeezing sexy confidence out of the singer's deep drawl. It's a winning combination of saloon singalong and driving pop with a refreshingly shadowy heart. Later, "Marjorie" revisits the template with even stronger results thanks to Tony Focht's frazzled, jangly guitar and Tazdeen Rashid's nimble, propulsive bass. As opposed to most mix-buried bassists, Rashid actually turns out to be Verona Red's secret weapon, providing a warm pulse for lively disco-rock hybrids "In the Coat Check," "All We Ever Had" and "Dragonflies."

All is not perfect here, as string-laden acoustic ballad "All We Would Lose" and upbeat alterna-rocker "After All" weaken the album's middle section with shockingly average radio rock, and "Stereo" is only elevated by Focht's expressive indie guitar melodies. Aside from closer "Disappear," a brief but engaging slow burner, Verona Red does best with the funkier, more spirited tunes that dominate "Effects." Those showcase their unique personality, a lounge-lizard-takes-Manhattan brew that not only tries to appeal to all tastes, but very nearly will.

Verona Red performs a CD release show with Moxie Motive, Pistols at Dawn and AMFM at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $8. (773) 489-3160 or doubledoor.com.

- Daily Herald - Jeff Pizek

Brennig (TRP): How cool are these guys? Toe-tapping, head-dipping Indie music that promises a rocking good gig. Are they this together on stage? And for
me, as a music reviewer that's a question I'd love to have answered. The framework that the instrumental sections build to all of these tracks is solid gold. The vocals are brilliant; Crash Test Dummies on speed? I love the sound. I love the simplicity - and can appreciate how much effort goes in to making something sound simple. And I love the enthusiasm. The strings on 'Hesitations and Cliches' is a nice touch of scoring. Production values are above average and I love that because it underlines care and attention. Full marks to everyone
involved in bringing this music to my ears!

Liz (TRP): Red Hot Kaiser Killers!

They have something original because they sound like a combination of
styles that shouldn't really work but somehow does. I can see the
front man dancing around in skinny jeans on stage a lot.

Sophie (TRP): Dancing music! I bopped from one end of the house to the other when Hesitations and Cliches started blasting. I didn't know what to expect
when Majorie started. Verona Red are a little bit like The Hoosiers but much much better! - The Reality Podcast

Brennig (TRP): How cool are these guys? Toe-tapping, head-dipping Indie music that promises a rocking good gig. Are they this together on stage? And for
me, as a music reviewer that's a question I'd love to have answered. The framework that the instrumental sections build to all of these tracks is solid gold. The vocals are brilliant; Crash Test Dummies on speed? I love the sound. I love the simplicity - and can appreciate how much effort goes in to making something sound simple. And I love the enthusiasm. The strings on 'Hesitations and Cliches' is a nice touch of scoring. Production values are above average and I love that because it underlines care and attention. Full marks to everyone
involved in bringing this music to my ears!

Liz (TRP): Red Hot Kaiser Killers!

They have something original because they sound like a combination of
styles that shouldn't really work but somehow does. I can see the
front man dancing around in skinny jeans on stage a lot.

Sophie (TRP): Dancing music! I bopped from one end of the house to the other when Hesitations and Cliches started blasting. I didn't know what to expect
when Majorie started. Verona Red are a little bit like The Hoosiers but much much better! - The Reality Podcast

Verona Red is carving a niche within the alternative rock genre with this new album. This is the album to add to your 2008 collection - Fearless Radio

Verona Red is carving a niche within the alternative rock genre with this new album. This is the album to add to your 2008 collection - Fearless Radio

Chicago Innerview previewed Verona Red's January 9, 2010, show at Subterranean in their January edition.

"...Although the band members have folk roots, their sound today rests upon an undeniably rock ‘n’ roll base with well-crafted elements of dance, blues, and swing mixed in. Their live shows are energetic, fun, and exciting..." - Chicago Innerview

Chicago Innerview previewed Verona Red's January 9, 2010, show at Subterranean in their January edition.

"...Although the band members have folk roots, their sound today rests upon an undeniably rock ‘n’ roll base with well-crafted elements of dance, blues, and swing mixed in. Their live shows are energetic, fun, and exciting..." - Chicago Innerview

“Opener Verona Red warmed up the crowd with a surprisingly accessible brand of Chicago rock. You don’t expect a totally familiar vibe from a band you’ve never heard before, but there it was. With warm guitar, a well-pounded tambourine, and bongo drums laid over the full percussion, Verona Red played a set that I felt a high-school-music affection for. Lead singer Chris Balzer danced in a way that made his music seem as if it came up from the shoes of his soul. Anyone who hasn’t seen this local Chicago band is missing out; hopefully they’ll be hitting the festival circuit this summer.”
- Consequence of Sound

"Well-written, driving indie rock that is almost as dancey as it is smart. In a world where most bands want to sound like some other stagnant band, this is refreshing." - John Benetti

Featured next to Lady Gaga, Verona Red's January 9, 2010 live show was a top recommended weekend concert! - Chicago RedEye and Metromix

For the week of October 12, 2009, Verona Red was one of the top 10 featured artists on ReverbNation! - ReverbNation

Chicago-based rockers Verona Red will headline Beat Kitchen this Friday, November 6 (more info and tickets here), and to help get readers revved up for the show, lead singer and guitarist Chris Balzer answered a few questions for WCR about the band's sound and time on the scene so far. Check out the Q&A below, as well as two downloads courtesy of Verona Red from their debut full-length, Side Effects. Also, be sure to listen to the band on Fearless Radio this Wednesday, November 4 (details here).

Download mp3: Verona Red - "All We Ever Had"

Download mp3: Verona Red - "Marjorie"

WCR: You guys have been on the scene for quite a while now. How did the band first come together and how has it evolved since then?

VR: Well, Mike Panagakis (drummer) and I started playing music together back in high school in Lake Zurich. Verona Red actually started though when we both moved back to Chicago after our first year of college. We hadn’t stopped playing music, we just weren’t able to play together during that time, so we were excited to start something new. When we first started we were calling ourselves Ursa and the music was more folk-based and we were much more cautious with our writing. We called our sound an ”acousti-funkleration of independence.” Now, we call our sound rock and roll, and our music is based on the good times we want you to have while listening to it.

WCR: Tell us about the recording of your debut full-length, Side Effects. What did you set out to get across in the music and how did the process go?

VR: Side Effects was influenced by a few things: a break up, a new guitar amp, and a lot of hermaphrodite porn. We walked into the studio with the overall goal of bringing the energy of our live show to the album. We believe rock and roll is about more than making a good rock album; it’s about bringing a good show and a good time to all your fans. We can tell the folks at our shows enjoy the music from all the dancing and groping, which is great because we put a lot of work into making our live show the balls. We think this album reflects that.

WCR: The record definitely has a diverse, eclectic sound. It's tough to pin down a specific style. How would you describe your music to someone unfamiliar with it?

VR: Rock and roll. That’s it really. Maybe a type of in-your-face dance-rock. We blend several genres on this record, but that’s the beauty of rock and roll. You can do that and if everyone’s having fun it works, we don’t need to apply a million different sub-genres to it. You can hear some blues, some dance, and some swing sound in our music, but really it’s just rock and roll.

WCR: If you could get people who haven't yet heard your music to check out just one of your songs, which would it be and why?

VR: While our album pulls from a lot of different sounds and styles, I think "All We Ever Had" does a good job of combining bits and pieces of all these sounds into one song. If you like "All We Ever Had," you’ll like a few of our other songs too, and probably one of those other songs even more. It’s a good starter song because it captures a lot of what you hear across the album – a sing-a-long chorus, climaxing rock and roll, a beat you can dance to, and some general badassness.

WCR: What sets Verona Red apart from other bands from Chicago?

VR: Our insatiable addiction to gay animal clown porn and the size of our balls. Both of these things obviously impact our live show, which is another differentiating factor. Even virgin Verona Red crowds will be singing and dancing at our shows – our music’s upbeat and the lyrics are catchy, so it mixes well with drunks looking for fun. And 87% of people who attend will get laid the night of our show. That’s a number we’re proud of. Rock and roll.

WCR: By now you've played shows at a long list of venues. Which gig stands out as the most memorable so far?

VR: Well, our record release party last November certainly made us feel the most like rock stars. There were a shit ton of people there and everyone was really drunk and happy to see us. We played every song on the album that night, and it was warmly received by over 400 people. It was so fun; we’ll never forget that show. We’ll also never forget the show we played for a deaf persons support group. I’m still confused at why live music was the entertainment choice for the evening, but we made sure to all be a little extra animated that night.

WCR: As a Chicago-based band who has played many out-of-state shows, what do you think makes the Chicago music scene unique?

VR: Chicago is like a blessing in disguise for musicians who travel – it’s the ultimate testing ground for the Midwest, which puts us at an advantage when we go out of town. Our Chicago crowds are more demanding than other crowds. If you’re an original act, they start the night with arms crossed or hands in pockets. It’s our job to get them dancing, and we usually do, but there is always a “prove yourself” kind o - WindyCityRock.net

It's rare to get actual twists and turns in indie rock these days (other than the contrived pre-determined ones of twisty turny-core bands), so hearing this band shift gears between hard, slinky, bouncy, ominous, rootsy, and points in between is refreshing. With resonant vocals and lyrical guitar work this band should have your threat advisory rock n roll threat level at Red. - Roctober Magazine - Waymon Timbsdayle

It's rare to get actual twists and turns in indie rock these days (other than the contrived pre-determined ones of twisty turny-core bands), so hearing this band shift gears between hard, slinky, bouncy, ominous, rootsy, and points in between is refreshing. With resonant vocals and lyrical guitar work this band should have your threat advisory rock n roll threat level at Red. - Roctober Magazine - Waymon Timbsdayle