The Bowery Ballroom upcoming shows
Ed Kowalczyk of LIVE
Thriving Ivory / Miggs
- Venue:
-
The Bowery Ballroom
- Date:
- Thu 9/30
- Notes:
- 21+
- Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 9:00 PM
- $26
- Ed Kowalczyk of LIVE
- official website
- myspace
- Thriving Ivory
- official website
- myspace
- From empty pockets and hopeful hearts comes the first full-length album from the piano-rock ensemble Thriving Ivory; an effort some would say is long overdue.
When vocalist Clayton Stroope met pianist, writer and composer Scott Jason in college at UC Santa Barbara he knew he had found his musical counterpoint. "I'm not a song writer, and Scott doesn't sing, but he has this creative force inside him and I just fit as an outlet for him," says Stroope. "It was just the perfect two pieces of the puzzle that came together."
Sharing the same musical vision, the duo set out to form their band. What they found was indie guitarist Drew Cribley. "Drew has just a really unique style of playing guitar," says Stroope. "He's the one who looks most like he should be in a rock band." For rhythm, drummer Paul Niedermier and bassist Bret Cohune seemed the perfect fit. "Bret and Paul together are just a real solid rhythm section, the backbone of the band," says Jason.
Five years of hard work and dedication has culminated in a sound that is really all their own. Thriving Ivory is an ever-developing ideal that strives to prove that genuine artistry need not be lost in modern music. Their first single, "Angels on the Moon," which was inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, is a compelling and intelligent rock song, communicating a message that pierces straight through to the heart.
One person heard this message loud and clear and decided to take a chance on an unsigned and relatively unknown band. When "Angels on the Moon" made its way into the hands of nationally influential and renowned supporter of local bands, Live 105 Music Director Aaron Axelsen, he immediately put the track into full rotation. The result was a top-five requested song and the break that the band had been waiting for. "I was blown away," admits Stroope. "All of the sudden we just got a call, and then the next day we just heard it on the air four or five times." "I have a great deal of appreciation for Aaron Axelsen," says Jason, "for his ability to understand our music and for taking the risk to put it on the air.”
With a fast-growing fan base and an ever-increasing collection of songs, it was finally time to head into the recording studio, but putting the album out on their own steam has certainly been a leap of faith. "There's always this underlying feeling of uncertainty," admits Jason. "Not in the music, but in the ability of the record industry to understand the music and take a risk on a relatively unknown band. You know, how long is a band willing to push and push without making any money, while at the same time you're impacting lives; it's so ironic.”
Taking the leap with the band was former Jellyfish bassist and veteran producer Chris Manning. Jason recalls the interview process with Manning as the moment he knew they had found their producer. "I remember our manager asking Chris some very specific business questions, and Chris' response had nothing to do with the question that was asked," says Jason. "All he said was 'all I do is make bad ass records.' That's when I knew I wanted to record with him."
What came out of tireless hours of writing, recording and mixing is a compilation of Thriving Ivory's finest work. New songs like the dynamic and uplifting "For Heaven's Sake" blend perfectly with seasoned songs like the haunting and provocative "Unhappy” and plaintive piano ballad "Overrated,” which KFOG put on their second annual Local Scene CD compilation.
Boasting the album’s most triumphant arrangements, “Day of Rain” and “Secret Life” are irresistible counterpoints to the energetic and heart-pounding “Runaway” and “Light Up Mississippi.”
"I've always liked the idea of keeping songs mysterious and leaving the listener to interpret it themselves because it means something different to everybody," says Jason on the exultant tracks “Long Hallway with a Broken Light” and “Flowers for a Ghost.”
No song on the album, however, expresses the beauty of Stroope's operatic vocals combined with the honesty and vulnerability in Jason's lyrics better than fan and industry favorite "Hey Lady.” “Stroope’s voice literally melts you away,” wrote breakingcustom.com, “With his ability to completely take control of the song and the listener.”
Emerging fan favorite, "Twilight" was chosen for a recent Live 105 contest which placed Thriving Ivory in the top five local acts in the bay area. Support from the station continued, when "Angels on The Moon" was listed in the top 105.3 songs of 2006 and the album made the top ten staff picks of the year.
With the completion of their first full-length album, the men of Thriving Ivory are on the brink, but have long been making waves. "When it comes to Thriving Ivory, it's not a matter of if...it's when," wrote the Owl Mag. "And like true rock stars, they exude the 'it-factor' setting them apart."
- Miggs
- myspace
- Miggs isn’t the new kid on the block. They’ve been “one of the best bands you’ve never heard of” (music-reviewer.com) for a while now, with more almost-famous stories than thought possible and they’re not showing any signs of letting go or letting up in 2010. For Don Miggs, after four albums and a revolving door for musicians, it was time to take stock; “We released ‘Unraveled’ (2008, Rock Ridge Music), the drummer left, and Michael (Lombardo, bass guitar) and I went on the road trying to find our identity. It got tiring constantly introducing new members to each other and I’m sure our fans started to lose interest in a group that wasn’t even able to stay a group.” Calling on Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) to play matchmaker, the guys were introduced to drumming sensation Ryan Scarbrough. Fed up with the Nashville “gun for hire” scene and wanting to be part of something more permanent, Ryan jumped right in. Musically aligned, the band toured relentlessly through 2008-2009, finding an undeniable groove with each other and the new material. Audiences and critics agreed. They couldn’t wait to see how this group would sound in the studio.
In December 2009, they found out when multi-platinum producer/engineer Ken Lewis (Fall Out Boy, Kanye West) signed on to translate this on-stage chemistry into a gripping studio album. The result is the upcoming “Wide Awake” (Rock Ridge, Spring 2010), easily Miggs’ most accomplished, fresh-sounding and accessible collection of songs to date. “I wanted to make an album that felt both immediate and nostalgic. Worn in and new at the same time.” Continuing, "This is the first time I ever recorded an album with same guys I'd been playing with for the last two years and it shows. We didn’t have to try to make it all fit. It just did.”
At its core, “Wide Awake” is about clarity, focus; seeing things the way they are – not as we want them to be – and accepting, even embracing that state. It’s a good thing even when it’s a bad thing sometimes.
“Each song on ‘Wide Awake’ has a counterpart, an accomplice – another track that connects with it emotionally, echoes it lyrically or recalls it musically,” says Don. “There is a cohesiveness to the songs, and I want you to feel like you’ve been on a journey when track 12 finishes. This collection says more in 45 minutes than anything I’ve done previously.” Key tunes include the title track, “Wide Awake” and “Crawl Inside,” which are about his wife Lisa. “‘Wide Awake’ is about being fed up with sleepwalking through your life. Finding that person who makes you feel like one second wasted is too much and ‘Crawl Inside’ is a simple love letter.”
Miggs saw its fair share of the spotlight over the course of the years with the singles “Perfect” and “I Believe” reaching No. 66 and No. 82, respectively, on Billboard’s Hot AC chart and "I Believe" even pushing No. 7 on the Hot AC Media Base chart. In 2009, the band landed a performance on “Good Morning America,” media accolades came their way and opening slots for everyone, including Duran Duran to Maroon 5, Train, Matt Nathanson, and Sister Hazel seasoned their stage show. Music supervisors have included Miggs’ unique brand of pop-rock in television, games and movies like Fox’s “The O.C.,” Buena Vista video game “Spectrobes,” MTV’s “Bromance with Brody Jenner,” A&E’s “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” Disney’s “Fallen,” and Don even wrote the song for the Florida tourism campaign, “Share A Little Sunshine.” “Growing our audience organically has always been the goal,” says Don. “If too many people jump on at once, the boat will sink. Remaining afloat was always key.” “Wide Awake” shows not only how far they’ve come, but also promises to keep the band sailing smoothly into the future.
OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS FROM THE BOWERY PRESENTS
© 2010
