Scenes From the Scene:
Anywhere, Long Island
By Matt Jasper
Above a neon red guitar buzzed. I waited for my new girlfriend Amanda to come in on the train from Babylon, and tucked my jacket collar up, wind whipping about. It was January 20th, and the Anywheres were to play at Live Trax in Bellmore. When Amanda arrived, we went inside, and were greeted by Vinny Dimarco, the show?s promoter. I hadn?t seen him since my open mike days, over a half year ago. He greeted me warmly, and after catching up, he offered to take half of our admission off. I denied the offer, giving Vinny his full share, and stepped inside as Terri Little began to play.
A New Jersey transplant, Terri Little was playing her first show on the island. A hard driven set ensued, her acoustic battered by bar chords, and her song banter punctuated by wrong side of the tracks stories. By the time her set had finished, there was a crowd gathering by the bar, and Terri?s mailing list weaved through. I spotted Frank of the Anywheres and said hello.
I had played a couple of shows with Frank, but he had spent the last few months working on the Anywheres album, just released. I was finishing up mine, and was beginning to send it out to press. We shot the breeze and I introduced him to my girlfriend, as Forever 27 began their set. Introduced quickly by a small Asian man in a leather jacket, the band tore through what might be prog metal, if the singer wasn?t singing like Soul Patrol from American Idol. Every time the blues singer would go falsetto, my girlfriend cringed. Still, the band was musically together, although an odd pairing.
After Forever 27 came the unfortunately titled Last Second Chances. If Dave Matthews had a grungy metal guitarist instead of a fiddle and sax, Last Second Chances would be it. The singer/acoustic guitar player and the drummer were Dave and Carter Beauford, while the bass player and electric guitarist juxtaposed with an eighties metal tone. Still, they were a welcome change from the 40 something year old Forever 27. They had brought the most draw, so the dance floor in front quickly filled with hipsters slightly nodding to the groove.
After midnight, the Anywheres arrived with Frank a bit sloshed. ?This song is called Endy Chavez? he said, and then went into a rock fueled frenzy inspired by the New York Met outfielder. Throughout his set, he thrashed around, while still managing to stomp his effects pedals at the opportune time. The band had finished playing a series of shows in New York City, and their live shows were down to a science. Jimmy?s drums were pounded into submission, complimented by Tom?s locked in bass. By the end of their set, Frank spoke up. ?There?s someone at the show tonight who?s also coming out with an album, Matt Jasper. It?s called ?As A Matter Of Fact,? and you should check it out.? I was floored. Someone shouted back to Frank, ?What?s the name of your album?? although Frank didn?t hear. He was already into his closer, and soon after, my girl and I were out the door and on the road back home.
The Anywheres? new album lives up to their tremendous live show. From the straight up rock of Squirrelwood Road, to the tenderness of Breathing In, the album has something for everyone. An original mix inspired by the Chili Peppers and Death Cab, the Anywheres debut CD shows much promise. The record by the way is called, ?The Anywheres?.
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