Clockwise from Left: Kevlar’s Kelci and Anthony, Nici, Kevlar’s Nick and Jake, and Jodi at The Odeon in Cleveland

Even if you don’t like new music (say, what?) this is a fun and madcap read from finish to start. Huh? Read on to find out what I mean.

Let’s Work Backward
Remember the movie Memento? The film started with the ending, and worked its way forward (or backward, rather) to the beginning (or end). You know, similar to what happens in email threads today: If you want to learn how the subject began, you need to scroll down, and then read up (a process I lovingly refer to as SDRU: Scroll Down, Read Up). I’ll follow suit here, and lead with the end result, the discovery of a newer band, Kevlar.

Kevlar
Joel, who is the Chaplain of BlankTV (SDRU), shared with me that Kevlar—an aspiring national band from Erie, PA—would be opening for the Avatar and Gemini Syndrome show (read the post) that I was planning to attend at The Odeon in Cleveland. I’m always interested in listening to a new band, especially since Kevlar was described to me as “a hard-rockin’ band of young guns, locked and loaded and rocking as hard as humanly possible.” And they delivered on that promise. The band had an excellent on-stage sound, each band member was lively and energetic, and they deserved to share the stage with the other bands.

Kevlar & Nici at The Odeon in Cleveland

A few days after the show, I was fortunate to be able to catch up with Kevlar, comprising of Kelci Margaret (lead vocals), Anthony Sanzo (bass), Nick Sanzo (drums), and Jake Flaugh (guitar). Interestingly, the band members have a crazy range of interests and sources of inspiration that help to influence their lyrics and sound. Musical influences range from Rush, Foo Fighters, Dio, and Avenged Sevenfold to Paramore and Evanescence to Brad Paisley to Eminem. Outside interests involve film, music production, forensic anthropology and neuroscience biology (Kelci studies this!), writing, and hockey. This very range of inputs is what creates the strength, fiber, and cohesion the band utilizes to output their fantastic sound. And their name says it all, as the term “Kevlar” is a powerfully resilient synthetic fiber often used in hockey equipment! These bandmates are tough, and they plan to stay.

What’s next for the band? Their ultimate goal is to be self-sustaining. Right now, they’re playing shows every weekend, taking time to tour as often as possible. Soon, they’ll be heading into the studio to record new songs and are planning to release an EP in the winter. Plus, they have a huge show announcement in the very near future! Ooh, sounds intriguing!

AC/DC famously sang, “It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ‘n’ roll.” Yes, this statement might very well be true. It’s a long way, but is getting to the very top so important in the beginning? Could bands simply “rock ’n’ roll” and enjoy every minute of the adventure along the way? Maybe this is where the fun and success can be found, by staying in the present, savoring the journey of becoming a rock star, having fun on the road in tour vans and crappy motels, appreciating the audience, and watching the fans grow in size. That’s what Kevlar seems to be doing right now, and I will personally enjoy watching their journey along the way, as they are self-admittedly “ready to take on the world!”

Kevlar Setlist
• Something Strange (Ghosts)
• The Happening
• Dark Horse (Katy Perry Cover; link to original version)
• For Emma
• The Void

BlankTV
Tom, who is Aaron Nordstom of Gemini Syndrome’s agent (SDRU), introduced me to another agent, Joel, who shared a new-to-me website with an amazingly popular and successful YouTube channel called BlankTV, a platform for indie artists to share their music. The people at BlankTV champion themselves on helping to promote the unknown artist, and they’ve ultimately helped many bands to sign with record labels. Joel shared a few of his favorite finds in recent years:
• The Ongoing Concept: check out their hilarious Cover Girl video
• Louise Distras: described as a cross between Billy Bragg and Joan Jett—whoa, she needs a US tour!
• Black Veil Brides: once an indie band on BlankTV that now has more than 4 million Facebook followers

New Music
One thing had led to another. In my mission to see Gemini Syndrome in concert and interview Aaron Nordstrom before the show (check out the interview), my new music adventure had begun, as you have read in this post. In addition to introducing me to Joel (who taught me about BlankTV and introduced me to Kevlar), Aaron’s press agent, Tom, also shared with me some up-and-coming artists with newly released videos:
• The Flux Machine, an alt rock band with a new video, Run Away
• The Darlings, a rock band with their new video, Teenage Little Thing

The Start (or The Wrap?)
If it weren’t for new music and people testing grounds, toying with new sounds, we’d be attending the symphony instead of concerts. We need to be open-minded and supportive of new artists, giving them a chance, so that we’re propelling forward and finding new forms of modern music. I find new music in all sorts of ways: 88.9 The Alternation, flipping through satellite radio stations, word of mouth, press releases, and opening bands. It’s a music adventure. How do you find new music?