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When it comes to
showcases like the
Atlantis Music Conference, bands often complain
that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. That’s often true,
but it seems like bands would eventually figure out that there’s
more to it than locking yourself in your closet 10 hours a day to
practice and then expecting the fans to come find you. The common theme
among this year’s panelists, whether they were artists, industry
professionals or media professionals, was that it all comes down to
building relationships. And that’s why Charlotte, N.C., modern rock
group Bridge gets my vote as the band most likely to succeed from
Atlantis ‘03. |
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I found out about Bridge at a pool party at the Sheraton thrown by
Organized Noize, producers for Outkast and the Dungeon Family. I was
there seeking that which destitute writers live for, free food. And
in the hors ‘d oeuvres line, I met Bridge’s marketing director, who
oversees the band’s promotional street teams across the country. He
was such an effective schmoozer that I decided I had to check Bridge
out. [Note to bands: Get some effective schmoozers working for you.]
It turns out that members of Bridge have been to Atlantis every year
that it’s been held, but waited until all the pieces were in place
to apply for a showcase.
“I’ve been every year [but] this is the first time we’ve showcased,”
said Brandon Hinson, drummer for Bridge. “Honestly I didn’t feel
there was a need to showcase until we were ready for it. And I felt
this year that we were totally ready. We have our team together with
our attorneys and our managers, our crew and everyone behind us. In
the past I haven’t had that strong of a team, so I figured that this
year would be the best year to do that.”
Bridge played at Charlie & Barney’s, a downtown club that only books
bands for special events like Atlantis. The stage was set up where
the pool tables are normally located, and attendance was about 50
people. The band started off slow, playing a lot of mid-tempo songs
with some fairly standard chord progressions. Singer/guitarist
Terrill Hinson, brother of the drummer, bears some comparison
vocally to Eddie Vedder, but not in an utterly derivative, Scott
Stapp sort of way: It’s more a matter of the amount of emotion
invested.
The band’s sound is very clean post-grunge, and Bridge appears to
take a fairly minimal approach to its arrangements in order to keep
Terrill’s vocals out front. Normally I’m a big fan of this approach,
but in this case it seemed like the band was holding back. Brandon
is such a solid heavy hitter on the drums that you can tell he has
chops, and I’d like to see him spice up their sound with more fills
during the instrumental sections. Lead guitarist Jason Anderson and
bassist Joe Patané both brought label-ready skills to the mix.
At about mid set, Bridge shifted gears and ventured into heavier,
faster-paced material. Starting with “Enemy,” the best song of the
set, the band really showed what it was capable of. The band’s
energy picked up noticeably as it cranked out churning riffs worthy
of Jerry Cantrell in his more pissed off moments. Brandon said he
was happy with the crowd’s reaction to the set.
“They were rocking to it and getting into it,” said Hinson. “We had
some people come up from [our] hometown and had some people from
Chicago who are fans, and then a lot of people that we’ve met at the
conference this year. It was good to see bands coming to see other
bands play because I don’t think that’s been as strong in the past
as it’s been this year.”
In the audience was Steve Harwell, lead singer for platinum-selling
rock band Smash Mouth, who described the band as straight-ahead
rock.
“They’re good North Carolina rock, and that’s what I like about
them,” said Harwell. “They make really good, clean, meaningful
rock.”
Harwell met the band through Dale Earnhart, Jr., who along with
Smash Mouth producer “Jon Jon” Dunleavy financed the band’s demo. He
said he not only liked the band’s music, but thought a lot of the
Hinson brothers personally. [Note to bands: Try to make friends with
rock stars.]
“Brandon and Terrill are the two hardest workers I’ve ever seen in
this business,” said Harwell. “I’m a fan of their music, and I’m
really into it just because of the way they are. They’re just cool
kids who I think really have a chance of making it in this
business.”
Harwell has his own label, Spun Out Records, but said he hasn’t
signed the band because it needs a label that can devote the time
and attention that Bridge needs to take the next step.
“I haven’t really done anything with my own label with them yet, and
it’s just because I’ve got my hands full right now with my own
stuff,” said Harwell. “So it’s like I really can’t give the
attention that I know they deserve. And they’re ready. They need a
record label to put some money behind them to make a record. Their
live show is great, and they just need to make a record.”
Harwell said he identified with the struggles of a band trying to
make it, and especially with Terrill, who reportedly was feeling
under intense pressure with the prospect of A&R representatives
being in the audience.
“Getting there… it’s tough,” said Harwell. “I’ve been there. I did
everything they’re doing. I’ve done the showcases [and] I’ve gotten
off stage wondering, ‘What did they think of the show, how did it
sound?’ I know exactly what Terrill thinks when he gets on stage
because I’ve done it.”
But Harwell said Terrill should have complete confidence in his
talents.
“He’s got the look, and he can play the shit out of a guitar, and he
can sing his ass off. It’s just a matter of time. They’ve just got
to just keep doing what they’re doing, ’cause it’s going to happen.
When it all goes down I just hope he doesn’t quit calling me because
he’s a rich rock star.”
Brandon said the band has a new CD coming out in mid September, and
plans to play in Atlanta again “probably within the next six weeks.”
The band is currently ranked in the top 5 on America Online’s First
Break competition, AOL users can listen to and vote on songs by
entering the key word First Break.
Although this is unquestionably a well-connected band, they’ve also
taken the necessary steps and paid the necessary dues to be in a
position to succeed. And they wouldn’t be where they are if they
sucked.
Read Part 2 of Atlantis Music Conference >>> |
