IS

BPM's Battle Of The Bands - 7/20/05 @ McCormicks « Reply #4 on Today at 10:06am »

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun setting on the Atlantic, and a full moon made for an incredible backdrop for show #1 of the 2005 Backstage Pass Magazine’s Battle of the Bands. The contest was held at Daytona Beach’s McCormick’s Pub & Tiki Bar on A1A.

There was an interesting mix of spectators at the event last night, ranging from tourists kicking back after a day at the beach, to local music scene heavyweights. The judges for last night’s competition were Tattoo Todd, Tim Finnegan and Victor Wainwright.

The show opened with a band called Hat Trick. This band has obviously been together for a while, because the music was tight, and the sound mixed perfectly. One thing that surprised me, especially for a Battle Of The Bands was, they were playing cover songs. They opened their set with a Stevie Ray Vaughn tune and even delved into some Led Zeppelin to finish their set. The most memorable thing that I’ll take away from Hat Trick’s set was they actually took a request and played it for their second song. I have NEVER seen that done at a battle of the bands. Well, to each his own.

Second to hit the stage was a Christian band from the area called Waking The Neighbors. This band described their all-original music as coming from their experiences of helping the less fortunate in the Daytona Beach area. I was happy to hear all original music, and they did a fine job with their set. The band brought a nice amount of people with them for the show, and they seemed to enjoy the set very much. Was God on the side of this band last night? You’ll have to read on to find out…

Next was The Josh Sherman Band. This band played all-original music as well. I’m not sure if the band had technical problems with the equipment on stage or not, but I kept hearing sour notes coming through. The band’s style was very similar to what we’re hearing on rock radio these days, and that might have hurt the band in the ‘originality’ department. The band pulled through the set and did a fine job at that. I’m sure we’ll hear more from JSB in the near future.

The fourth band to play last night was Deland’s own, The Antics. I have to admit, (not to alienate the bands that played before them,) that I was relieved to see a band that I knew would deliver, hit the stage. Tony, G.C., Spooky and Scotty took the stage and opened with my personal favorite, Cricket Man. I was having a little trouble hearing some things through the set, but the band played most of the songs that we’ve grown accustomed to hearing, such as: Bill For Short, The Pirate Song, Shamrock Shuffle and finished up with Loverboy’s Working For The Weekend, (with an Antics twist.) I’m not sure why, but I didn’t mind it when THE ANTICS played a cover… Great set, as always…

Number five last night, was IS from Deland. As always, impeccable. I have seen IS a bunch of times over the past 6 months or so, and believe me when I tell you, it just gets better each time. The band opened with a song called "Hard". An excellent choice, in my opinion. The song immediately grabs the audience's attention. The band then followed with "Inside Colors", "I Keep On Rockin'", then finished up with the epic "Cover Me In This Night. This is the song that shows the diversity and musical talents of the band. Every one of their songs is so different, and being that this contest was relying heavily on originality, IS should have gotten a separate award just for that. IS was great. As always. So, good stage presence, originality, technically perfect. Who won this competition? Guess…

Last to play last night was a power trio called Big Puppies. Excellent lead guitar player, Bass player that sings lead vocals, solid drummer, HEY WAIT! Nothing, just sounded familiar. But, they played an all cover set. They powered through Iron Maiden’s “Wrathchild”, Ozzy’s “Mr. Crowley” and they even did Poison’s “Talk Dirty To Me”. Honestly, I think this band got the best crowd reaction of the night, but playing covers really hurts in the Originality portion of the scoring so…

Ok, at around 10:45, it was time for the winners to be announced. Tammy from Backstage Pass Magazine came up on stage and thanked all that needed to be thanked, (and by the way, great job by everyone at BPM for making this happen), then handed it off to Jillian, (who by the way has been updating me all week on this event,) who announced, “In 2nd place tonight, The Antics! In first place tonight, IS! Quite honestly, justice was served. I’m not just saying that because the Antics and IS are friends, and Scene house bands, they were clearly the best, original acts. Isn’t that what Battle Of The Band shows are supposed to be about? « Last Edit: Today at 3:08pm by stemmcelldan »

The Band "IS" They just ARE 2005-05-28 Article Written by: Benjamin Cameron

Tired of the same old cover bands? Tired of the same old original bands? Then check out "IS". Prepare yourself, however, for you will break a sweat just sitting in your seat watching them. From smooth melodies to lively groove, this band brings you straight-up rock-n-roll tastefully colored with a rich blend of diverse musical styles.

Masters of musical statement, this group of serious musicians will invoke emotion within the hardest of hearts. Lively and fun loving, these masters of musical statement will put a dance in the step of the squarest individual.

Boasting a revolutionary and passionate approach to the composition and performance of music in the 21st century, "IS" will definately be an important part of your evening should you so luckily happen upon the opportunity.

Be sure to catch "IS" at their next show...you won't regret it!

Some More Comments from Fans:

If you let the music take effect, you will have that sense of satisfaction. IS can throw down a simple groove or layer odd meters over clever ostinatic patterns...or both at the same time. IS deserves massive world tours and large shows at arenas. They are already on their way to "global domination" as they spread their music across the globe. Be sure to visit http://www.myspace.com/isrocks for tour dates outside of Volusia County.

Kim said on Friday, July 1st 2005 This band is awesome! I have their EP, "Raw Blues In The Land of Mexico," and all six songs are amazing!! They bring such an energy to their live shows and there's now way I would ever miss one! If you haven't seen them yet, you need to... chck them out in Daytona or go to their website (www.myspace.com/isrocks) to see where they're playing in other places like Orlando. I LOVE this band! Keep on Rockin'!

Andrew said on Friday, July 1st 2005 What an amazing band! Saw them in Orlando at the Back Booth... Have all their CD's and play them non-stop. You can hear influences of early Genisis, Jethro Tull, and Argus. As a devoted British Rock follower, this band deserves to go a long way! If I had a record label, I would sign them myself!

Band Members:
Stephen Montgomery: Lead Vox,Guitar

"Life's a bowl of punch...go ahead and spike it..." - A favorite 311 quote of lead singer Stephen Montgomery (A.K.A. Esteban), who delivers flowing melodic lines with a smooth intervallic relational progression. Having been a singer all of his life, coupled with his nine years of experience with a guitar, IS has an impressive, solid front man. Adding to the strong personality of the band's performance is the humor, confidence, and moxie Stephen brings to the stage. A graduate of Stetson University, Stephen IS also known for being a percussion major; an avenue of expression he has pursued for the last sixteen years. A few of his more prominent influences are Oasis...or perhaps more apropos - Noel Gallagher of Oasis, 311, and quite a bit of classical - especially from the "Romantic" era such as Chopin or Dvorak.

Billy Dean:Drums

"Turn off your TV and stop thinking you're so important" Did someone say Armageddon? The drumming of Billy Dean answers. Did someone say placid stream? The drumming of Billy Dean will answer! Whatever the cause, whatever the reason, whatever the feel...Billy's got it. Primal and destructive, or calm and soothing, his style is never nonchalant with the feel of IS... never out of place. After an eighteen-year journey of drumming, Billy has, like his band mates, played with other great musicians and had many great experiences, simultaneously; he has been a great experience for other musicians to jam with. He has been a percussion instructor for several years and marched with the Magic of Orlando and Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. Influenced by John Bonham, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Danny Carey, Stewart Copeland, and Mitch Mitchell, Billy's drumming is well rounded and covers many spectrums of musical possibilities.

Scott Queen:Bass Guitar

"Wherever you go, there you are" Bass player, Scott Queen, has been laying down his low-end groove for the last seven years, but you'd think he's been doing it for the last seven life times. Through his relatively calm and collected demeanor emerges an articulate and precise bass line that is more than a bass line...it is his contribution to the musical conversation...his own set of melodic miracle. As charismatic as his bass playing is, however, it is his secondary instrument. Scott has been focusing on guitar for the last seventeen years. Overall musical influences are Joe Pass and George Benson; a few influential bass players are Dave LaRue (his bass teacher), Victor Wooten, and, of course, Paul McCartney.

Ish Rios:Lead Guitar,Vox

"Return to Nature" Guitar for ten years, vocals for fifteen years...There is no stopping lead guitarist Ish Rios from expressing himself to the fullest capacity...there is no stopping him from making his presence felt. Engulfed and entranced in the world created by their music, Ish demonstrates mastery of his craft from colorful, complex chords to soaring melodic leads that do their part in taking IS into the stratosphere and beyond. Ish finds influence from such talents as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Mars Volta, Mario Del Monica, and of course, his band mates.

"We want to really give something to our audience", says lead singer Stephen Montgomery, "that isn't some prefabricated nonsense. We want to open some doors for people, to bring to them some culture and something honest."

When others come to see us play and hear our CDs", says Ish Rios, "we want them to be able to step out of the norm for a bit and get lost in the music just like we do. Our audience should have a sense of satisfaction that lasts beyond our show." IS has already begun to redefine the music of our era. Many styles...one band…raw, refined, and revolutionary.

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