Statewide Emergency @ Club 156

You might want to get familiar with Statewide Emergency. They may be the next big band out of Colorado.

Statewide Emergency took the stage at UC Boulder's Club 156 on Feb. 26. The riled-up crowd was filled with old friends and new fans. The band underestimated the turnout because over 100 people were denied entry into the sold-out show.

The lucky ones that made it in were not there to socialize. It was obvious that everyone was there to enjoy the music. Even if a few had come to meet people, they quickly forgot.
The band's presence on stage was fueled by the crowd's enthusiasm and genuine excitement. The overall response to the music made it apparent that the music is well-liked by people other than the band members' parents.

You could see a few shameless fans flailing around doing what they thought were dance moves. Some people sang along to familiar songs and the rest were either entranced by the music or the colorful flashing lights. The intimate setting of the show left little personal space and created a cramped but energetic atmosphere.

The set consisted of mostly old songs but was sprinkled with some new additions and a few successful covers.

"At One" makes me want to actually buy the CD (and who buys CDs anymore?). It's filled with sex and soul. The raspy howling combined with smooth singing sounds like a combination of Nirvana and Led Zeppelin. This song is really advanced and surprising for such new and young band. The tempo starts out slow and gets faster at parts. The rhythm is more bluesy than the rest, and is very aurally pleasing. The music moves you and it's hard to resist bouncing or swaying.

Although most of the members of this band are in high school, they are not your typical garage band. Their passion is very much alive. Each member of the band seems essential to the chemistry the members create on stage.

UC Denver music major Matt Paradis manages to keep the high energy throughout the whole show with his soulful voice. He integrates the vocals with the instruments so that one doesn't overpower the other. Luke Johnson barely breaks a sweat as he rips away at his guitar strings. Caleb Kronen keeps the beat on his bass while maintaining a smooth reserved persona. You can tell the drummer Keith Slack is there strictly for business and because he plays the drums as if his ACT scores depended on it.

These guys may be young but you can tell they're only looking to make good music and aren't conforming to any scene that sweeps over them. See them now before they jack up their prices and start covering Kanye West songs like fellow local stars The Fray.