River City Extension @ Backspace
Joined by The Drowning Men and My Autumn’s Done Come
Oh what a night it was, at Backspace Tuesday evening. River City Extension stopped by with some friends on their tour to liven up the night for all that joined. Members from the bands were all hanging out, eating, drinking, and playing some games to warm up for their live performances soon to come later that evening. As the night went on the crowd continually got bigger and bigger.
First up was My Autumn’s Done Come, a band from Portland, OR who started up in 2010. This four person band consists of Lilly Maher- vocals, Garrett Brown-bass, Tyler Brown-drums, and Andrew Hanna- guitar and vocals. Their latest album is Paper Flowers, released in the summer of 2011 and is their first full length album consisting of nine tracks. Three of the songs on this album are named after bridges in Portland, OR. The crowed was still coming in when My Autumn’s Done Came took the stage, but once they began to play all eyes and ears were on them. Their sound consists of rock n roll, soul, and up tempo sounds, just to name a few, with a lot of vocal harmonies. They got the crowd clapping and were a perfect way to start the good vibes for the next two bands to come.
Following My Autumn’s Done Come was The Drowning Men. Formed in 2006 this five person band is based out of Oceanside, California. The members consist of: Nato Bardeen-vocals, keys, guitar, mandolin; James Smith-guitar, vocals; Todd Eisenkerch- bass, vocal; Rory Dolan-percussion; and Gabe Messer- keys, vocals. Their most recent album titled All the Unknown was released in April of 2012 and is their second full length album consisting of eleven tracks. In between their first full length album, The Beheading of the Songbird, 2009, and finishing their second full length album they were signed by Flogging Molly’s record label, Borstal Beat Records, after opening for them on tour. The Drowning Men gave a lot of high energy and got the crowd dancing and clapping. The type of music that The Drowning Men play is all over the board from folk to sing along chants, to pirate/sea music to the weird and bizarre. They used a wide range of different instruments including an organ, mandolin, and a theremin. During their last song the crowd got more hyped than they had been all night. Jumping and singing the crowd danced closer to the stage to show their appreciation and support to this very talented band.
Last, but certainly not least, was the band that everyone was waiting for, River City Extension. New Jersey-based, River City Extension began in 2007 when Joe Michelini started piecing together a small acoustic band after doing some solo work. This small band expanded into what is now River City Extension, an eight piece band. The members are: Joe Michelini, Mike Costaney, Nick Cucci, Jenn Fantaccione, Dan Meius, Patrick O’Brien, James Ramirez, and Sam Tacon. Their most recent album, Don’t let the Sun Go Down on your Anger, 2012, is their second album and has fourteen tracks. This album has a lot to do with forgiveness and letting go of problems, hence the title of the album which happens to be a verse from the Bible, Ephesians 4:26. Their previous album was titled, The Unmistakable Man, 2011, and has thirteen tracks.
Once River City Extension came on stage the crowd became ecstatic. The crowd, by this point of the night, was large which made it very crowded up front near the stage. You could hear screams of “we love you” before and after most songs. I soon learned why River City Extension has so many fans. Besides their talent, their energy is unbelievable. It seemed to be contagious. Everyone was jumping, dancing, clapping, swaying, and singing, band and audience alike. Every member of the band showed so much passion and energy, which made the crowd feed off of it even more. They played a long set and succeeded in making everyone in the room sweaty and extremely happy.
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