DAYS AWAKE
AT THE BITTER END
12/27/05
By Linda Oatman High
Playing a rare holiday weekday show at New York's The Bitter End on
December 27th was the dynamic six-member band Days Awake. Hailing from
New Jersey, a state stereotypically known for cover bands, Days Awake is
a rock band, a jam band, a bluesy, rootsy, get-your-groove-on
one-of-a-kind band. Performed with passion, the band's unique music is a
force to be reckoned with as they take on the stage bursting with an
energy rarely seen in the performers of today. Hints of various musical
styles from decades past blend seamlessly in a vigorously mixed recipe
that results in the original inventive music of Days Awake. Delivering
passionate and gutsy lyrics, lead singer Chuck Schoonmaker commands the
audience with a delivery that mesmerizes from the first note.
The band is tight and unified, not simply in sound but in the vibe
they sent out to the crowd at The Bitter End on Tuesday night. This is
not only a band; this is a family. Drummer Sarah Tomek is a creative and
precise percussionist, and her drums are the heartbeat of a band that
obviously delights in playing together. Lead guitarist Jeremy Korpas is
fast and fluid on the frets, and he doesn't just play the guitar; Jeremy
and the guitar become one. Rhythm guitarist Dom Laquiniti invokes shades
of influences from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and the
Allman Brothers with jams that shimmy and flow from his soulful and
trademark slide guitar. Dom never stops smiling, and neither does his
guitar. Jay Cagna's flawless bass lines are steady and powerful, and
beautifully rounding out the sound is Eric Sarka, a master of the
keyboards.
The audience at The Bitter End was a varied one including members of the
MTV generation and older fans. Days Awake pleased them all. Launching
the show with a compelling rendition of "Someday Somewhere," the band
delivered an eight-song jamming, riveting set that exploded the venue.
Having some difficulty with a monitor, guitarist Korpas instructed the
sound people to "just turn it off. We're from the streets of Asbury
Park. We're not used to monitors, anyway."
Days Awake does Jersey proud. Walking away with four honors at the
prestigious 2005 Asbury Park music awards, including "Best Rock Band,"
the band is expected to be the next big thing out of a state that
already claims Springsteen and Bon Jovi. Getting air play and bookings
not only in New Jersey but in Philadelphia and New York as well, the
band is busy preparing for national exposure. Having paid their dues at
shore venues such as the famed Stone Pony, Days Awake has set their
collective sights on making music full-time. Formed in the summer of
2003, the band's been working hard at what Jeremy Korpas calls "creating
my own paradise called Days Awake."
And it's heavenly for their fans. Ending their set at The Bitter End
with a rousing rendition of "Let's Get Together," Days Awake gave the
audience at The Bitter End a satisfying experience of rock and roll
that's not just rock and roll.
www.daysawake.com |
