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TRUE WITNESS shines in Schaumburg.
TRUE WITNESS shines in Schaumburg.
Report and Photos by Mario Salazar.
In Chicago, like many other cities across the country, there are literally hundreds of new bands/acts coming out every month. Just based on numbers, the majority of them never get anywhere because they simply are not good. Some are better but don't quite go the distance because of any number of reasons or simply are not good enough for what they're trying to achieve. A very small number, are those acts & artists that make you go "....yeah, that's it. They've got it!" - 'It' being that thing that makes you look a first time. It makes you listen. And then somehow, it makes you look again! For me, in a lot of cases, it doesn't have to be some astounding act or the second coming of the Christ by any stretch of the imagination, but they've got to have that something that in this case, made me want to see them again, and again, and then write about it. Let me tell you about it.
True Witness live onstage in Schaumburg, IL (June 2010)
As good as the songwriting, performance and delivery of the songs were, the entertainment factor was evident with this band as all members were engaging and actually looked like they were enjoying themselves and were happy to be there. The guitar team of Gonet and Czajka was tight and very much in-sync complementing one another while a tight rhythm wall and groove was held on by drummer Milller and bassist Gordon who with his at-times maniacal stare, had every bit of that rock star attitude I expect to see onstage. Lead vocalist James even went thru somewhat of a wardrobe change halfway thru the set and had just the right mix of talent and attitude to make this performance work and drive True Witness straight into my memory bank as their music and show is most definitely worth remembering and I for one, recommend you check them out.
The band is currently playing shows throughout Chicagoland this summer and will have a demo available at their shows. For additional information on True Witness, upcoming shows, song samples and more, visit them online at www.myspace.com/truewitnesstheband.
My rating for True Witness after this performance (out of 5):
I now leave you with some photos from the show. Enjoy and see you next time.
The band is currently playing shows throughout Chicagoland this summer and will have a demo available at their shows. For additional information on True Witness, upcoming shows, song samples and more, visit them online at www.myspace.com/truewitnesstheband.
My rating for True Witness after this performance (out of 5):
I now leave you with some photos from the show. Enjoy and see you next time.
True Witness is the name of this band and they hail from -of course- the greater Chicago area. The core of the band made up by guitarist Randy Gonet, drummer Tom Miller and lead vocalist Allen James has been together for some time and their primary goal was to write great songs, which they did and have recorded a great deal of that material in their studio. The lineup to the band was completed in the summer of 2009 with the addition of guitarist Aaron Czajka and Brian Gordon on bass guitar. With the lineup complete, the band set out to hit the local stages and start the process of building a True Witness fan base. The band's style as evidenced in their demos and multiple performances to date, has a very heavy yet mainstream'd and contemporary sound that continues to evolve and improve with every show.
I've had the opportunity to see them a couple of times. This particular one was at Chicago City Limits in Schaumburg on June 4th as they opened for Mindwarp Chamber. The band, led by the incredibly entertaining Allen James, took the stage at 10:30 PM and for the next 45 minutes went thru a repertoire that included original tracks such as the high-energy and somewhat funky 'Forming My Religion' set-opener, the very contemporary and radio-ready 'High Time', the insightful 'Walking With The Dead' and their new single 'Face of Evil' among several others to the delight and loud cheers of all present.
I've had the opportunity to see them a couple of times. This particular one was at Chicago City Limits in Schaumburg on June 4th as they opened for Mindwarp Chamber. The band, led by the incredibly entertaining Allen James, took the stage at 10:30 PM and for the next 45 minutes went thru a repertoire that included original tracks such as the high-energy and somewhat funky 'Forming My Religion' set-opener, the very contemporary and radio-ready 'High Time', the insightful 'Walking With The Dead' and their new single 'Face of Evil' among several others to the delight and loud cheers of all present.
Photo by Mario Salazar