Five bands will pack into Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St., at 6 p.m. Friday for a jam-packed event sure to leave more than a few ears ringing.Dover, Delaware, rockers Awake At Last will headline the show, supported by Hunter Dumped Us Here, Signals, Weekends with Forrest, and Kick-start the Sun.
Awake At Last is a five-piece harmonious rock group composed of Vincent Torres (vocals), Eric Blackway (lead guitar), Imran Xhelili (rhythm guitar), Jon Finney (drums), and Tyler Greene (bass).
The band members got their start in 2011, and they have cut their teeth with several EPs and numerous tours, both on the East Coast and elsewhere in the country.
Torres and Blackway had played together for several for several years, so when Torres moved back home from Philadelphia, the duo decided the timing was right to form a band.
They picked up a few more members and put out a successful EP, but creative differences caused a rift among the members. About a year after the split, they picked up Green, Xhelili, and Finney for the current lineup.
Awake At Last is known for its melodic sound, which some fans have said is reminiscent of the Used. Its aggressive riffs and pounding drum lines have gain the group many stalwart supporters.
“We all take influences from different sources, which I think plays into how our music came out,” Torres said. “I take a lot of influence from bands like the Used and My Chemical Romance, but I’m also a big follower of classic music and musical theater.”
Awake At Last’s latest single, “Questions,” released on Sept. 25, marked a musical shift toward darker, more unruly tones.
“ ‘Questions’ was a result of a lot of crisis, I think,” Torres said. “Facing the fear of failure or even the fear of success and questioning purpose in this wildly changing world. I really think that had a lot to do with the chaotic and darker tones that are expressed through ‘Questions.’ The song is close to me, because I turn to it when I face those same fears.”
Hunter Dumped Us Here, a three piece group from Cedar Rapids featuring Gabe Reasoner (vocals/guitar/piano/bass), Preston West (guitar/vocals), and Jason Feight (drums/percussion), will support Awake At Last Friday.
After leaving his former band, Reasoner worked solo for a while, eventually venturing into acoustic music. When he was eady to add other musicians, West and Feight joined the band.
“We actually all knew each other from church,” West said. “[Feight] even filled in on drums for a few shows with [Reasoner]’s old band.”
Since then, Hunter has released the Sea Burial/Blue Treasure EP and been touring around the Midwest using Cedar Rapids as its base of operations.
“If [getting your name out there] is something you really want to do, then no matter what city you work in, you have to be willing to work for it and work hard,” Feight said. “With the number of bands out there these days and the ease of getting your music out, it’s definitely a competition — sometimes friendly, sometimes not. The band that works the hardest doesn’t always win, but it sure helps.”
MUSIC
What: Awake At Last
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington