Picture an open room with tables connected to the sides of the walls facing an open stage. Dimly lit, aside from the bright neon of the lamps illuminating the performers. A handful of people are littered across the room, talking amongst themselves. Band merchandise is near the entrance, set neatly on each band’s own respective tables. A bar to the left and a bar to the right allowing for easy access right from the venue. As each band performs, the walls shake from the vibrations of the amplifiers, the drummer beats away while the guitarist dances and plays seamlessly. The singers all grabbed the audience's attention not simply by the words but with their eye contact with each individual. Seeing everything they do as they could us. It’s a very intimate setting even though the bands are performing an alternative rock theme for the evening.
Through a long and complicated backstory, Thursday night a few of my friends and I ended up in a venue in Morgantown for a performance. One of our friends from high school is in a band and they played the show as a start off for their weekend-long tour. Their band, “What’s Missing”, played alongside “You vs Yesterday”, “A Story Told”, and “Riviera”.
Because I know Zane Miller, the lead singer and guitarist from "What's Missing" from high school, I had the opportunity to talk to him about what band life is like. For starters, Miller said that their band is generally alternative rock. "We take much of our influence from a lot of pop punk, ego and indie rock artists." "What's Missing" members, Miller and Matt Herald, decided to start playing music again after their high school band fell apart and their friends, Aaron New and Molly Ranhart of Elkins, were down for starting a band. "The band has a loose plan to record a record of some sort in the near future. We have some songs written, but we still need to hash them out a bit more and make more solid plans to get into the studio," Miller said. He mentioned scheduling a few more weekend tours in the future as well. Three out of the four bands that played Thursday night are going on the tour with "What's Missing." The tour group started at 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown, WV. Over the course of the weekend, the groups played in Huntington, WV, Columbus, OH, and Pittsburgh, PA.
As a college student, I love attending concerts. Being right in the spirit of the band and experiencing live music is one of my favorite things to do. So when I found out a friend of mine was playing a live show, I jumped at the chance. Not only was it a great night with my friends, but it was wonderful to listen to some great local bands. It was inspiring to see people around my age achieving their goals and chasing their dreams. I highly recommend going out of your comfort zone and experiencing places or events, such as live music in a venue, to broaden your horizons! Who knows, you might end up getting involved/enjoying it more than you thought possible. College is all about experiencing new things anyway!
Miller's final thoughts? "Peace among worlds."
If you are interested in this kind of music, I’ve attached some links from "What's Missing," as well as a few songs from “A Story Told” and “You vs. Yesterday!”Check out this calendar of events if you are interested in catching some of this awesome music.
What's Missing:
A Story Told:
You vs Yesterday:
