The Dreaded Temper

Originally this Blog entry was going to be about Shoeless Mondays and it's benefits to the arduous road that indie bands travel... but through some miscommunication, Easy Way Out are not going to be playing Shoeless Mondays in December anymore. But we will be playing it in the new year, the post will happen, so watch for it.

No, instead, I've decided to blog about a plague on Indie bands the world over.

THE DREADED TEMPER!

We all have a boiling point, we all have that little devil sitting on our shoulder whispering little words of destruction whenever we are annoyed or frustrated...

...it yammers on and pulls at your medulla oblongata. Cutting away at the limited grip you have on happiness and contentment until... SNAP!... you begin barking and tearing down those around you.

I am one of the worst offenders. I have a ridiculously short fuse that gets lit randomly and regularly. The control I have over my temper is only as strong as my willingness to keep it at bay. But lately, frustration is holding my control hostage.

Every Indie band struggles to make a name for themselves, to get their music heard and to climb the rock ladder to great heights of success. But every misstep and every stumble aches through your body causing so much nagging pain in your heart and soul that, sometimes, control over one's temper becomes so bruised and abused that the bearer of this pain lashes out at those around them.

Such behaviour can be an incredible burden and strain on the relationships within a band. Often resulting in firings, breakups or plain old fashioned fist-a-cuffs.

I am the luckiest of all front men/co-manager/co-bookers/graphic designers/publisists in the biz. My most recent decent into maniacal anger was met with band mates trying to understand my emotional tirade, attempting to help me rediscover some level of resolve and coaxing my good nature to emerge once again through positive words, threats of laughter and unconditional friendship. Not one member of EWO took anything that was said personally. My gratitude as I write this is an overflowing cup of strength rapidly replenishing my good nature.

Above all else EWO is a family. Brothers who understand each other and who, frequently, cut each other much needed slack. EWO trusts the hearts of each of it's members. No matter what gets said today, each member of the unified whole knows that tomorrow; things will be back to normal and all will be forgiven. I am thankful for this every day.

Next Blog, EWO... Playing a benefit for PeTA? Whaaaaaaaaa?

An Interview with... EWO Drummer Mark Cesario

Mark Cesario: Kick ass drummer, loyal friend and harbinger of groove.

Easy Way Out was a 3 piece instrumental group for a long time before forming the current line up in 2006. What we're the biggest challenges trying to make a go of it instrumentally?

Oh yes, the good old days (sigh)... I'm just kidding. For the record we never consciously made the decision to be an instrumental band. We had been looking for a singer ever since day 1 and had always wrote our songs with the intention of vocals being sung on top however we were never able to find anyone that we gelled with until Jay came along. We really just jammed as much as possible and tried to come up with cool stuff and ended up cutting an EP more for ourselves than anything. So I guess the biggest challenge with being an instrumental band was trying to find a singer that would compliment our sound.

George Reefah appeared on your first EP, how did that come about?

Being one of our good friends, Reefah, would come by the unit occasionally to get drunk and jam it out with us. It was awesome!!! We were all lovers of hip-hop and thought that it would be fun to incorporate a rock feel to it. Anytime an artist can work with another artist who brings talent and experience to the table it allows everyone to get better so it was only natural that we write a few tunes for the EP.

Well the new lineup certainly seems to be working out well for Easy Way Out. The EWO bio says that you and guitarist Mauro Cecchi we’re childhood friends. How did you two meet?

Definitely, the new line up is a powerhouse and has been great to work with. It was a long time coming but worth the wait. Mauro and I actually met in Junior kindergarten and we were good friends up until my parents decided to move out of the area when I was in grade 5. Turns out that I ended up meeting another friend of ours from that same elementary school again in high school so by chance I think I might have seen Mauro at a couple of parties over the years. It was not until Mauro was hit by a car and bed ridden, for like 6 months, that we started hanging out more. It's unfortunate but that's what happened. I had just started fooling around on the drums and had told him that when he got back out of his bed that we would jam together. I never knew he even played the guitar. So we started jamming it out just the 2 of us for fun.

But the Drums were not your first instrument were they?

Nope, I started with the saxophone when I was 10 and played it for a long time. I've been thinking of picking it up again.

What drew you to the drums?

I've always loved the drums. The fact that it acts as the glue in the band and that their sound has the immense power to make your body move is what drew me to them. There is nothing like the sound of a fat kick and a warm snare. Another thing that really drives me is the emotion that it can bring to a song. I feel that when I play with emotion I'm at my best. It's also a good way to let out some aggression too!

Weather it’s TV, live, radio or just walkin’ by some kid playin’ the buckets on the street, what is the first memory you have of drums?

My cousin used to play the drums and he had this really shitty kit that he had set up at his house. Every time I was over I always used to play the only beat I knew. DOO-DOO-DA-BOO-DA-BOO-DA-BOO-DA

Sounds like something Fred Flintstone would have played. On average, how many hours a week would you say you spend playing the drums?

40 or so, I try to play for at least an hour a day weather it be on the kit or just practicing rudiments on my practice pad but sometimes I'll play upwards of 5 hours plus on any given day. It's all about discipline, like going to the gym, you have to keep it up on a regular basis to see results.

What’s next for Easy Way Out?

We'll be releasing, what I consider, our debut album in January so keep an eye out for that. The album is called "Steal The Show". Currently we've been playing as much as possible, working on making our show one that will leave a lasting impression for everyone in the crowd. You never know who's out there listening. We also have been writing some new stuff to keep things fresh. We don't want to play the same songs all the time, it gets boring for us and our fans.


Next Blog: EWO finally get a spot on Shoeless Mondays, what the hell does that mean? And what doors could it potentially open for the indie stalwarts?

EWO Rock the Coq on Halloween

Ah Halloween... the only day of the year that EWO could possibly play for the late great Rick James ... of course no one thought to take a picture of the funk legend and pop culture stalwart, so we have absolutely no proof. But we know the truth and that's good enough.

October 31st proved to be one of the most exciting days of 2007 for EWO. The group finally popped their collective "away" cherry, by making the arduous 45min journey to Burlington, get dressed up as a psychotic group of doctors and play the Legendary Red Rooster.

Presented with a fantastic stage set up, friendly staff, a great engineer and the kind of audience you wish you could take home with you, Easy Way Out immediately realized how blessed they were to be aforded the oportunity to promote their original Rock/Hip Hop sound in such a positive environment.

Mike (an incredible sound engineer to say the least)

Somewhere around 11:00, EWO took the stage and opened the set with a new tune "See what I see". As soon as the final notes rang out the crowd scrambled for free demos and the Red Rooster management presented the band with shots of Jagermeister. EWO then barrelled through the rest of the short set with the energy of an atom split in two. "Beat Down" and "New Age" received their usual positive reaction, "Relyin' on Reef" and "High Life" took them to the next level and the new prog/hop apocalyptic epic called "Genocide" left the audience eyes wide and jaw agape. Not ten minutes after climbing down from the stage, EWO was approached to return as early as Saturday December 8th.

Burlington really taught us a lot about "away" shows. Great clubs and open minded people are everywhere so watch out Peterborough we're coming for you next.

Next Blog: the first in a series of articles titled "An interview with..."

Jay Flores-Holz

NEW SHOWS ADDED

Upcoming Shows:
The Horseshoe Tavern - Monday Dec 03, 2007
***NEW***
The Legendary Red Rooster - Saturday Dec 08, 2007
Indie Love Fest @ The Reverb - Sunday Feb 17, 2008