The_everafters

Judging by the crowd’s response at a recent performance by the_everafters, members didn’t miss their mark. Female fans screamed, danced and sang along as enthusiastically as if they were seeing a band currently riding the top of the music charts.

“Our front man is amazing,” says drummer Philip Kelly, addressing reasons for the band’s sweeping popularity. “He knows how to work a crowd. We’re high-energy groove rock, straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll. It’s not like screamo. We don’t scream at people, but it’s very modern rockish. Buckle your seat belt and hold on because we start and it’s like a sonic hurricane. It’s over, and you’re like, ‘What was that?'”

Kelly guarantees a raucous time will be had by all.

“We have the songs,” he says. “We have the energy. There’s a few bands out there who just kind of stand there. We entertain without coming off cheesy. The songs are very solid. Even when people haven’t heard them before, I see them singing along before the song is over. The music is infectious. Days later it will still be in your head.”

While only a band since June of 2005, group members are not newbies to the local music scene. Two members, Joey O (guitars) and Dave (bass), played in Nashville band Bombshell Crush. The singer, who prefers to go only by Jaux (pronounced Joe), hails from Mac the Knife. Kelly played drums for The Boo Dogs and he says he has no idea where the band found its other guitarist, Lee Coram.

“I think we picked Lee up off the side of the road,” he laughs. “He was holding a sign that said ‘Will play guitar for beer.'”

Luckily, it worked. In the last nine months the melting pot of local musicians solidified and became a force to be reckoned with on the regional band circuit. Members seem to be well on their way to living out their name, happily “ever after.”

“We command attention,” warns Kelly. “But not in an annoying way.”