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THE TRUE MEANING OF BEING "THROWN IN"
By CHERYL SANTA MARIA
Staff Writer
Arcadia had been together only for three months when they took the stage for the first time. It was at the Emmaunel Baptist Church in Barrie, and they were opening for Tree 63 and Article One - established bands with signed record deals - for a crowd of over 500 people.
Not bad for a first gig.
"Trying to sleep the night before was difficult [because] we were very excited to play," says bass/synth player, Tim Saylor, noting that the band was nervous, and a tad overwhelmed, to be debuting in front of such a large crowd. "[But] overall we had a good time, as we [had the chance to] hang out with other bands, meet some new people, and sold quite a few [copies] of our first EP. The first show opened a lot of doors … the response was so great we got asked to play for their fall camp retreat up in Parry Sound and then again the year after."
That was about two years ago.
Since then, Arcadia has played at various pubs, battle of the bands competitions and youth events from Niagara Falls to Parry Sound and they've developed quite the following. "Most of our fans come from our live shows," Tim says.
The reason Arcadia fans tend to accumulate, and stick around, after live shows is due to the band’s ability to relate to their audience, as well as their "honest" approach to music (on their Myspace page, vocalist/guitarist Andrew Hanes says they attempt to "share the truth drawn from both our observations and our personal experiences" with their lyrics). An Arcadia show, then, feels more like an experience than a concert; improvisation is incorporated as well as a "breaking of the mold" performance style, demonstrated through the use of experimental jams that showcase the band’s versatility and range.
Another reason fans connect with the band is because of their positive message: "We try to remain positive and speak a message of hope even through hard times," they say.
Arcadia describes their sound as "rock fusion", an accurate and open-ended depiction that is indicitive of the group’s diverse sound. Arcadia has a wide range of influences - from Billy Corgan to Geddy Lee to Chad Smith - all of which can be heard in their music. Their song "Shine Through" sounds, to me at least, Dave Matthew-esque (not surprising, considering that "Crash" is one of drummer, Matt Klassen’s, favourite albums), while the chorus of "Daylight" contains Smashing Pumpkin-inspired chords (one of Andew's big influences).
You can catch Arcadia next at the Niagara Historic Gallery (in association with A.I.C.R.A) on July 25 at 2 p.m. To sample their sound, visit their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/arcadiacanada
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