Press

THIRD CLASS PRESS QUOTES

“[The] event was marred by the histrionics of one act in which a student performer dropped his pants and lay on the stage in his underwear while musicians performed. This showed no class and gave a bad name to an otherwise talented small band.” –The Morning Journal (2001)

“soulful and melodic” –The Jambar (2003)

“Pink Floyd-caliber guitar…using only a two-string” –The Jambar (2005)

“brave and fiercely original” –The Walruss (2006)

“an innovative trio of accomplished artists” –Robotique Records (2006)

“Someone needs to inform them it's no longer 1984.” –Valley 24 (2007)

“a progressive pop band falling in the same mindset as Ben Folds Five” –The Vindicator (2007)

“hard to appreciate for first time listeners” –The Springfield High School Newspaper (2007)

“jazz-influenced…twangy” –The Vindicator (2009)

“Third Class has high-minded values, to ‘bring art and life closer together with new ways of perceiving the real.’ And that’s the truth.” –Jambrain (2009)

“driving lyrics surrounded and seemingly held aloft by syncopated rhythms and frequent changes in tempo.” –The Wooster Voice (2009)

“a tranquil ex-perience, interrupted from time to time with experimental interludes…[and] frantic surprise-punk” –The Wooster Voice (2009)

“Each phase of their songs could easily be its own universe, yet layered as they are and constantly morphing, they form an elusive shape.” –The Wooster Voice (2009)

“Do you hope that your audience dies a horrible death or just that they suffer terrible pain in their lives?” –MRNspace (2010)

“new and original music” –Valley 24 (2010)

“local heroes” –The Planet Pluto (2011)

“a group of nonstop, DIY passionate diehards.” –Trib Today (2011)

“indie pop sound and childish subject matter” –The Planet Pluto (2011)

“overall theme is childhood” –Cleveland Scene (2011)

“[sounding] poppy as a means of being more accessible yet remaining faithful to its progressive rock leanings” –The Vindicator (2011)




THIRD CLASS COMPLETE PRESS

Roast

(Highlight in The Morning Journal, 2001)

ROAST one of the acts and many of the audience members at the East Palestine Town Talent Night. This year’s event was marred by the histrionics of one act in which a student performer dropped his pants and lay on the stage in his underwear while musicians performed. This showed no class and gave a bad name to an otherwise talented small band. No administrator or faculty member stepped forward to remove him from the stage. Many audience members exited in protest. ROAST, too, the many adults who left simply because their child’s performance was over, leaving a dwindling audience for later performers. In addition, they did not even have the courtesy to leave quietly between acts.




Local band in a class of its own

(Article in The Jambar, 2003)

By Josh Mays

Marble gargoyles scowl menacingly from behind the bar as they attempt to blend with the Middle Eastern theme. The walls are a multihued collection of spotlights that display a show of local art.

In the adjoining room DJs spin, and across the patio is a continuous parade of acoustic acts. But here, performing on the main stage, is Third Class.

They are soulful and melodic.

"I paint my own reality/you should/But I am not telling you what to do," croons Jack Boyle above the hum of the crowd.

It could also be said that their sound is being strained through a cheese grater - and it is definitely purple-ish green. Or, that their sound is an elder Miles Davis riding a jet engine or Elvis Costello playing the harp.

Third Class plays at their own pace, often taking the time to exchange instruments. They perform with their own style, which includes dual keyboards and drums.

Third Class plays to enjoy their art which, depending on the crowd, may or may not accept it as music.

"They are the most unique band I have seen in a really long time," said Simon Kenneally, organizer of the Bon Frog Festival, held at Cedar's last month. Kenneally is also the man responsible for bringing Third Class to Cedar's. "They are young writers that are not afraid to be what they want, and it makes for good music."

With jeans, t-shirts, skate shoes and the occasional piercing, Jack Boyle, Lee Boyle, and Pepe Parish look like your average young collegiate. They lean against the bar and make no attempt to hide the large marks on their hands that prohibit alcohol consumption.

Third Class' style is conducive to their fierce independent streak.

"We don't like being compared to anyone. We really don't like labels at all," says Parish. "This is probably one of the things we stand strongest against. When we label ourselves, we confine ourselves."

Parish said he resents the categorization of emo/screamo music.

"Anyone who labels themselves is a huge load of crap," he said. When asked how, if forced, he would categorize their music, Parish laughingly replied, "Basically, we play death metal."
Parish also declines to explain the lyrics of their songs or their musical background and inspiration.

"We don't tell people about our lyrics, he said. "We want people to get what they want out of it."

Nearly everyone in the bar applauds at the conclusion of each song. If they do not approve of Third Class' sonic assault, they are not showing it. Simultaneously, Third Class is not catering to the audience - they are admittedly playing for themselves.

"They are unique and courageous for playing the way that they do and writing songs that mean something to them," said freshman Nicole Casacchia, one of many YSU students in attendance and a Third Class fan. "I don't think that it is selfish they are playing music that pleases them. They have themselves grounded and have a good grasp on reality and I respect them for that."

Not everyone gets what they want from Third Class, and not all their performances are met as warmly.

"Most people just want to hear something catchy," Parish said. "We have done a lot of charities where everyone hated us."

Third Class may not have always been well received, but it has not deterred them.

"Youngstown is a big thing for us, but at the same time it's like a small town in mentality."

"I can tell you the music we listen to, but I don't consider it inspiration," Parish said. "We write what is fun, different and original. But we try not to think about it too much. We don't try so hard we lose touch of what we are doing."

Parish said Third Class view their music as art. They have the belief that by doing what they like, what is natural to them, the rest will follow.

He said their philosophy is that focusing too hard on creating art or music would destroy the entire process.

"We don't get so involved with it as art that we stop having fun with it."




Nouveau Rock Festival showcases a wide range of talents

(Article in The Jambar, 2005)

By Bill Rodgers


Dangerously loud amplifiers, dozens of people crowded in a room, graffiti all over the men's bathroom, kids with awful haircuts jumping up and down while someone on stage thrashes on an old two-string guitar.

Rock!

What were you and your friends up to on Saturday night? Playing beer-pong in a damp basement? Watching movies home alone? Studying (God forbid)? An annual rock music festival in Youngstown was seeking to drag you out of your room and breathe some life into the local music scene.

Saturday was the second annual Nouveau Rock festival at Cedars in downtown Youngstown. The event was the brainchild of Youngstown rockers The Zou. The concert featured six local bands as well as a DJ who played between sets.

"The whole point is to get people into other bands that they may like," Khaled Tabbara of The Zou said. "I'd like for concerts to be the number one or two thing that people do on the weekend."

Tabarra said he wanted to get similar-sounding bands together to create the beginnings of a fanbase for a Youngstown style of music called Nouveau Rock.

What exactly is a "nouveau" and why does it rock? Lee Boyle of 3rd Class, a band who played at the concert, offered an explanation.

"'Nouveau' means 'new and different, often fashionably so.' The bands gathered in this show all have a new and progressive sound," Boyle said.

Tabbara added his explanation, as well.

"These bands aren't all alike in the way they sound; but they're alike in their desire to be unique," Tabbara said. "Every band in the lineup is doing music no one else in Youngstown can do."

The bands in the lineup all reflected the strange, nebulous term known as "nouveau." Each was different, and yet they all had the same attitude toward music: to make something new and unique. The night began with the crazy lyrics of Beefist, who sang keyboard-heavy songs with titles like "Whale Blubber on the Poopdeck."

3rd Class made a Pink Floyd-caliber guitar solo using only a two-string guitar. DJ Norm Rockwell was spinning beats using strange tracks such as Velvet Underground's "Take a Walk on the Wild Side."
The concert also had influence from heavier sounding local acts such as Lady Fantastic, a band who was almost too noisy. At one point during Lady Fantastic's set, a small mosh pit had formed when a singer was screaming down at the crowd from on top of the amps. Lady Fantastic did a great ultra-heavy version of The Zou's "How to Build an H-Bomb."

With their unique mix of Beatles, blues and art-rock, The Zou's performance was one of the show's major highlights. They performed a great set that tied the show together. They premiered some of their new songs that, while not as exciting as their older material, kept the show new and fresh.

The Zou also performed their song "Central Aire" with a special DJ break by Norm Rockwell.

Khaled was quick to improvise some lyrics. "In the city! The city of Yompton!" he sang.

The Nouveau Rock festival was a fun time. However, if Tabbara is going to succeed in what he called "the cohesive music scene that I dream of," Youngstown's nouveau rockers are going to have to perform concerts together a lot more often than just once a year. If this can happen, it will be interesting to see what music comes out of Youngstown in the future.



With its new CD, Third Class is out to prove itself to the non-believers

(Article in The Walruss, 2006)

by Leonard Glenn Crist

There was a rumor going around for decades that Barry Manilow’s song Mandy was really about a dog, not a lover. In the movie Can’t Hardly Wait this drove Ethan Embry crazy. The girl he liked was named Mandy, and the song suddenly made sense to him. If it was really about a dog, all might be lost.
On Third Class’ new full-length CD Chloe’s Epitaph is Chloe, the East Palestine-based quirk-pop group is treading dangerous ground for anybody who knows and possibly loves a Chloe. A first glance at the quasi-concept album’s lyrics (one example: “Chloe, when you spiral above the carpet, it’s a shame… “A drug inside your wrist, my wrist is clean”) might leave you with the impression that primary lyricist Lee Boyle once loved and lost a drug-addicted gal named Chloe. Turns out the song is about a cat who died when Lee and his brother Jack were little kids. They buried the cat and wrote its name on a gravestone, hence Chloe’s Epitaph is Chloe.

We just like the word “epitaph,” Lee says, noting that the drug inside your wrist is just a metaphor for a very strong memory, in this case, of a cat. We didn’t really think much about drugs.

The new CD, hurriedly recorded in two-and-a-half days at Youngstown’s Ampreon Recorder with owner/engineer Pete Drivere, sees official release on Nov. 10 when Third Class holds a CD release concert at Cedar’s Lounge. The album is a mix of new songs and old favorites that weren’t properly recorded in the past. Only in their early 20s, the members of Third Class, Lee and Jack Boyle and Pepe Parish, have been together in some form for 10 years. They have self-released five albums, counting the new LP. One of the songs on Chloe dates to when Parish was just 11 years old.

Third Class’ music is a brave and fiercely original brand of nearly unclassifiable rock. The new album is almost an attempt to classify their idiosyncratic sound.

Since it was recorded well, instead of in a garage or in a basement, it spells out everything for people who might not get it right away, Lee says. Maybe it’s more accessible.

Accessibility has been a problem for the band in the past. They write songs for themselves and their music isn’t always well-understood by audiences. In “Painting A Picture Over And Over,” a song on the new album, Third Class sings, “Close-minded freaks. You have no hope.”

“A lot of people would seem so alienated by us sometimes,” Parish says, “I remember the first time we played at Cedars. “So many people just thought we were creepy or something. They just thought we were so weird.”

But Third Class certainly doesn’t let an unenthusiastic crowd deter them from doing what they do. They’ve played an impressive number of shows over the years and have been embraced by some of Youngstown’s most influential musicians. A song on Chloe, “Explode The Sky,” features guest vocals by the Zou’s Khaled Tabbara and Posture Coach’s Kris Mills, among others.

Third Class also has an advantage over most other bands: they are lifelong friends and brothers.

“We learned to play our instruments together,” Parish says, “We influenced each other. We’re definitely all on the same page. One of the biggest benefits we have as a band is that we grew up together.”
Lee jumps in. “If one person quits, that’s it, there’s no more band.”



Record review: Third Class

(Article by Robotique Records, 2006)

At first listen, it seems a deranged, chaotic cacophony which could induce ADD, but beneath this confusion is a fresh Alternative LP debut from an innovative trio of accomplished artists (And their live shows are amazing!).

It is an acquired taste, this CD, as some of the structure changes are very abrupt and it seems like they are trying to sort out their musical identity and direction at times, but once you get past that, you can see quality compositions shining with polished chops.

On "Hospital Restrooms," I could observe a Peter Hook (New Order, one of my all-time favourites) element to the bass line which I enjoyed. "Victory Of The Severed" in its confusion, resembled, to me, somewhat of The Cure's "The Top" EP's tracks (An EP I do not have, but remember listening to in Samoa while hanging out with my friend Gordon Marcelo). "Full-Frame Movies" had a Cure element to it; "Get Out Of My Head" had a slight flashback to Suicidal Tendencies’ "Institutionalized" and "Explode the Sky," in it's groaning words and droning sounds, reminded me of Ian Curtis of Joy Division, one of my favourite artists of all time.

My favourite tracks, no particular order, were: "A Drug inside your Wrist," (both parts one and two), "Hospital Restrooms," "I Love This," "Get out Of My Head," "Full-Frame Movies," "Explode the Sky" and "Blue."
It is an interesting and original CD. Nice, polished sound and quality packaging, professionally done.
See also their site: www.myspace.com/thirdclass for more and to give the artist deserved kudos.



Posture Coach offers new sound

(Article on Valley24.com, 2007)

By Sarah Poulton

You'll love Posture Coach if you like trying new things

YOUNGSTOWN — Posture Coach played a live show at Cedar's last night and brought diversity and class to Youngstown once again.

Diversity by way of sound. It's hard to describe Posture Coach without saying "noise." They brought class through their style of play. Posture Coach sounds nothing like any other band on the scene. And they take a lot of crap for that.

Word on the street is that for whatever reason, you either really love Posture Coach or despise them. If you hate them, and want to hear some good old band bashing, see below.
What's nice about Posture Coach is their mixed vocals. Singers Eric Booth and Kris Mills play off each other vocally in an if Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale recorded together kind of way, without the romantic chemistry. They blend together nicely without sounding completely annoying.

They're also not afraid to try something new and different. There's a lot of great music out today, but the problem is, it all sounds alike.

Posture Coach's sound is harder than The Killers but lighter than the Hives and the female vocals throw it over the edge — in a good way. At times, it sounds a bit poppy, but they still rock pretty hard.

Songs like "Hearts, Fin" and "One Through Five" are what makes their show good. You can see the passion in the band's eyes when they're performing. They love it, you can tell.

Now for the bashing part. Third Class opened for Posture Coach and it's no wonder everyone was out on the patio during that show.

Singer Lee Boyle had his moments. He had some good spurts, but they vanished quickly when he tried to pull off high-pitched vocals.

"A Drug Inside Your Wrist" was good the first time, but then they played a second song with the same title that sounded similar to Van Halen. Someone needs to inform them it's no longer 1984.

Bottom line: Posture Coach is good if you're into trying new things. Third Class is good if you like Chevy Cameros and mullets. You make the call.



Band juggles school, music

(Article In The Vindicator, 2007)

The band also has a sketch comedy troupe, which has garnered a big following.

By John Benson, Vindicator Correspondent

Making music out of nothing at all.

That's just the challenge that brought East Palestine act Third Class together roughly eight years ago when its members — Lee Boyle (vocals, guitar, keyboard, drums), Pepe Parish (vocals, bass, keyboard, drums) and Jack Boyle (vocals, bass, keyboard, guitar, drums) — started, well, jamming without a net or instruments for that matter. More so, the band members all play the same instruments, switching up between songs.

"Our influences weren't much music really," said Boyle, a 2002 East Palestine High School graduate and current Kent State University student. "We did listen to a lot of music but we used Tinker Toy cans and small guitars with speakers in them. None of us have really any musical background training. So it was just kind of a big group of people doing whatever until about six years ago when we started to recognize ourselves as a band with songs and album potential. It was really fun."

Now billed as a progressive pop band falling in the same mindset as Ben Folds Five and Radiohead, Third Class has become a band to be reckoned with in Northeast Ohio. Not only does it have numerous albums to its credit, including its most recent "Chloe's Epitaph is Chloe," but the trio has toured from New York to Tennessee. Today it averages 30 dates annually while its members finish up school.

"We're definitely your average poor, working 20-year-old kids," laughed Boyle, who is studying English. The threesome is feeling some momentum behind its latest album, which was released last fall and is comprised of something old and something new.

Mixed old, new

"We recorded some old classics that fans knew and mixed it with new songs that we've written over the last couple of years," Boyle said. "None of the older songs originally received the recording they deserved. Although we are fans of independent sounding recordings, the songs just weren't made to be small digital recordings. Now, they received the proper technical attention they needed. Also, we figured we might as well release them, plus the album sells better because people know the songs."

Among the older songs on the new album are the glam-rock-guitar-sounding "Blue" and the atmospheric "A Drug Inside Your Wrist Pt. 1." Boyle said the latter track actually has a second part, which is new, that currently has the band excited.

"'A Drug Inside Your Wrist Pt. 2' definitely demonstrates our progress," Boyle said. "It's got kind of the melodic poppiness of 'Blue,' while sticking to the 6/8 style we've been developing with bright sounding chords on the keyboards."
He added, "Another song that marks the progress is 'Full Frame Movies,' which is influenced by Sigur Ros. It's not half as atmospheric or dreamy as their dream pop but it's close enough where we've moved from a sort of industrialist screaming style in the past to a more melodic full note scale style of writing."

Third Class is anything but single-minded. Not only is it pursuing music but the outfit has garnered a large following in the Columbiana and East Palestine areas based on its sketch comedy troupe, which posts skits on www.bullskit.com.

As far as its live presentation is concerned, the act is different from most anything else out there. The threesome is scheduled to perform Friday at Cedars Lounge.

"One of the biggest complaints you hear is about every band sounding like everyone else," Boyle said. "I think people should come out if they're looking for something different. There is no denying that the music we're going to play is mostly unclassifiable and mostly accessible."




Devonshire and Third Class put on first class show

(Article in The Springfield High School Newspaper, 2007)

By Katlin Potochnik, Student

Situated in an old bank building, the Friends Roastery is filled with antique oddities.  A ‘50’s style cooler holds bottled beverages, while a rustic bar offers homemade sweets and a barista to serve coffee beverages of your choice.  There’s a small stage, surrounded by a variety of tables and seating: high tables, booths, and even a row of old-fashioned movie theater chairs make up the plethora.  Contemporary paintings and photographs, on sale from local artists, line the walls and bookshelves.  However, the Friends Roastery offers more than just the visual arts.  October 12 at the Friends Roastery was a great night for checking out some of the local music scene’s up and coming bands. Featuring Columbiana County natives, Devonshire and Third Class, the night turned out to be quite an experience.

    Having the combined stress of playing live for the first time and releasing their first E.P. (The Desdemona E.P.), Devonshire took the stage at 7:30 p.m.  Comprised of Drew Wade and Shane Wellman, the group creates electronic music of a unique type.  Wade’s intriguing voice, coupled with Wellman’s clean keyboard style, added to the live aspect of the show, while backup vocals and multiple instruments in the background of the songs, came together to form the distorted, almost eerie, good electro rock that Devonshire is.

    While Devonshire was able to pull off the motions smoothly for the most part, Wade did have some problems with missing his cues on the last song, and Wellman looked nervous at times, almost as though he were hiding behind his keyboard.  Their music was flawless, but when listening to their E.P., you’ll notice that their set and the CD are almost identical.  A broader song count and some experimenting will not doubt fix this.  Also, since most of Devonshire’s music and background vocals were prerecorded (obviously performing all musical aspects to their songs would be impossible, since there are only two band members) they’re limited with what they can do.  Still, they managed to keep it entertaining, promising not to disappoint in the future.

    Other than that, Devonshire’s songs were extremely catchy and well-recorded.  Their inventive style is distinct, which makes buying their E.P. well worth it. You can find out all about Devonshire at HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/devonshireband" www.myspace.com/devonshireband.

    Following Devonshire, the long anticipated Third Class started to play a little after 8 p.m.  One of the most creative bands out there, Third Class does take some time to adjust to.  Their main criticism seems to be that they can be too avant-garde for their own good.  If you’re looking for something different to listen to, you’ll definitely find a fit with Third Class.

    Making up Third Class are Pepe Parish and brothers Lee and Jack Boyle.  The interesting thing about them is that throughout the course of their songs, all of the band members will switch instruments at least once.  While Lee’s voice is the one most often heard coming from the speakers, the band kicked off this particular show with Jack on the microphone.  The dynamics of their performance kept things moving the entire time.

    Never leaving room for a dull moment, Third Class continued to play for over an hour.  While they played a combination of new tunes and old classics, many of their songs could be found on their CD Chloe’s Epitaph is Chloe.  Unfortunately, most of the songs Third Class had to offer were enjoyed most by their long-time fans, as their style can be hard to appreciate for first time listeners.  Still, they made a point to include the audience, dedicating fan favorite “Blue” to several people in the crowd.  At one point, Drew Wade accompanied Lee in the screaming vocals in the crescendo of “Victory of the Severed.”  During one song, some fans even stood up to dance along, while during another, the band encouraged the crowd to clap along.  Third Class’s love for music is demonstrated most, however, when they get so involved in their mind-boggling keyboard riffs and head-pounding drum solos, that they give the impression that they’ve forgotten anyone’s watching them in the first place.  Check them out at www.myspace.com/thirdclass.

    All in all, if you could get past Devonshire’s first time jitters and Third Class’s advanced musical tendencies, the Friends offered an amazing night of music.  If you’ve never been to the Friends Roastery (located on State St. in Salem next to the Salem Community Theatre), it’s a cool venue for local music on Friday nights, and offers a cozy atmosphere you would expect from a coffee shop.  The coffee they serve, on the other hand, is by no means something to look forward to, but that’s a review in and of itself.




East Palestine pals produce comedy sketches for Web

(Article in The Salem News, 2008)

Members of the East Palestine-based sketch comedy troupe Bull Skit Productions admit their productions are “ridiculous” and earn them little money, but that hasn’t stopped the troupe from recording more than 200 sketches and posting many of them online.

Bull Skit’s core members are brothers Lee Boyle, 24, and Steve Boyle, 18, and Brandon Hull, 20. Other members include fellow Boyle brother Jack, Pepe Parrish, and Craig Beight. All members live in or are originally from the East Palestine area.

The troupe has made Bull Skit T-shirts and submitted a DVD to a film festival, but for the most part, making sketchesis just a way to pass the time.

“It’s more of a hobby than a business,” Steve Boyle said.

Lee Boyle said, “We haven’t been too serious with it.”

Several of the members are in music projects and score the sketches with their original music. Lee and Jack Boyle and Parish perform in the alternative rock band Third Class, while Steve Boyle performs piano pop songs as a solo artist.

Bull Skit has performed live just once, and it went over well with the audience, Lee Boyle said, but because of their existing music projects, the troupe doesn’t have enough time to devote to a live show.

The humor in Bull Skit sketches is “weird,” Hull said. He compared it to the online sketch comedy troupe Lonely Island, which featured Andy Samberg, who is now a Saturday Night Live cast member.

In the Bull Skit sketch,“Locked Out,” which was directed by Jack Boyle, Lee and Steve Boyle and Hull play friends who, after being cooped up inside the house all day, decide to go out and get some fresh air but end up getting locked out of the house. The image cuts to black and white and the guys are wandering aimlessly outside, lost and hungry. Suddenly, Lee starts to lose it. The camera changes to Lee’s point of view and shows him looking at his friends and then flashes to images of sausage links and broccoli.

“You guys look different,” Lee says. “You guys are looking a little more delicious than usual.”

Lee then reverts to cannibalism. After gorging himself on his friends, Lee goes back to house and realizes the key was under the doormat the whole time.

“Locked Out” is a favorite among the Bull Skit members.

One of the most popular sketches is called “Shakes Dat,” which is a rump shaking rap music parody. Lee Boyle said he wrote the song while delivering pizza.

“People never believe we do our own songs,” Steve Boyle said. “People never believe it’s actually us.”

The troupe started informally about 10 years ago with the young members making skits for themselves on an out-of-date camcorder. About four years ago, they realized they could post their sketches online to share with the world.

When they were younger, the material was more family friendly. In the last year and a half though, the content has matured to at least a PG-13 level.

“I think a significant turning point was when we decided we could be offensive,” Lee Boyle said.

For new fans, Lee Boyle recommends watching “Locked Out” first.

“Locked out is a good gateway skit,” Lee Boyle said. “I get hungry and I eat Steve and Brandon. Anyone can relate to that.”

Bull Skit Productions can be found online at www.bullskit.com.



The return of Nouveau

(Article on Valley24.com, 2008)

Nouveau — new and different, often fashionably so.

YOUNGSTOWN — It is time once again for Nouveau Rock.

Unlike other Youngstown music festivals that happen annually, or are a one-time thing, The Zou hosts their Nouveau Rock Festival when they feel there is a reason for it. Lead singer Khaled Tabbara says they organize their festival when there’s something worth showing people.

“Nouveau is a special occasion and I feel we’re ready for it again,” Tabbara says. “There’s enough going on that we need to share with Youngstown.”

The Zou’s definition of Nouveau is “New and different, often fashionably so.” Tabbara says The Zou classifies themselves as nouveau because, like art nouveau, they believe their music acts as a bridge between classic and modern.

“We drew a parallel between the music we make and the music we want to make,” Tabbara says. “We want to expand it.”

Tabbara says their first Nouveau Rock show happened about four years ago at Cedars. Tabbara says they booked the show with “underdogs” that couldn’t fill Cedars on their own. He says the show was extremely well-received, so they started doing it biannually until the bands developed their own following.

The show is made up of bands that you haven’t heard of yet, but you will.

“If we wanted to throw a mega music festival with big drawing bands, these are not the [bands] we’d choose,” Tabbara says. “These are bands that we feel are doing something unique and different.”

The Zou incorporated established bands, like The Deadbeat Poets and Nouveau veterans Posture Coach and Third Class, to play with lesser-known acts like Ten Cylinder Typewriter and The Sewing Machine War. Also slated to play are The Devotees, and closing out the night is The Real Time Digimob.

Tabbara says there will be two stages. Weather permitting, the main stage will be on the patio and the B-stage will be inside the bar. The stages will alternate acts, and Tabbara says there will never be two bands playing at the same time. In case of rain, the main stage will be the bar stage and the B-stage will be in the side room, he says.

Also new to the festival is art. Tabbara says local artists and photographers will be displaying and selling their art throughout Cedars, concentrating mostly in the middle room between the bar and the patio.

Bassist Murad Shorrab says if the weather is good, they hope to use every inch of Cedars, including the outside bar. This is Shorrab’s first time being involved in the planning and execution of Nouveau, and he envisions it being a celebration of downtown.

“In a town like ours, it’s necessary to have events like this to get new bands a following, almost like a coming out party,” Shorrab says. “We feel the bands on this bill typify the new and original music of Youngstown.”

Tickets can be purchased before the show from any of the bands, or at the door for $6.



Music at Friends Roastery
(Highlight in The Salem News, 2008)

Members of the East Palestine-based alternative rock band Third Class perform the song “Explode the Sky” from their album “Chloe’s Epitaph is Chloe” at Friends Roastery in Salem Friday night. Shown from left, Jack Boyle, Pepe Parish and Lee Boyle. The Youngstown-based rock band The Bedspins opened the concert.



The Zou rings in 2009 with a bang
 
(Article in The Jambar, 2009)

Sam Marhulik REPORTER (The Jambar)

Local Youngstown band The Zou is heading out on tour this month and playing their last show in the area at Friends Roastery with bands Third Class and Chris Splain in Salem on Jan. 16. The band is returning to Youngstown in March, so they are planning on leaving the area with a bang.

Lead vocalist Khaled Tabbara said even though the show is being played at a smaller venue, he believes it's going to be big.

"This show is an acoustic show, which is something we only do two or maybe three times a year, we change the instruments we use, and it also means were going to be playing different arrangements of our songs. Lead guitarist Rob Thorndike is going to be playing a mandolin, and drummer Dean Anshutz is bringing along some insane percussion instruments. This is going to be a very intimate show and we are excited for the fans who haven't got to experience an acoustic set from us," said Tabbara.

The Salem show is what the band want to call a "buddy show," because they have been longtime friends with the members of Third Class and Chris Splain for several years.

"This is a great show for us because these guys are some of our best friends. These are the people we hang out with we when have nights off, we have nights where we just sit in the coffee shop and catch up. This show is a great opportunity for every band involved and we are extremely excited to play with people we consider our best friends," Tabbara said.

The band is also excited for this show because it's the last time they are going to play to their closest friends and fans for several months. While it's the band's last local show, they are also excited to get back on the road and gain new fans in different parts of the country. Last year, the band played shows in 22 different states, including places like Hollywood and Tampa, but Tabbara admits that most people didn't know how long or how far they went.

"This year is going to be a big year for us. After we play our show in Salem, we're leaving and playing some shows in southern Ohio and after we come back to Youngstown in March, we're leaving for three weeks and playing in places like Chattanooga, Tennessee and Valdosta, Georgia," said Tabbara.



Five years in business

(Highlight in The Salem News, 2009)

Downtown Salem Friends Roastery celebrated five years in business Saturday night with a packed house of people who came to enjoy music by The Zou and Third Class and works (of) art in the gallery upstairs.



'You can’t have an idea unless you have a thing.'

(Article on Valley24.com, 2009)

by Sarah Poulton

“We have no front man, we’re not good at talking to crowds and our stage presence is absent,” Lee Boyle of local post-punk/indie rock band Third Class said as he sipped on his drink at Caribou Coffee in Boardman.

Lee, along with his brother, Jack Boyle and lifelong friend Pepe Parish,
make up this trio. They’ve had very little formal music training — Lee took one week of snare drum lessons and Pepe had one piano lesson — which is why you’ll see the them switching instruments on stage.

They do this throughout the show, mostly because, as Lee put it, “We started off with instruments that were stupid and we learned wrong.”

Pepe agreed: “We all learned how to play the crappy instruments we acquired because they were in the house.”

They said they used to write set lists so they weren’t moving around as
much, but they’ve gotten away from that. All members of the band play bass, drums, keyboards and two-string guitar.

“The strings broke, and we’re not musicians, so we just never fixed it,” Lee said.

The trio agrees that most people dislike their music on first listen, and
that it takes five or six shows to gain an appreciation for their sound. They said negative feedback doesn’t bother them, and that nobody’s opinion of them is ever wrong.

“We’re never afraid to put humor into everything,” Pepe said. “People tend to not take us seriously, but we’re OK with that. Whenever we try to be serious, we can’t get away from making jokes.”

Lee said that they decided to be a band before they played or owned
instruments. Third Class formed in 1997 with influences such as the Beastie Boys and Diddy. They said their first show at Cedars Lounge was in 2001, and they were asked not to come back until at least one of them was 18-years-old. Pepe and Lee were 17 and Jack was 15.

Fast-forward eight years and Third Class is still playing regularly in the
Valley. Whether it be at a locally-owned bar or a coffee house, this band seemsto always be working.

On Valentine's Day, Third Class will release their second full-length album, “The Red Wheelbarrow.” Inspired by the writings of American poet William Carlos Williams, the overall theme is, “You can’t have an idea unless you have a thing.”

“The point of [this theme] is to get people to be more open-minded,” Pepe said. “A lot of people ask us what the meaning of the songs are, and we’re reluctant to answer because we want them to make their own meanings. I think people are scared to use their imagination when they listen to us.”

Williams' poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow” is featured in the album art, and is the major influence of their release. Pepe said the poem itself is so minimal that it forces you to use your imagination. There are so few details, you have to make up your own when you read it, he said.

“I keep thinking that it’s kind of ironic that the poem is a rejection of
symbolism,” Jack said. “Like a call for realism that’s more real than realism, and we’re using it for something commercial. I don’t think it’s wrong, just funny.”

“The Red Wheelbarrow” features 11 songs including “Tell Me You Love Me,” “Egypt Then Roswell” and “Party In Your House.” “Party In Your House” is the first track, and Jack says it’s one of cheesier, more fun tracks featured. He said they used to do shows in their living room for friends, and it’s a good example of their shift toward being a little more accessible.

For Lee, the song means a little bit more. “It’s a song of reassurance,” Lee said. “We’re on the verge of moving out of the house we grew up in together. It’s a farewell song for our house.”

They say the CD is a little more pop-influenced and easy to listen to, but
there’s still a certain weirdness to it. Lee said they still threw in drum
parts that don’t seem to fit, but overall, Pepe said it’s a little more
understandable for the first time listener than their 2006 release, “Chloe’s
Epitaph is Chloe.”

“I think we’re playing more into the hands of artistic people than we were before,” Lee said. “Before, it was a zany fun thing. Now we’re trying to reach the avant-garde thing more than ever. We’re trying to find our crowd.”

When they’re not writing songs or playing shows, the guys from Third Class work on their side project, Bull Skit Productions. Third Class, along with brother Steve Boyle, and childhood neighbors Craig Beight and Brandon Hull, have been creating and producing skits since before Third Class was a thought.

“We refuse to sit still,” Lee said. “If the three of us aren’t together, whatever combo it is, we want to do something creative.”

They said Bull Skit officially started in 2005 because they had too many jokes and nothing to do with them. They say it is a productive, creative release for them.

“All of it is a substitute for getting drunk and getting high,” Lee said. “We grew up in a small town and it was either like die of an overdose or be creative.”

They agree that their most popular video “Shakes Dat” is a hit because it makes fun of a typical rap group and anything that goes along with it. Steve, who plays a solo piano act, said they got into music by doing music skits, and the band got its first drum set the same year they got their first camera.

With Bull Skit, the group takes everyday experiences, exaggerates them and records them. Jack says they’ve made it a habit to play themselves, rather than characters, because their acting skills aren’t the greatest.

“I think we play up on our bad acting a lot,” Pepe said. “We don’t claim to be good at anything we do. We have hundreds upon hundreds of horrible skits. We just put them out there. It shows that all of us just have to be doing something.”



Third Class makes new album more accessible

(Article in The Vindicator, 2009)

Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009

By John Benson

A positive first impression is what local rock act Third Class — Lee Boyle (vocals, guitar, keyboard, drums), Pepe Parish (vocals, bass, keyboard, drums) and Jack Boyle (vocals, bass, keyboard, guitar, drums) — is looking to make among listeners with its new “The Red Wheelbarrow.”

Formerly billed as a progressive-experimental pop band somewhere between They Might Be Giants and Frank Zappa, this East Palestine trio is hoping its new effort is more of an inclusive affair.

“The 11 new songs were written in the last two years, and the band agrees the album is a stronger effort than the last one, as far as accessibility goes,” said Lee, a 2002 East Palestine High School graduate. “Not that we’re all trying to be bubble-gum pop or anything, but I think people when they hear this, will know whether or not this sucks. They’ll instantly know whether or not they like it as opposed to religiously converting them after 10 listens.”

Named after a poem by beat poet William Carlos Williams, “The Red Wheelbarrow,” which is a follow-up to the act’s 2007 CD “Chloe’s Epitaph is Chloe,” includes the single “Party in Your House,” the jazz-influenced “Nursery” and the twangy “Ellison’s Harlem.” In fact, it’s the latter track that Lee uses to define the band’s recent musical evolution.

“If anything, we’ve embraced some country mentality about our small-town area a little more,” Lee said. “It’s taken us 20 years to do so because people around our area have ruined country for us. They ruined it because of pop country like Tim McGraw. Recently, all three members of the band have gotten into a band like Wilco, which took country and did a fun thing with it. So you’ll notice a lot more honky-tonk and twang influences on this album with the piano and guitar on certain tracks.”

Lee, who was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize regarding a published poem, views the group’s maturation from experimental to poppy as inevitable.

“Really, that’s the only place we had left to go,” Lee said. “When a band starts out experimental, they eventually get more accessible. Like the Beatles started out poppy and became more experimental toward the end of their career, we started out more experimental and had no other direction for us to go but to be a little bit more poppy. It’s something we hadn’t explored yet, so it seemed natural.”

The threesome is about to find out if its fans agree with the new direction at its upcoming “The Red Wheelbarrow” release show Saturday at Cedars. In talking to Lee, there seems to be a feeling that for the first time the act has a CD that could potentially attract a larger audience to expand its regional following.

“If there is any album, this is it,” Lee said. “If it doesn’t, we won’t be disappointed. Our objective has always been to just get the album into as many hands as possible and, if anything, this is the accessible album that will get people to understand.”



Dutch Village Music Night

(Article on JamBrain.com, 2009)

Apr 13, 2009

It was everything you would expect from a major rock concert — screaming guitars and screaming fans — except that the fans were mostly 13-14 year olds and their parents. Oh, and so was one of the bands.

The second annual Music Night, April 9, was the latest development of an idea managers of Das Dutch Village Inn, in Columbiana, had to provide young local musicians a place to perform, and fans too young for bars to hear a concert.

The 52-room Dutch Village Inn, which opened in 2001, is the newest part of the family business — Das Dutch Haus — started by Ralph Witmer and Raymond Horst 26 years ago, and includes the Village Shops in the rear of the property at the intersection of St. Rtes. 14 and 164. Witmer’s daughter, Grace Styer, who was an impetus behind the creation of the inn, and runs it, is the music mover, too.

Music has been as much a part of the local families as business, and manager Grace Styer saw the opportunity to provide a venue for budding musicians and fans. “For two years we opened up the lobby on the second floor on Thursday nights, during the winter,” she said, “and had mostly acoustic acts — in consideration of the other guests. Eventually, even that got a little too loud.”

In addition to an indoor swimming pool and two large meeting rooms, the Inn also has a 4,500 square foot banquet facility in the basement, with a portable stage, dance floor and moveable walls, the perfect venue for their usual fare of private events and dinner theater. Moving the music there allowed Music Night to expand.

An Inn employee, Drew Wade, the lead singer for Devonshire, is friends with the members of Third Class, and, according to Khaled Tabbara, of The Zou, “We love Third Class, and if they want us to play a show with them, we’re there;” this year, after just getting back from a national spring tour. All three bands played both years.

And opening the show again this year, the pride of South Range Middle School, No Clue, who’s exuberant fans filled the banquet hall. “Oh my God,” gushed one girl, “he’s up on the stage. Did you see his HAIR?” JamBrain is no expert on the emotions of teenage girls, but she seemed near ecstasy.

Other than being “13 going on 14,” No Clue is the stereotypical rock band: lead singer/guitarist Luke Eusibio is tall and cute with a stage presence; lead guitarist/keys Tom Kuhns is intense; bassist Nick Scheetz has a ball playing bass; and drummer Adam Witmer (yes he is related) played a solo. They do current covers and quality originals, they can actually play, and they even did a Zou tribute.

The fans and bands had a blast (the bands split the gate, the Inn sold concessions), and it was an altogether fun event, which gets a big JamBrain cheer.



Third Class

(Article on JamBrain.com, 2009)

Apr 15, 2009

They weren’t really feral children. Born and raised in the backwoods, yes (East Palestine, Ohio), but not by wild animals. They just say that so you’ll be more impressed with their musical development, and won’t think their stuff is so weird, all things considered.

The part about the nuitar, the two-string electric guitar they play is closer to the truth. Not that they couldn’t replace the broken strings, but that they chose not to. “It has sort of an empty sound that we like, it’s part of our style,” explains Lee Boyle, who plays it and does most of the singing.

His brother Jack, who switches back and forth with Pepe Parish on bass and drums, contributes to the disingenuity by insisting, “We’re not really musicians,” so you’ll be pleasantly surprised when they start playing, and find they clearly are.

They are also accomplished and published poets — the Boyles are recent English grads — confident enough to offer this poetic parody: “All I need is you, or else I’ll be blue; I’ll stick to you like glue.”

The only simple definition of the Third Class style is diverse. One song has quiet, close vocal harmonies accompanied only by a plunking bass and tapping tambourine; another is raucous rock.

“Flight of Owls,” consists of 16 very fast measures — with minor tonal variations — of, “Owls are in the air tonight, Hey!” It’s a lot of fun.

They started playing together in 1999; adopted The Zou’s definition of Nouveau Rock; toured in support of their first CD; and released their second, The Red Wheelbarrow, in February.

Their name reflects their personalities — no braggadocio here — but Third Class has high-minded values, to “bring art and life closer together with new ways of perceiving the real.” And that’s the truth.



The Zou's Nouveau Rock Festival embraces multiple genres

(Article on Valley24.com, 2009)

Coming straight off an extensive tour of the South, The Zou is hosting their Rock Nouveau Festival Saturday at Cedars Lounge.

Bassist Murad Shorrab says they did a lot of planning from the road.

"Now that we have Internet in the car, we never stop working," he says.

The festival will begin at 8 p.m. with 11 bands playing 30-minutes sets on two stages.
Shorrab describes the bands as the "most original, exciting, and in a lot of cases, local unknowns."

That's in keeping with the idea of the festival: highly originally bands and music. (Merriam Webster defines "nouveau" as newly arrived or developed.)

Shorrab says time on the road made planning this year's festival, his third with The Zou, easier because they were better organized and consistent since they spent so much time together.

He describes this year's lineup as the "heartiest" thus far, noting all of the bands are local. Bands schedule to appear include The Sewing Machine War, La Vérité, D Jones, The Realtime Digimob, Rebreather, Wake the Lion, Third Class, Exit/Exit, Sam Goodwill and Braille. DJ Norm Rockwell will perform between bands.

It'll be the second Nouveau for The Realtime Digimob, an act of live and synthesized sounds. Andrew Labdez describes last year's performance as their first "major show," noting there had been other performances at The Oakland Center for Arts' The Stage and at Coyoacán Mexican Grill on the Youngstown State University campus.

"I think that Nouveau is great for bands," Labedz says. "Just to get on that bill is a local band honor."

Labedz says last year's performance was a great catalyst for fans because it usually brings in a crowd of people. He says the second stage was "intimate" and "awesome," noting the sound was good and there was a really good turnout of people who wanted to see The Realtime Digimob.

Shorrab says that's one of the reasons for Nouveau, saying that it's easier for bands to get the attention they deserve.

Earlier this month, Labedz told Valley24.com that The Realtime Digimob plans on incorporated live, 3-D elements into their Nouveau performance. He says he has continued working with Ed Lazor and is on track to debut more visual elements. Those visual elements may also include more people in costume as characters.

"Whoever participates in Digmob on stage, at that time, is Digimob," Labedz says.

Labdedz says he's interested in seeing Sam Goodwill and The Sewing Machine War, who played before The Realtime Digimob in the side room last year. He also says he's except to see D Jones.

D [Derrick] Jones is the first rap artist to appear at a Rock Nouveau Festival. Shorrab says he was selected because he does "Youngstown, educated, not-gangster rap."

"His music is just as valid as the other bands," Shorrab says.

Jones has written four poetry books and is the co-owner of Pangaea People Publishing and has won several awards for his video projects. He's currently working on a documentary about the Lucasville Riots of 1993.

Jones last performed in Youngstown at The Zou's release of "Archeaopteryx."

He says Braille and Wake the Lion represent an undercurrent of harder music in the area that's just as "legitimate" as other forms of music at the show. Shorrab says the idea of the festival is to rekindle the community that likes original music, and all of these bands are "highly original."

Among those in the community is Lee Boyle of Third Class, who is scheduled to appear in their sixth Rock Nouveau Festival.

"It's one of the only places for unique music in this area and hopefully it'll grow to be even more recognizable," Boyle says.

He says in years past, the bands reminded his band of all the other bands there. But this year, he says it's truly a variety of acts.

Third Class will play a new song, "Heaven and Ice Cream" at the show.

Boyle says Rock Nouveau brought Third Class new fans, "especially in the first three or four years." He says Third Class is either loved or hated and playing this show has converted some people after they heard his band several times.

He says he's sincerely a huge fan of The Sewing Machine War and looks forward to their performance. He's also excited to hear Exit/Exit, who he says he's never heard live.

Shorrab, on the other hand, says he's excited to hear Sam Goodwill. He says The Zou's schedule usually conflicts with Sam Goodwill's shows, but is excited "to see how this new band works."

Last year, more than 300 people attended the Nouveau Festival at Cedars. Expect that number to be higher this year with the increasing crowds at shows for Sam Goodwill and The Realtime Digimob.

Shorrab says tickets are available from all of the bands, who decide the cost of the ticket. Cover will be $6 at the door.



Third Class album is anything but

(Article in The Wooster Voice, 2009)

by Zach McBride, Voice Staff

“The Red Wheelbarrow” is the new album from the Youngstown band, Third Class. Comprised of brothers Lee Boyle and Wooster alum Jack Boyle ’08 alongside Pepe Parish, Third Class offers an excellent record that displays the new sound of the band and the growth since their album released in 2006, “Chloe’s Epitaph is Chloe.”

Third Class’s sound is abrasive and at the same time lucid. It weaves in and out of convention and familiarity. There are times when their sound is reminiscent of so many artists it’s impossible to pinpoint just one, and then eight seconds further into the song it collapses into a musical heap of conflicting layers, only to reconstruct within seconds into a completely different song.

This is the problem in reviewing them: their music is so complex that it is difficult to summarize their overarching character. Each phase of their songs could easily be its own universe, yet layered as they are and constantly morphing, they form an elusive shape. The specific sounds of “The Red Wheelbarrow” start with the upbeat and catchy melodies of “Party In Your House.” This track most closely resembles their earlier works, comprising of driving lyrics surrounded and seemingly held aloft by syncopated rhythms and frequent changes in tempo.

Following this is “Ellison’s Harlem,” exemplifying their new and mature sound. It offers driving chords and a steady beat, often left behind in the complexities of their earlier work. After this, the band fuses these two sounds together in “Rainy and Stormy,” an amalgamation of the two sounds — and a marriage that works best of all. These three opening tracks offer the strongest and most insightful survey of the general sound of Third Class.

Yet that’s not where the brilli-ance ends.

The rest of the disc offers a tranquil ex-perience, interrupted from time to time with experimental interludes that run from the terrifying “Egypt Then Roswell” to the frantic surprise-punk track “Flight of Owls.” Third Class does not allow you to sleep while listening to their album. It is an intellectual pursuit.

The disc closes with what can only be described as a joyful and sentimental romp. “Great Days” and “Nursery” provide a sense of closure to the album. They seem to describe the memories of the past, both painful and filled with joy. Slower than the other tracks, they are an excellent closing thought to a sometimes frantic sounding work.

The liner notes to the album offer perhaps the best description of the history and tone of Third Class. It playfully tells a story of “three feral ‘children’” who sought to “rebuild the tools of their craft.” What they produced after “37 decades” of isolation was “not wholly unbearable to others.”

And that is, in a sense, what Third Class has done. Previously dealing with experimental pop, they have moved towards a more conventional sound. Yet they have retained their experimental influences, and because of it, today produce a sound unlike anybody else.

Third Class has their two most recent albums, including this one, available on iTunes or through their Web site at www.thirdclass.net. For those in search of some serious musical brain food, “The Red Wheelbarrow” is an eminently worthy purchase (or equally satisfactory illegal download).



People who live near me:  Third Class!

(Article on MRNspace.com, 2009)

I live in North East Ohio, known for it's white sand beaches, and palatial estates. I'm filled with nothing but anger, hatred, and bitterness for where I live. While it's my long held policy that I hate everything local, including myself, there are a few things, places, people, and bands that I actually don't hate. And I don't hate Third Class at all.

So I interviewed Lee Boyle, lead singer of the band:


MRN: Hi Lee, lets talk about your band, "Third Class." Would you say one of your biggest influences was Insane Clown Posse or would you say it was your only influence?

LEE: Actually, I would site The Presidents Of The United States Of America, Ben Folds Five and Radiohead as our first, early influences. We aren’t really influenced by Insane Clown Posse at all.


MRN: It's been said many times that your music is very sexual. Is it difficult playing instruments when you're in such a state of arousal?

LEE: I wouldn’t necessarily describe our music as sexual. It is more oriented towards conceptual pop/rock music if anything.


MRN: I've noticed there are no black people in your band.... When was your band formed?

LEE: We formed in 1999.


MRN: Who in the music business do you respect? When I hear your music I think of artists like Avril Lavigne, Ashlee Simpson, and Gwar. Are these your musical heroes?

LEE: Not exactly. In the last few years, our band has taken notice to a respected musician and recording studio owner/operator named Pete Drivere. We give him credit for maintaining and providing for independent musicians in Northeast Ohio because of how low the economic growth rate is in the area. Otherwise, I personally respect the newly signed artist Jessica Lea Mayfield, a folk artist who is from Kent, Ohio. I’d say that we, as a band, tend to respect the acts who built a foundation from somewhere other than New York or Los Angeles, just because of how admirable and independent it is to see something like that. I also give props to Motion City Soundtrack for getting started out of St. Paul, Minnesota and to The Presidents Of The United States Of America for continuing to base their music scene from Seattle, Washington, even after the grunge scene had passed by.


MRN: I've noticed you have complete contempt for your audience at all times. Do you hope that your audience dies a horrible death or just that they suffer terrible pain in their lives?

LEE: I don’t know what band you have us confused with, but we absolutely love any audience who gives us the time of day! It takes patience for most people hearing us for the first time and we appreciate it when they understand what our music is about and come back for more.

MRN: You play musical instruments despite having no sense of touch, has this made you angry at God?

LEE: No sense of touch? What do you mean? I don’t think any of us are necessarily angry about anything having to do with our instrumentation.


MRN: I read somewhere recently that 90% of all bands break up in the first year. I read that, after I wrote it. I assume it's true. What has kept your band from breaking up?

LEE: Our band has been lucky in that aspect because we all lived together when the band got started. So, instead of dealing with the inconvenience of lugging our instruments back and forth to each other’s homes, we just had to walk down to the basement together. The advantage which comes from starting a band based on brotherhood and friendship is that, in these later years, the band has become a vehicle for us to get to visit and spend time with one another. And, we all know, with work and school and significant others, it gets harder and harder to spend time with people as one grows older.


MRN: I don't know, I haven't really aged since I was four. Finally, what would you like the MRNspace audience to know about your band? Please keep in mind the audience is almost completely made up of incarcerated sex offenders, and shut-ins.

LEE: I would like to let the audience know that we are grateful to them for reading this interview. I encourage them to check us out and give us a listen online. I would recommend giving both our studio albums, Chloe’s Epitaph Is Chloe and The Red Wheelbarrow, a preview on iTunes or on www.myspace.com/thirdclass. If you don’t like us at first, you might want to wait a few days and give it another try. Most of my now favorite albums were one I despised at the first listen! But, don’t take my word for it. Come read some of our press reviews on www.thirdclass.net.



Nouveau presents original and new music

(Article on Valley24.com, 2010)

YOUNGSTOWN - Judging by the turnout Saturday, local music fans knew the value of The Zou's Rock Nouveau Festival.

It was a night of bringing new and original music to Cedars Lounge. It included performances by new bands like SickAsMe, Fillmore Jive, Sexy Pig Divas and Historians. Nouveau veterans Third Class, The Realtime Digimob, The Sewing Machine War and obviously, The Zou, played.

Khaled Tabbara, lead singer of The Zou, described this year's Rock Nouveau as the best yet - "by far."

"I feel like if this show were in New York and we charged $50, people would've been happy."

He says a lot of this year's bands represented the definition of Nouveau in that they mastered an old genre in a new way.

Among the bands playing Nouveau for the first time was hip-hop group Da Kreek, made up of brothers Dorian DTown and Mello Dee.

"They were one of the best crowds we every played for," DTown says.

Although Da Kreek is no stranger to the local music scene, it was only the second show for Da Kreek to play backed by a full band. Their band members included Zo the Genius was on keys, Nate on the bass, A.Hines on drums and Don Kody was the DJ.

DTown says the backing band brought a different element to their sound.

"It makes the music new," he says.

"Da Kreek was so much fun," Tabbara says. "The band they played with brought a new dimension."

The Zou bassist Murad Shorrab says this year's Nouveau hosted the most new artists the festival has ever seen.

"It's about bringing new bands to the forefront and I think we did that," he says.
Shorrab and Tabbara both noted that there was diversity in the music, but also in gender. They say there was a record number of female performers on stage at Nouveau this year. (Fillmore Jive, Sexy Pig Divas, Historians and SickAsMe have female members.)

"We strived to find female acts that met out quality standards," Tabbara says.

Shorrab says they did that, but it happened more naturally than they expected.

New to the Nouveau stage was The Zou's new member, Bernadette Lim. The 24-year-old Boardman resident played her first show with The Zou for the first time Saturday.

She described the crowd as "mind-blowing."

"It just felt like I belonged up there...I couldn't have asked for a better first show," Lim says.

Lim says her primary role in The Zou will be to enhance keyboard parts.

"Keyboard is king in The Zou in a lot of ways," Tabbara says, noting that "Forget My Name," for example, has four keyboard parts on the album.

The Zou's Rock Nouveau Festival had two stages, using both the venue's traditional stage and one set-up in the side room. As a band would play inside the main room, another would set up in the side room, eliminating, for the most part, any delay between music.
Patrons would roam from room to room to see varying bands.

Tabbara says that among bands this year there was an "air of positivity."

"Every band was interactive and responsive," he says.

"Nouveau has always been about hard-working, original, positive acts," Shorrab says.

Josh Good, a member of Braille (which played Nouveau last year), says he came to Cedars to see friends in bands, including the drummer from Panzer Talk (Ian James) and Zo the Genius, who played with Da Kreek. Good says he was also excited to see The Sewing Machine War and Third Class.

The Realtime Digimob played Nouveau again this year. Member Andrew Labedz says it was cool to be a part of the show again, noting that it was also a good night for the venue.

"It was great to see this happening," he says.

Labedz agreed that the night had a positive atmosphere.

Also on Saturday, The Zou guitarist Rob Thorndike played classical guitar, filling a spot that members of The Zou say was created by a last-minute cancellation by La Vérité.



Youngstown’s rock mentor helps shape city’s sound

(Article in The Vindicator, 2010)

During the multitude of interviews I’ve done with local bands over the years, one name has come up at least a dozen times: Pete Drivere.

He’s the owner and operator of Ampreon Recorder, and bands that have hired Drivere to mix and record their CDs uniformly express awe at his skill in the studio.

A frequent comment goes something like this: “Pete knew what we were supposed to sound like more than we did.”

The list of local bands he’s produced is as impressive as it is eclectic, and a who’s who of Youngstown rock: The Zou, Third Class, First In Space, Posture Coach, Jones for Revival, Metalourd, The Devotees, Johnie 3, Gingerspittz and Oral — just to name a few.
He recorded about 10 albums last year alone, which is no small feat.

And just last week, two more Drivere-produced albums were released: a self-titled one from The Robbie Jay Band and Kenny Greco’s “No Apologies.”

Drivere makes his living through music — and at various levels.

Most know him for his work with The Infidels, one of Youngstown’s greatest bands. The Infidels have an international following, and that fame extends to Drivere’s other highly-respected projects: the Deadbeat Poets and Pete Drivere and the Pretty Demons.

The Deadbeat Poets, in fact, just released a new CD, “Circus Town” — which Drivere produced. You can imagine him hunched over the control board with a guitar slung over his shoulder.

Drivere is also the sound man at Cedars Lounge, moving the sliders in the rear of the room while bands perform on the stage.

In short, music is a way of life for him. And seeing the business from so many angles has given him an all-encompassing vision that is indispensable in the recording studio. It’s no wonder so many bands seek him out.

I visited Ampreon the other day. The studio, which is in the well-worn Ward Bakery Building in the Mahoning Commons section of Youngstown, is dominated by an 11-foot- wide mixing board and stacks of electronic equipment.

Isolation booths for vocals are on either side, and the tracking room — where the bands play — is behind an adjacent wall.

Drivere is aware of his status in the music community, and he humbly explained it.

“My understanding [of the bands] comes from the fact that I was where they are now, at one time,” he said. “I have bands in here that are made up of 23-, 24-, 25-year-olds.”

He also has handled sound for many of those same bands during shows at Cedars. That gives him a leg up on grasping the sound each act is trying to achieve.

As for being a mentor, that also comes with experience, said Drivere, who has been running Ampreon since 1991.

“I have to know the client in every way, including emotionally,” said Drivere. “They get frustrated when recording. Shortcomings are realized in the studio, not on stage when the amps are cranked up to 10.

“I try to help them by bringing techniques about recording to the table that they don’t think about,” he said.

“It’s my job to think of those things.”



Bonfrog gets bigger, better and more connected

(Article on Valley24.com, 2010)

By Katie Libecco

YOUNGSTOWN - BonFrog founder Simon Kenneally says Saturday's BonFrog Festival in downtown Youngstown was organized under the same principal and philosophy as always.

This time, though, it'll be on a much larger scale.
Saturday's festival will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. at The Lemon Grove Café, Cedars Lounge and Café and in the back parking lot connecting the two businesses. It'll feature 26 musical acts and more than 30 Artists of the Rust Belt.

Last year, Kenneally told Valley24.com that he started Bonfrog in 2000 when he was a member of this “total improvisation” band that didn’t go over well in Youngstown and surrounding areas. He says people didn’t “get” their music, and he needed to create an outlet where the sound would work.

“We needed to create an evening that this music will make sense in,” Kenneally told Valley24.com.

Kenneally says that BonFrog, in the past, was always about nightlife and described BonFrog events as eclectic parties. This time around, Kenneally hopes the show will have an all ages appeal with free admission for children younger than 12. Cover for everyone else is $10.

"I really hope we'll have some people bring their kids down. I think it'll add a new breath of life to what we've been doing all along. It's not just a nightlife party, it does accommodate more than that," he says.

He says the music during the day is family friendly, including jazz by Julius Veal and Stan Miller. Kenneally will also perform a solo set at 5 p.m. In that time frame, Cedars will host music on the patio and in the café.
Around 7 p.m., Kenneally says, Cedars Lounge will open and an age restriction will be implemented.

"Around 7 is when it really kicks into what people are really familiar with as far as the crazy, eclectic version of BonFrog," he says.
Among those crazy elements are firedancers and a dancing mime.
Throughout the day, Kenneally says there will be live entertainment on two of the three stages.

Most of the acts are local, like Third Class, LethalFX, Shiloh Hawkins, Adam Jacobs, The Young Stonians, The Realtime Digimob, Pictora, Panzer Talk, Tiger Style Sugar Bear, Fillmore Jive, Album and the Suite Ds.

Others from out of town, including The Mandrake Project (Pittsburgh) and Lord of the Yum-Yum (Chicago). There's also bands from Akron and Kent, like SexyPigDivas and The Hobs.

Kenneally says a new band of seasoned musicians, #1 Rodeo, will be playing out for the first time during BonFrog, scheduled for 10:20 p.m. at Cedars Lounge. He describes #1 Rodeo as a "really good, energetic blues rock band."

Meanwhile, the back lot stage will be accompanied by more than 30 Artists of the Rust Belt, coordinated by Daniel Horne and Marcy Roepke-Applegate.

Lemon Grove owner Jacob Harver says BonFrog is a showcase of talent in the area.
"Speaking as the owner of The Lemon Grove, it's really exciting to get to work together with so many great people like Billy and Mara at Cedars, Simon and the Artists of the Rust Belt: Daniel Horne and Marcie Applegate," Harver says.

Harver says the collaboration involved in Saturday's festival seemed natural, especially since Kenneally just signed on as general manager at the Lemon Grove.

"Simon has done BonFrogs at Cedars for a long time; we got to host one in February. Since we opened, I've wanted to do a big music festival in the back parking lot. I started talking to Simon and decided, 'We may as well make it a BonFrog,'" Harver says. "It just seemed natural to do one big BonFrog in the parking lot - and how nice and fitting it'd be to be Cedars and Lemon Grove together to creative this mega-BonFrog."

It's especially fitting since beer sales will benefit the Youngstown Arts and Entertainment District Association, or YAEDA.

"The goal of YAEDA is to help strengthen and promote downtown as a whole," Harver says. "It's not about competition between the bars, it's about working together to create a positive space downtown."

Harver says YAEDA is currently in the process of getting the organization's structure completed and doign research on what the shared vision of the new downtown is. He says Lyndsey Hughes, the city of Youngstown downtown special events coordinator, has also been helpful in getting the bars to work together.

"What's great about downtown is that since we're all independently owned places, we're able to work together," Harver says.

Events like BonFrog that are collaborations are helpful, he says, because it allows people from the suburbs and larger region to see that there are a lot of exciting things happening in downtown Youngstown.

In the future, Kenneally says he's considering hosting BonFrog events in other cities.

"I'm changing my scope on what 'local' is," he says. "I would like to actually consider placing BonFrog in other cities - drawing on their local culture and what's going on there."



PTV

(Article on TribToday.com, 2010)

You never know what you’ll see on this Valley station

By AMBER ZIEGLER Tribune Chronicle correspondent
POSTED: August 1, 2010

Viewers can submit videos through the mail, by e-mail, or by dropping them off at Perkins Communications, located on the second floor of the Youngstown Business Incubator at 241 W. Federal St. There is a $25 handling fee, which helps cover the cost of uploading videos to PTV's servers, and all first-time submitters must complete a submission form. For more information, call Perkins Communications at 330-259-7666 or visit online.ptv.com

Tune in to PTV, channel 15 in Trumbull County or channel 9 in Youngstown on Time Warner Cable, and you might see someone's wedding reception, a silent film, an amateur music video, a computerized news anchor named Maria, or a recording of a local church service.

"You never know what you're going to see on the station," said Joe Perkins, president of Perkins Communications Inc., the company that produces and operates PTV.

That's because PTV is a public access channel, which means that local viewers submit most of the content. "It's more of a community service than anything, Perkins said.
Viewers can submit videotapes, DVDs, YouTube videos, cell phone camera videos, webcam videos and even web pages, and PTV will air it. The only restrictions are that PTV will not air anything commercial or anything illegal.

Public access television supports the first amendment right to free speech, so PTV doesn't edit or censor submissions.

"It's a free speech channel," Perkins said. Any questionable content is aired after-hours. "We just air it and let the public decide," said Perkins.

PTV, which has been on-air since July 4, 2009, is operated by Perkins Communications, Inc., a software and web development company located in the Youngstown Business Incubator, of which Perkins is also the chief technical officer. PTV is run entirely by custom software that was developed by Perkins Communications "100 percent from scratch," as Perkins put it. All viewer submissions are digitized and uploaded to Perkins Communications' servers.

PTV broadcasts 24 hours a day, and this is where the software comes in handy. If content ends abruptly or is shorter than expected, the software notes the upcoming gap in the schedule and pulls content of appropriate length from the servers to fill the gap. That way, there's always something on.

So what might expect to see on PTV? That question is almost impossible to answer fully. Some of PTV's biggest content contributors are religious and spiritual organizations. Other frequently submitted content includes music videos and recordings of family events.

Perkins Communications also actively seeks content for PTV.

"We're really active in pulling down things," said Perkins, explaining that PTV often airs content from satellites and YouTube. "We try to find things we think the Valley would be interested in."

There's even a program called YoTube, which airs at 5 p.m. and midnight, that features YouTube videos recorded locally.

"Trumbull County is pretty well represented on YouTube," Perkins said.

Warren G. Harding High School records five different variety shows, each an hour long, that air on PTV. "That's the only outlet they have for it," Perkins explained.

Another local school district represented on PTV is Youngstown City Schools. The high school class is doing a service learning project to promote early reading. The project is called Kusoma, which is Swahili for "read." PTV is airing videos, public service announcements and presentations for the project, which kicked off July 1. "They're really excited about it," Perkins said of the students.

Lee Boyle, a member of the band Third Class and the comedy troupe Bull Skit, often makes videos with his fellow band members and comedians to promote their upcoming shows. He feels that PTV "legitimizes our little videos and skits. You don't need flashy programs and equipment to catch people's attention." He and his friends often write and perform short skits of them lip synching and telling jokes, and even have produced a short claymation feature. "We try to do something that lends itself to the low budget we have."

Boyle, 26, of Columbiana, first heard about PTV from local musician and engineer at Ampreon Recorder in Youngstown, Pete Drivere. He and his band made five videos to promote an upcoming show, and submitted three of them to PTV.

Boyle thinks PTV is a good tool for local musicians to use to promote themselves. "They could possibly win over people in northeast Ohio, Cleveland. Even if it's in a certain area of northeast Ohio, people still know there's a scene." He says that TV is still a good medium for people who aren't into the Internet.

There's no way to know if the videos have run or not, short of staying up watching TV all night, but Boyle can appreciate what the channel is trying to do. "As far as a quirky little channel like that, I'm all for it, I love it."

While much of PTV's content is local, the station receives submissions from all over the country, such as Dirty Stars, a comedy troupe from Wisconsin, and Kristal Hart, a Manhattan-based actress, producer, and editor who was originally from the Valley. PTV also seeks content with an international flavor. PTV also airs public-domain movies and entertainment.

Those are just a few examples of what Valley residents might see on PTV. Viewers can find a broadcast schedule on PTV's website, www.onlineptv.com, where they can also view webcasts of PTV content.

Perkins said the station is always looking for new content, and he's especially interested in family videos.

"I would love to see more weddings," said Perkins. Perkins described a wedding video of a Pakistani ceremony that was particularly interesting. He said he'd also love more baby videos, adding that his own granddaughter has been on PTV.

"Send it to PTV. We'll air it. Then your cousin in California can watch it online," Perkins said.

Sarah Sepanek contributed to this story.



Duo performs random acts of musical Kindness

(Article on TribToday.com, 2011)

January 6, 2011

By GARY S. ANGELO Tribune Chronicle correspondent

Two area musicians are putting their knowledge to use behind the scenes to show Wild Kindness to artists and fans.
David Pokrivniak of Girard (who plays drums with Viking Moses and formerly played with Sam Goodwill) and David Knowlden of Grove City, Pa., (from Realtime Digimob) formed the non-profit indie music booking company Wild Kindness last year.
"We're both musicians and we've spent countless nights playing and watching shows,'' Knowlden said. ''David Pokrivniak was booking shows for the Lemon Grove Cafe about a year ago and built relationships with bands, labels and booking agencies. In that time, Youngstown and the Lemon Grove Cafe started to build a reputation as a good place to schedule touring bands passing through the Midwest.''
The duo, which started working together after Pokrivniak left Lemon Grove, has booked shows at the Lemon Grove, Royal Oaks and Indie Wax Records, and its next event is scheduled Saturday at Royal Oaks, 924 Oak St., Youngstown, with The Wooly Moon from Baltimore, Arsenii Vaselenko from San Francisco, Youngstown's Third Class and Girard's Joe Shelby from Bob's County Bunker. Admission is free.
''This is a non-profit venture. We put our own 'spare time' into Wild Kindness as well as our own resources on the line,'' Pokrivniak said. ''There's a very supportive community in Youngstown, and we want to do what we can to make it thrive.''
Knowlden added, ''The bands we book span from a wide range of genres, most of which fall into the category of 'independent music' or 'indie rock,' or some variation thereof.''
Some of the acts the Wild Kindness has brought to the area include David Israel, Viking Moses, Plus / Minus, the Parlor Scouts, the Pomegranates and Hallelujah the Hills.
Currently, they are booking out-of-town shows for the bands Sewing Machine War and Sam Goodwill, and they are working to get local acts on the bill with national indie bands.
The Wild Kindness is inspired by the mid-1980s indie DIY culture personified by legendary indie musician Calvin Johnson, who founded the influential bands Beat Happening, The Halo Benders, The Go Team and Dub Narcotic. Johnson also was the founder of K Records, based in Olympia, Wash., and organized festivals such as International Pop Underground Convention.
''We are releasing a Calvin Johnson tribute cassette tape compilation, 'Hot Chocolate Nation,' which will be released on Jan. 15. The tribute will feature contributions from national and local artists who have played shows for us. We will also be releasing some cassettes for local bands," Pokrivniak said.
Some artists featured on ''Hot Chocolate Nation'' include the Nervous Jerks, Viking Moses, Third Class, Sovroncourt and Way Yes.
For Knowlden and Pokrivniak, their mission is to persuade music fans in northeastern Ohio to not be afraid to listen to new music and open themselves to cultural experiences.
''Our attitudes toward art and music can shape the attitudes we take toward other aspects of life,'' Knowlden said. ''In the future, we would like to work towards more of a regional music scene, booking and trading shows with bands from Morgantown, W.Va; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Akron and Cleveland, Ohio.''



Festival celebrates local indie rock

(Article on TribToday.com, 2011)

Members of The Zou and Third Class started the Nouveau Rock Music and Art Festival in 2003 as an avenue to expose Youngstown's up-and-coming indie rock acts.
That it's still around eight years later is a testament to its success.
''The reason we put Nouveau together was because we wanted to create a festival that catered to the many alternative / indie rock bands at the time,'' The Zou's Murad Ghazi Shorrab said. ''The Nouveau Rock Music and Art festival has helped the Zou go out on the road and play out-of-town gigs. Over the years, we used The Nouveau Rock Music and Art Festival as a means to build up a following. Nouveau has always been a non-profit venture. At Nouveau all bands keep 100 percent of the money they make from the tickets they sell. The festival is about hard-working bands that hit the ground running.''
This year's lineup at Cedar's Lounge will feature Shiloh Hawkins, Tullsen Brothers, Braille, Zhopa Mira, Sexy Pig Divas, Pictora, Da Kreek, Filmore Jive, Third Class, The Zou and #1 Rodeo.
The festival also will feature Youngstown visual artists Marcie Roepke Applegate and Jenn Cole, who will be creating art during Nouveau that will be raffled off at the end of the evening. Raffle tickets will be available for $1 each.
''Third Class sold almost 50 tickets last year, and everyone promotes each other and makes the event successful. The Zou is taking gigantic risks and everyone makes the event work out,'' Shorrab said.
The Zou - Khaled Tabbara, lead vocals, guitar and keyboard; Bernadette Lim, keyboards and vocals; Murad Ghazi Shorrab, vocals and bass; Billy LaGuardia, drums and digital percussion; and Jesse Martin, lead guitar - currently is working on a new batch of songs.
Every two weeks the band posts a different selection of new songs on its website - www.facebook.com/thezou and www.myspace.com/thezou - which is available for free download. Shorrab said this gives fans the option to preview the songs before they get released. The band is also working with Youngstown producer Pete Drivere at Ampreon Studios in Youngstown.
Some new songs that the Zou has recorded include "Soon! Okay?," "Pink Lincoln," "Love," and "Stool Pigeon." Shorrab said the band will also be recording a brand new track called "Get Away From Me, You Animals" at Ampreon Recording studios. Shorrab said that "Get Away From Me, You Animals" is a favorite at live shows.
''We just recorded a few new tracks at the RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tenn.,'' Shorrab said. ''This is where Elvis recorded Heartbreak Hotel and acclaimed artists such as Roy Orbison recorded. The Belmont School of Recording got us into that studio.''
With the success of its 2009 release, ''ARCHAEOPTERYX,'' the band is willing to move on with a new musical approach.
''I think the instrumentation on our newer music is finally where the band needs to be.'' Shorrab said. ''Frontman Khaled Tabbara is writing his best harmonious work. Our new upcoming release is going to be more keyboard-driven and the rhythm section is a lot stronger. Our new guitarist Jesse Martin, who is Tabbara's cousin, really allows the complexities of his harmonies to shine through. The family relationship between Tabbara and Martin is ecstatic. I could really see the music in their bloodlines. Tabbara and Martin are both very talented composers.''
Shorrab said that working with Tabbara has been a rewarding experience and that the two share a common creative style.
''Tabbara is like a contemporary bard. A lot of his songs are fueled by sadness and drama. He is really good at taking suffering and making it sound beautiful. I am glad all of our hard work is paying off.''
The Zou is trying to get more tour dates playing at venues in America's south, including Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn.
''We have been on nine tours in 28 states. Our main goal is to record new music and to have the 10 songs we are working on finished at Ampreon Recording Studio by summer. We are also talking of going on a tour with the two acclaimed Atlanta indie acts Jungol and Drunken Unicorns. We will be the opener for these two bands," Shorrab said.
For Shorrab, the Nouveau experience has been a festivity of endless momentum.
''The Nouveau Rock Music and Art Festival is a celebration of abandoning cabin fever and going into spring. The staff at Cedar's works so hard at Nouveau and people get to see new art and music. The crowds run with the bands and the bands build a following."



Nouveau Rock Festival celebrates creativity

(Article on Valley24.com, 2011)

YOUNGSTOWN - The Nouveau Rock Music and Art Festival is the epitome of everything I’ve come to love about Youngstown, a testament to the area’s flourishing music and art scene.
The Nouveau Festival isn’t exactly a new concept. The festival has been showcasing local musicians and artists for eight years now.
Even so, this year’s event Saturday at Cedar’s Lounge in downtown Youngstown was a first for me. Having moved here six months ago from the much less culturally-diverse town of New Philadelphia, I was intrigued by the idea of 11 local bands sharing one venue. And the notion of artists creating live, on-the-spot artwork? Well, that was a completely foreign concept.
Needless to say, I was eager to see what Nouveau was all about.
I had previously seen only two of the 11 bands on the roster perform: Fillmore Jive (performing Saturday as The Modulated Tones), who made their second Nouveau appearance Saturday, and festival co-founders The Zou. They were the only alumni to take the main stage, while returning artists Third Class, Braille, SexyPigDivas! and Da Kreek performed on the B-stage.
Murad Ghazi, member of The Zou and festival organizer, says only Third Class and The Zou remain from the original Nouveau lineup. And though Third Class has played every year since, Ghazi says the band won’t perform on the main stage, prefering instead to headline the sidestage.
A total of five bands made their Nouveau debut Saturday: Blue Through Branches, The Tullsen Brothers, Zhopa Mira, Pictora and #1 Rodeo.
Blue Through Branches is the latest project by singer/songwriter Shiloh Hawkins. Formed just this month, Blue Through Branches includes Hawkins and several former members of now-defunct Via Sahara. The band opened the festival and the B-stage with a set of beautifully melodic ballads and premiered their powerful debut single, “For You.”
What do you get when you cross bluegrass with heavy metal? The Tullsen Brothers’ final number.
The Tullsen Brothers (not actual brothers) opened the main stage and ended their set with a truly unique rendition of Iron Maiden’s “Hallowed Be Thy Name.”
The foursome, with their eclectic blend of traditional bluegrass and contemporary rock, won my vote for the best new artist at Nouveau. For me, it was by far the standout performance of the evening, and judging by all the clapping and dosey-do-ing, the group was a big hit with the rest of the crowd as well.
The band was such a hit that Ghazi says, in retrospect, he wishes he would have booked them to play later in the night.
It was a night of incredible performances and vast musical diversity, from the high-energy hip-hop stylings of Da Kreek to the “Lounge Punk Psychedelic Dream Pop” of Zhopa Mira to the hypnotic experimental indie-rock sounds of the SexyPigDivas!
But Nouveau is more than just a music festival. It’s a celebration of creativity.
A tent on the patio showcased the works of local artsits including Becca Zastany, Steph Kamykoski, Kristie Gearhart, Jennamarie Mohan and David Varney.
Inside, the festival’s two featured visual artists, Jenn Cole of Girard and Marcie Roepke-Applegate of Boardman, worked together throughout the festival to transform a huge blank canvas into a vibrantly-colored piece of abstract art that was awarded to a lucky raffle-winner at the end of the night.
It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. In just one night, I discovered nine vastly diverse local bands that I had never heard before and witnessed live art in the making.
And that’s what The Nouveau Rock Music and Art Festival is all about. It’s a chance to discover a new artist or fall in love with a new band, whether you’ve been to every festival or are a first-timer like me


Untitled

(Article on The Planet Pluto’s Tumblr Blog, 2011)

On January 8, 2011, local heroes, Third Class, took to the Royal Oaks stage in Youngstown, Ohio for many grand old tunes and as harbingers of future doomsaying, pseudo-pop recordings. Lee Boyle had long since removed his shirt featuring the aliens from Toy Story, and between playing original material, Third Class played an unrehearsed, first class cover of Beat Happening’s “Look Around.” Listen while I scrub that pun off in the shower. Look around for Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute to Calvin Johnson to be released soon by the Wild Kindness. Do as Lee says: join the facebook group, “The Wild Kindness,” for updates.


Third Class takes first-class approach

(Article on TribToday.com, 2011)

Third Class has been a driving force throughout the Youngstown / northeast Ohio music scenes since 1999.

The band started out with a standard mid-'80s lo-fi post-punk sound that it recorded and distributed on cassette tapes sold at living rooms shows. Keyboardist Lee Echard Boyle said they've transitioned to more well-thought-out songs with strong poetic direction.
''Our sound has changed over the years in many ways, but I think the most noticeable feature is that our songs have become a bit catchier. We went from an instrumental, improvisational mindset into a more lyrically oriented, aesthetically aware approach,'' Boyle said.

On Saturday, at Cedar's Lounge, 23 N. Hazel St., Third Class will take on a world of their own with Fillmore Jive, of New Castle, Pa., along with Ram In the Bush from Alliance.
Third Class - Lee Echard Boyle, Pepe Parish and Jack Boyle - have released a half-dozen albums and EPs, several of which are out of print. ''Chloe's Epitaph Is Chloe'' (2006) and ''The Red Wheelbarrow'' (2009) still are available and the band also contributed a cover of Beat Happening's ''Look Around'' to the Wild Kindness' compilation ''Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute to Calvin Johnson.''

With so many accomplishments fulfilled and complete, Third Class still remains as a group of nonstop, DIY passionate diehards.

"We have been writing new songs, which will hopefully appear on an EP later in this year. We've been trying to raise money to fund the production ... and our goal is to give the album away for free at future shows," Boyle said.

The band has a fundraising page on its website at www.thirdclass.net/newthirdclassrecord.html.

Third Class' music has been featured in the independent film ''Youngstown Shakedown'' and the documentary ''New York Meets The Faux Paus.'' The band plans on playing more shows across Ohio to cities such as Athens and Toledo.

"We hope to organize a summer tour this year, but we don't know if the EP will overshadow the tour or not," Boyle said.

However Boyle and the men of Third Class are thrilled to share the Cedars stage with the diversely like-minded acts Fillmore Jive and Ram In the Bush.

"If one attends our show on Feb. 12, they will hear all our songs that will be recorded on the upcoming EP,'' Boyle said. ''Crowds will hear some old favorites from 'Chloe's Epitaph Is Chloe' and some of the upbeat songs from 'The Red Wheelbarrow.' However, if requested, we'll play our version of Beat Happening's 'Look Around.'''


Way Yes Covers "When Heart Turns Blue" On New Calvin Johnson Tribute

(Article on InYourSpeakers.com, 2011)

Way Yes, a duo of Ohio based musicians, recently released a cover of  Calvin Johnson's "When Heart Turns Blue." You can find the song on Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute To Calvin Johnson, a tribute compilation that dropped last month from fellow Ohioans label Wild Kindness.
Johnson is known for his work with bands like The Go Team (not The Go! Team), Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Halo Benders. He's also the founder of the the indie label K Records, boasting artists like Kimya Dawson and Built To Spill and seminal releases like Beck's One Foot In The Grave.
If you don't know him, this video is a good place to get acquainted with his stripped down, acoustic baritone style. It's Johnson performing "When Heart Turns Blue" in 2006. After hearing this, it's easy to see why he would take a chance on an album like Beck's One Foot In The Grave; he and Beck seem somehow philosophically aligned.
On Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute To Calvin Johnson, Way Yes is joined by Third Class, Viking Moses and Adrian Crowley. Way Yes' version of "When Heart Turns Blue" centers around electronic drums, two-part harmonies and upbeat guitars; it's come a long way from Johnson's version.

Get In: Calvin Johnson in Youngstown
(Article on ThePlanetPluto.net, 2011)

On February 18, 2011, Calvin Johnson (formerly from Beat Happening and the Halo Benders) stopped in Youngstown, Ohio for the first time. Special thanks to the Wild Kindness for organizing this show.

Might I add there's a fine compilation of covers titled Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute to Calvin Johnson, which I recommended before. At the very least, check out Third Class' terrific cover of "Look Around."

Along with Joe Shelby, Third Class opened the show at the Calvin Center. Their set was heavy on new material the band aims to release on a forthcoming EP, and to my surprise, they performed the CJ cover in his presence. Third Class owe much of their indie pop sound and childish subject matter to Beat Happening. And if this had been a bigger show, they surely would have added new fans to their devoted following.

While Calvin Johnson performed only one recognizable tune to my ears, The Halo Benders' "Love Travels Faster," it was still a show that would satisfy fans of his earlier work.



Local Band in Focus

(Article in Cleveland Scene, 2011)

Third Class

November 09, 2011

Meet the Band: Lee Boyle (vocals, keyboard, guitar), Jack Boyle (drums, bass), and Pepe Parish (bass, drums).

A Rough Start: Originally formed as a rap duo in 1996, Lee and Parish let Lee's little brother Jack join "on the condition that he didn't try to hang out with us all the time." Their musical tastes eventually turned to indie rock, and Jack ended up hanging out all the time.

The Joke's on You: A recent mock hip-hop music video for "12 and 9" spotlights the Youngstown group's funny side. But it's not the first time. They're all involved with Bull Skit, which has uploaded more than 400 "off-the-wall sketch comedy" skits to YouTube. A tad too many? Check out "Sex Education."

We're All Poets Here: Third Class' second studio album, The Red Wheelbarrow, is a reference to the poet William Carlos Williams. Both Boyle boys are published poets. Jack even works at Kent State University's Wick Poetry Center.

Why They'll Never Grow Up:
The band's upcoming EP features songs like "Kitty-Cat Eyes" and "Heaven and Ice Cream." "The album's overall theme is childhood," says Lee. "Much like the band's other efforts."

Where You Can Hear Them: thirdclass.net

Where You Can See Them: At Caribou Coffee (1 North Hawkins Ave. in Akron) on November 19.

— Michael Tkach

Third Class Progressive rockers’ new EP goes pop

(Article in The Vindicator, 2011)

By John Benson

After more than a decade of playing around Ohio, local rock act Third Class — Lee Boyle (vocals, guitar, keyboard, drums), Pepe Parish (vocals, bass, keyboard, drums) and Jack Boyle (vocals, bass, keyboard, guitar, drums) — has come to a major conclusion about the band-fan dynamic.
“Any group that can get someone who doesn’t like music to like them, that’s the whole goal,” said Lee, a 2002 East Palestine High School graduate. “You’re just playing to other musicians otherwise. We have to do something about that.”
Part of that something for Third Class is changing its paradigm for success. This includes no longer recording an album in hopes it breaks the group. Instead, the trio recently raised $2,000 to record an EP that it plans on giving away for free at shows. Lee said the thought process is people are more apt to buy T-shirts and merch at a show over a CD.
“They don’t know if the music was recorded in a basement or if it sounds bad,” Lee said. “So we figured with a six-song EP that kind of doubled as a demo, we can give it away.”
Lee said standout tracks from the new EP include the in-your-face title track, along with the mellow-yet-intricate “Demons Outside.”
“This goes back to our old style of using chord progressions that are unique,” Lee said. “On ‘The Red Wheelbarrow’ we got stuck with kind of doing loops in the same key, which was fun. But these new songs have real progressions that take a while to listen to. So in that way it goes back to the old style of songwriting of progressive rock.”
Therein lies the current dichotomy facing Third Class: to sound poppy as a means of being more accessible yet remaining faithful to its progressive rock leanings, which are anything but pop-oriented. Lee explains how the threesome is struggling against compromising its musical credibility by traveling too far down the accessibility road.
“I suppose we’re not willing to compromise that but we’re just trying to fit into the niche that has come about in the last few years,” Lee said. “Indie rock is kind of a stereotype now. We were just trying to emphasize what we already were in relationship to that and not necessarily change. Just like the cover of the EP looks more stereotypical indie rock. And the way the tracks are arranged, we put the songs that sounded like each other next to each other and we don’t usually do that.”
Next for Third Class is playing around the region and creating a grass-roots following that may not include the bigger cities such as New York and Chicago.
“We’d rather see a scene built here than go out to where they already are,” Lee said. “I think playing for people in small towns who are bored has more promise to a band like us than going out and playing some venue that looks good on paper farther out of town. When we end up in the venues that everyone is supposed to play, we’re crowded. We’re a small fish. We kind of get drowned out.”