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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2003)
THE BATTAl! Band on the run Dallas-based Flickerstick will hit College Station on its South Texas tour By Kendra Kingsley THE BATTALION tto party" lc pic of forum nie Coleman, Df the honors pi Susan Gilbertz, sf n the communiti ent, will moderai ■urn on Walton "ghetto party” in MSC 201. "ghetto party' by members ofa ill in concurrenca ither King Jr. Day said the partywas o be degradiit| mericans, even ; dressed as Ku Brandin Lea, lead vocalist for the alternative band Flickerstick, nbers to partiesr ay have a recording contract and thousands of fans, but at the ter Residence id of the day he wants just one thing - a hot shower, a memo not' “When you’re touring, you live in the bus,” Lea said. “It’s not ces of the plai y° u wa * ce U P ' n a ^ ote * room - tour bus just pulls up to a e Universitv J ;n dom hotel, and between sound checks and interviews, you try , iL , I find a place to shower.” Pn thp pv/pnt r r ■ Today Lea may be on the lookout for a shower in College ers of the forum | at j oni one 0 f t h e band’s stops on its three-city South Texas tour, ident Robert M.( jescribed by Lea as a “psychedelic indie rock band,” Flickerstick <s about the in J iginated at the University of North Texas in 1997. Lea recruited a welcoming car hs younger brother and bassist Fletcher Lea, drummer Dominic staff of Multicuweir and guitarist Cory Kreig. Soon, the group known as hares his view. * lickerstick” was a regular gig on the Dallas music scene. With the band’s steady success, Brandin Lea, then a senior film ajor at the University of North Texas, found it difficult to bai lee his time between classes and performances. “My brother and I have been playing together since we were kids, ed from page glut it turned into a serious hobby when we found other guys to play ith,” Lea said. “The rest of the band wasn’t in school, so when I opped out of college, it made it easier to tour. There just wasn’t ie for everything.” After adding guitarist Rex Ewing, the band released its first bum, “Welcoming Home the Astronauts,” in 2000. While several |fthe band's tracks have hit radio waves, Lea said Flickerstick’s und differs from generic fare. “A lot of writers write about chicks who broke their heart when iey were 17. That gets kind of old and sappy,” Lea said. “I like to fbok to the future when I write (Flickerstick’s) songs.” That individual style is exactly what makes Justin Hawkins, a Aggielife The Battalion Page 3 • Wednesday, January 29, 2003 ts :et the word om i the opportune ther penalties, care of any outs .■all the City the College Sti Court, 764-36$ os County Sir -4155. You mavil cities online linior speech communication major, a loyal follower of lickerstick. Hawkins said he discovered the band four years ago hrough friends who attended the University of North Texas. “When I first heard (Flickerstick), they totally struck me,” said lawkins. “Their sound is different from a lot of the bands on the adio, but their songs are definitely radio-caliber.” The music is not the only reason Hawkins will be in attendance it tonight’s show. Hawkins, the lead vocalist and guitarist for local uandOddstar Experiment, said Flickerstick’s live performances have influenced his own band. “Flickerstick puts on an awesome live show,” Hawkins said. “Whenever I saw them for the first time, I was like, T’ve got to putonashow like that.’” the band's popularity with the public has not been lost on the PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKERSTICK From left: Flickerstick members Cory Kreig (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Dominic Weir (drums), Brandin Lea (lead vocals/guitar), Rex James Ewing (gui tar/vocals) and Fletcher Lea (bass) will perform tonight at Concept on University Drive. The band recently won VHl’s “Bands on the Run” competition. dlege-station.M Station yan.tx.us to s eb site. s ed from id. ice of the Lite id Policy’s, IVeb ' steroids canresul! s such as liver can ks and elevated els. Also, with ns such as increai and aggression et Griffith, hei coordinator for el Health Ceni ents against need 'raids. e needles for stem ily available n, people I and HIV is transit [J Griffith said, re information and its side eft S Drug Control A b site at www: olicy.gov/. media. Recently, Flickerstick won VHl’s “Bands on the Run” com petition, beating out three other bands and taking home $100,000. The band has also recently released “Causing a Catastrophe,” an album featuring live performances of Flickerstick songs. Yet the recent onset of publicity is not without a price, Lea said. “Sometimes I get recognized in public, and it can get kind of annoying,” he said. “It’s hard to eat with your girlfriend or go out with your parents. People are really nice, but sometimes it’s like, ‘Hey man, 1 just want to eat dinner.’” With a growing fan base in College Station, Lea may not get much privacy tonight. Katie Hare, a senior biology major, has been following the band since she was a sophomore and has seen the band perform on Austin’s 6th Street and in Dallas’ Deep Ellum. “You can tell which fans have been with (Flickerstick) from the beginning,” Hare said. “Since the band is from the Dallas area, everyone at the (Deep Ellum) concert knew every word to every song. It was the best concert.” A steady schedule of performances is nothing out of the ordi nary for Lea, however. “You do a sound check, perform, meet and greet, have a couple of beers at an after-party, come back to the tour bus, fall asleep and do it all over again the next day,” Lea said. “It’s just part of the road, part of the game and part of the band.” Flickerstick will perform tonight at Concept on University Drive. Pre-show tickets can be purchased at Journeys in Post Oak Mall for $10 or at the door for $12. Doors open at 8 p.m. LIOI uring the fall and spring# y holidays and exam peril# ). POSTMASTER: Send 0 77843-1111. versityinthe Division ofSttf McDonald Building. News' /wiMthebattcom nent by The Battalion, ft# sing, call 845-0569. Advei through Friday. Fax: 845-S lent to pick up a single# per school year, $30 fortii!^ Visa, MasterCard, DiscoW' 0 Cl Wednesday Afternoon seminar for women students: Barbara Mouser, "Opportunities and Challenges for Women in Contemporary Culture: A Biblical Perspective” 4:00-6:00 P.M.. MSC 206 “The Spiritual Journeys of Four TAMU Professors" with Q&A Panelist: Drs. Charles Futrell, Marketing; Jack Lunsford, Chemistry; Nancy Simpson, Mathematics; and Marian Scully, Physics 7:00P.M.. MSC226 Cl Thursday "Ethics in Business and Society: Lessons We are Learning," Dr. Murphy Smith, Professor of Accounting, TAMU 4:00-5:00 P.M.. MSC 206 "Islam and Christianity" Dr. Peter Kreeft, Professor of Philosoph' - 7:00 P.M.. Rudder Auditorium % College BIG ID. Friday Ja r Breakfa?' by Dr, Peter Kreeft on “Catholicism and Evangei. ,re They Compatible?” ,St Mary’s, 7. A.M. (reservations please: info@aggiecatholic.org) NOTE: This event is not just for Catholics. Everyone is welcopie to attend. Cl £ * 81 C 8) 8) C Cl BIGGEST DANCE FLOOR IN BRAZOS VALLEY THURSDAY Open 8pm-2am College Night! . Ladies 21 £ over FREE till / 0pm Penny Pints, 75* Bar Drinks, $ l 00 longnecks 8-1 Opm FRIDAY & SATURDAY Open 8pm-2am Ladies 21 £ over FREE til I Opm $ 1 25 longnecks, $ 1 25 Crown drinksj any coin, any bar drink 8-1 Opm Ain’t It Crazy! 1600 S. College, Bryan (The old Rodeo 2000 location) 779-3911 veritasforum www.tamuventas.org January 27 - 31