Local band Rose Hill Drive to play the Fox this weekend
Friday and Saturday will be nights to remember at the Fox Theatre this week.
Boulder’s own Rose Hill Drive and Super 400 out of Troy, N.Y., will enliven the stage this weekend along with opening act The Willowz.
Rose Hill Drive is a truly unique product of Boulder’s creative and provocative musical culture. The band is composed of brothers Jacob and Daniel Sproul on bass and guitar respectively, as well as Nathan Barnes on drums. The Sprouls are also both on vocals.
Jacob and Daniel were musically influenced as children and had been playing together as early as middle school. The Sproul brothers encountered Barnes while attending Fairview High School. After that the three created what is now known as Rose Hill Drive.
“There’s something special and abstract about this place (Boulder) that has a great influence on our music,” Daniel Sproul said. “This land would spark something in just about anybody.”
Rose Hill Drive is no stranger to the Fox Theatre. The trio have also played there a few times before, but this will be their first return in over a year.
“We grew up going to see shows at the Fox,” said Sproul.
Rose Hill Drive is often described as being innovative in a time where creativity is sparse in popular culture. Their sound is comparable with that of The Who and Van Halen.
Their strong musical presence is brought out in their thrilling live performances. Having performed with names like Wilco and The Black Crowes, they are more-than-seasoned performers.
Rolling Stone included Rose Hill Drive in their “Top 10 Bands To Watch” in March of 2007. The publicity has spiked interest in the group, and “created more core fans,” Sproul said.
The tour is going to be different for Rose Hill Drive this time around.
“Were going to try out some new stuff this tour, we’ll be experimenting a lot,” Sproul said.
Rose Hill Drive’s current tour for their new self-titled album moves to the east coast after the two nights in Boulder.
Playing alongside Rose Hill Drive this weekend will be New York’s psychedelic rockers Super 400.
This three-person ensemble is made up of Kenny Hohman (guitar/vocals), Lori Friday (bass) and Joe Daley (drums). All three members were raised in Troy, New York.
Super 400, who have been together for 11 years, strive to bring back the classic style of Led Zeppelin, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix and the like.
“Were one hundred percent committed to bringing back rock ‘n’ roll and getting away from ‘top 40’ prefabricated type music,” Friday said.
The band’s current six-week tour, which began in Spain at the beginning of August, is in promotion of their newest album “Three and The Beast.” “Three” signifies the three band members and “The Beast” being an abstract idea of their musical product.
After the two nights in Boulder the band will play five more shows in Colorado.
This will not be Super 400’s first appearance in Boulder or with Rose Hill Drive. The two bands have played a hand full of shows together.
“We’ve seen a big change in music” Friday said. “There was a lull in the music scene that’s just now being turned around, Rose Hill Drive is a part of that change. Their music makes us happy, were a good fit,”
The cost of the show is $17, $25 for a two-day pass. Doors open at 8 and the show starts at 8:30 both evenings. All ages are welcome.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Daniel Carter at daniel.carter@colorado.edu