Pop rockers stick to the bright side, and bounce off the political tracks
Remember those long summer nights, driving around with friends, without a care in the world?
That’s the feeling The Heyday, Denver’s newest power-pop quintet, is trying to convey.
Think back to a time when Carson Daly and TRL ruled the world and you couldn’t find a radio station not playing Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life.” These guys are reminiscent of that late 90’s feel-good, carefree pop that consumed the airwaves.
Driven by energetic guitar chords, catchy hooks and subtle lyrics, The Heyday takes a break from the political-bandwagon that the industry can’t seem to forget.
“It’s the kind of music, even if you aren’t listening to the lyrics, that can catch you; move something inside of you,” the Heyday’s drummer Sean Bennett said. “At our shows, everyone can feel a warmth inside the room, that’s the only way I can describe it.”
Although many members knew each other, the band wasn’t formed until the spring of 2006 after Jeff Appareti and Randy Ramirez left their former band Like Chasing Wind and joined forces with guitarist Brian Martin, drummer Bennett and later Bassist Peter Wynn.
“When we were juniors in high school, I remember my band opened for Like Chasing Wind and after the show I told their former bassist if they ever needed a drummer, I’d be there,” Bennett said. “It was actually the bassist, Andrew Davis, from Like Chasing Wind who put it all together.”
After Davis left the band, Wynn stepped in to fill the role.
“We spent most of the summer writing and recording,” Wynn said. “Leading up to our first show September 24 [2006] at the Bluebird Theater.”
Their name, The Heyday, also reflects their music. On their MySpace page, they describe their sound as, “The drive home with all of your friends on the last night of summer.”
“We had all just graduated and were in the heyday of our lives,” Wynn said. “We liked the sound of that, and the name just stuck.”
Since that first show, The Heyday have played high-energy, crowd-centered shows throughout Denver, Fort Collins and even at Boulder’s Club 156.
“Our shows are a good time in general,” said guitarist and singer Ramirez. “It’s always frustrating when we see bands playing the same set over and over. We like to keep it fun and fresh; there’s a lot of dancing.”
The next stop, an album release party for their debut album tentatively titled “The Heyday” at the Marquis Theater in Denver this Friday. The band is currently unsigned, and plans to shop their album around after the show.
“We all want to make this our life,” Bennett said. “While most kids grew up idolizing sports stars, I grew up idolizing rock stars. Frankly, it would take a lot … to get us to stop playing music.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Devon Taylor at devon.taylor@colorado.edu
