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When Danny Tatulli and John Langan head up to Las Vegas this week they hope their band Danny and the Tramp will hit the jackpot. But the action won't be at the slots or on the tables. Instead, the gaming will take place on a stage in the form of a battle of the bands: the Indie Music Fest at the Henderson Pavilion in Green Valley-Las Vegas, Nevada.
"We were selected by a panel of judges who represent ReverbNation & Black Mountain Productions." When Tatulli first learned of the contest he submitted the band's press kit, and one thing led to another. "We got a call back to represent San Diego."
Danny and the Tramp hit the stage Friday, the first day of eliminations in the two-day competition. They will have no more than 25 minutes to win over the judges. The odds? Fairly stiff at one in 39. But the winnings are sweet for the two bands that will win the competition. Tatulli describes a bounty of goodies totaling $40K in what he calls band resources like recording studio time, band management, legal services, and so on.
From the Indie Music Fest web page: "The IMF was created to provide exposure, resources, education and assistance in elevating the unsigned artist, writer and musician, to the next levels of their careers. We will have 40 of the best unsigned indie artists selected from across the country, competing in the genres of r&b, urban, rock, pop, and alternative."
Tatulli hits at least three of those categories when he describes Danny and the Tramp as rock-pop-alt. They recorded their debut CD American Dream at Golden Hill's Blackbox Studios. A listen reveals an inspired approach to power pop, snazzy, loaded with hooks, but a little on the '90s side. Picture blink 182 jamming with Third Eye Blind.
"We're originally from Pennsylvania." Langan and Tatulli moved here a couple of years ago to make music. "We said goodbye to our families and our jobs and our girlfriends. We were sleeping on the floor of a friend's apartment for the first few months. We played open mike nights at Lestat's, Longboard's, the 710 Club." He says that's how they built the fan base for what would eventually become a band. They found their drummer, Branden Josefosky on Craigslist. "It clicked."
D and T were a power pop trio until they realized they couldn't do their album material live. They hired fourth member Ezekiel Parnow ("We actually call him 4th guy") on piano, guitar, and vocal harmonies. In their 2 years as a Pacific Beach-based band they have played the usual local haunts including the House of Blues, Gallagher's, Typhoon Saloon, and the Ruby Room. But for now, all eyes are on Vegas.
"We thought it was a joke, getting the acceptance letter. It was kind of surreal. At first, we were just happy to be accepted. But as it's getting closer to the contest we're thinking, let's win this thing."
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/23/23314/
When Danny Tatulli and John Langan head up to Las Vegas this week they hope their band Danny and the Tramp will hit the jackpot. But the action won't be at the slots or on the tables. Instead, the gaming will take place on a stage in the form of a battle of the bands: the Indie Music Fest at the Henderson Pavilion in Green Valley-Las Vegas, Nevada.
"We were selected by a panel of judges who represent ReverbNation & Black Mountain Productions." When Tatulli first learned of the contest he submitted the band's press kit, and one thing led to another. "We got a call back to represent San Diego."
Danny and the Tramp hit the stage Friday, the first day of eliminations in the two-day competition. They will have no more than 25 minutes to win over the judges. The odds? Fairly stiff at one in 39. But the winnings are sweet for the two bands that will win the competition. Tatulli describes a bounty of goodies totaling $40K in what he calls band resources like recording studio time, band management, legal services, and so on.
From the Indie Music Fest web page: "The IMF was created to provide exposure, resources, education and assistance in elevating the unsigned artist, writer and musician, to the next levels of their careers. We will have 40 of the best unsigned indie artists selected from across the country, competing in the genres of r&b, urban, rock, pop, and alternative."
Tatulli hits at least three of those categories when he describes Danny and the Tramp as rock-pop-alt. They recorded their debut CD American Dream at Golden Hill's Blackbox Studios. A listen reveals an inspired approach to power pop, snazzy, loaded with hooks, but a little on the '90s side. Picture blink 182 jamming with Third Eye Blind.
"We're originally from Pennsylvania." Langan and Tatulli moved here a couple of years ago to make music. "We said goodbye to our families and our jobs and our girlfriends. We were sleeping on the floor of a friend's apartment for the first few months. We played open mike nights at Lestat's, Longboard's, the 710 Club." He says that's how they built the fan base for what would eventually become a band. They found their drummer, Branden Josefosky on Craigslist. "It clicked."
D and T were a power pop trio until they realized they couldn't do their album material live. They hired fourth member Ezekiel Parnow ("We actually call him 4th guy") on piano, guitar, and vocal harmonies. In their 2 years as a Pacific Beach-based band they have played the usual local haunts including the House of Blues, Gallagher's, Typhoon Saloon, and the Ruby Room. But for now, all eyes are on Vegas.
"We thought it was a joke, getting the acceptance letter. It was kind of surreal. At first, we were just happy to be accepted. But as it's getting closer to the contest we're thinking, let's win this thing."
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/23/23314/