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Saturday, October 18, 2008
Orange Willard celebrates 6 years
Dayton hard rockers Orange Willard played their first ever live show at Canal Street Tavern October 19th, 2002.
It seems fitting then that Orange Willard will celebrate six years as a band on the very stage they began.
This Saturday, October 25th, the band is holding a six-year anniversary show with guests Audible Influence and Secrets Between Sailors (Bloomington, IN).
“We try to celebrate our ‘birthday,’ if you will, around the same week each year,” said guitarist Charley Skira. “We’re glad we got to have the show at Canal Street this year since Canal Street was the first venue to take us seriously in the early days. So it almost feels like a homecoming as well as a birthday.”
The band has come a long way since 2002. In 2006 the band won the Dayton Band Playoffs also at Canal Street Tavern. Shortly there after they landed a deal with local record label Aztek records and released their debut disc Two Years Later.
This year Orange Willard has added to their resume with opening appearances for national acts Seven Mary Three and Sponge. They were also finalists in the ‘Battle for X-Fest’ and played the Midpoint Music Festival last month in Cincinnati.
I asked the band what they learned over the last six years during their dramatic climb to the top of the local rock ladder?
“That’s a good question. I guess what we learned about surviving this long in the local music scene is to just have fun and be yourself,” said Skira.
“I can’t say that is something we’ve learned since we’ve always acted that way, but I guess we learned that it actually works. We also learned that it can’t all be fun and games if you actually want to make a living off of it. You have to work at it and treat it seriously. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun. It just means you’d better love your job. Fortunately for us, we do,” Skira added.
Orange Willard will also celebrate Halloween at the Pearl on Thursday, October 30th, for a show where they will be dressed and perform as Rage Against the Machine. In fact all the bands playing at the Pearl’s Halloween bash will be dressed up as a famous band. I hear the Ramones, Velvet Underground, and Motley Crue will also make appearances.
Do not miss one of these shows because after Halloween the band told me they will be taking a “small hiatus” from local shows. They will focus on writing new songs and playing out of town.
Visit www.myspace.com/orangewillard for more info and to hear samples of their tunes. I like the song Quicksand. I think I will add it to my profile.
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