Aura plans all-out push

Guitarist Chris Ochtyun says most bands don't promote themselves well.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Normally, CD release parties are intimate affairs with local bands performing for fans, friends and family in celebration of a new album.
That's definitely not the case with new rock act Aura, which will be releasing its self-titled debut Saturday at the expansive 2,550-seat Stambaugh Auditorium. While some bands have a buzz, it appears Aura has a loud hum surrounding it as one of Youngstown's more anticipated up-and-coming bands.
It was this pre-album attention that led the band to book the larger venue.
"We just had a ton of Myspace.com response about the album and people started asking about doing a big show," said guitarist Chris Ochtyun. "So we thought, 'Let's see if it works.' We're hoping it's going to be a good solid show."
What could be construed as ego regarding such a large venue is actually nothing more than confidence. All five members of Aura are veterans of the Mahoning Valley rock scene with Ochtyun an erstwhile member of the group Indifference. In fact, what drew the quintet together was a desire to perform less doom-and-gloom nu-metal material -- as was the case with the each of the member's former bands -- and concentrate on straight rock that shadows real-life situations in an upbeat fashion.
A different approach
Ochtyun feels that it's this approach that will make Aura stand out among other Youngstown bands.
"Honestly, I feel like the scene in Youngstown is a lot weaker than it was," Ochtyun said. "I actually don't see much of a scene at all right now. To be a band in Youngstown, it's probably not a good time. But for us right now, it's kind of neat to be the big fish in the small pond."
Though Ochtyun may come across as cocky, it's more a comment on how bands in the area go about approaching their craft, which he believes is short-sighted and self-defeating.
"I think it's because people don't really promote it well," Ochtyun said. "That's one thing we've always done from the beginning. If you had a solid enough band that you think people would be interested in listening to it, you have to promote it. Otherwise, people aren't going to hear it. I think that's one of the biggest problems with a lot of the bands from the area that are actually pretty good. They just don't do anything, nobody shows up to the shows and they break up."
With hopes of attracting a bigger local audience before tackling the regional concert game, Aura hopes its music will inspire audiences at its upcoming Stambaugh Auditorium show.
"We're not really a big metal band," Ochtyun said. "We're not a band built on image. We're not going to dress up like clowns. We're just a rock band doing our thing, and hopefully, people like it."