The Breezeway blows away music fans, industry insiders

The trio had a very successful week last March in France.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Every new band has a will and a way but often the line between success and failure comes down to both creativity and opportunity.
It was this idea that propelled The Breezeway to pack up its belongings and move to Nashville to find its fame. Over the past year, the band members -- Royal Henceroth (vocals, guitar), Jesse Henceroth (vocals, drums) and Jared Lawrence (bass, vocals) -- have been riding a wave of momentum, which has included the release of its latest effort, "Halcyon Surgery," and a European tour.
"An agent heard our music on Myspace, really liked it and we just kept talking to this guy," said Lisbon native Lawrence. Then last March, the band was booked for a week run at a Nice, France, club, which the bassist described as having a teen club vibe.
"Traveling [in Europe] was standard for an indie band, so it was hard but after being there, it was amazing," Lawrence said. "The people who came out to the shows were all about having a good time, and I didn't see one fight. Most of them didn't speak English but by the second show, they were trying to sing along."
Future looking good
The trio's European experience was so positive that the band is planning to go back this summer with hopes of expanding into other countries. In the meantime, the act just returned to the Music City from what Lawrence said was a successful South by Southwest Music Festival experience. While there, the band impressed another agent, who plans on sending the band on a stateside college tour in the near future.
So what is it about The Breezeway's sound that continues to impress music industry insiders?
"We play alternative rock music, a little bit of the old rock 'n' roll with the new stuff," Lawrence said. "We're trying to stay away from the new emo sound." Somewhere between the Beatles and Nirvana is where this band calls home. More so, its live experience is something unique with the band employing computer enhancement in its sets to create something different than most bands offer today.
Local music lovers will have plenty of chances to check out The Breezeway with the numerous homecoming shows it has scheduled over the next week. The trio plays Saturday at Cedars Lounge in Youngstown, April 6 at Timberlanes in Salem and April 7 at Mojo's in Austintown.
Lawrence explained the band is approaching its Northeast Ohio visit as if it were a tour, playing to as many audiences as possible.
"I'd like to think we do something for everybody, and we're doing something that I don't feel other bands are doing, which is playing straight rock 'n' roll," Lawrence said. "We're starting to see a snowball effect of success and if that continues, we're not sure where we'll go. We just hope everything keeps going."