Relic relishes being in limelight

“Music is a big passion of ours, and we would love to play for the rest of our lives as a career.”

Dave Billock

Relic vocalist and guitarist

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

vindicator entertainment writer

Relic isn’t trying to get on the same stage with national acts — it’s happening quite naturally.

The Youngstown-based rock band will be one of the openers for Saturday’s Papa Roach concert. They got the slot because their music meshes well with the rock-radio giants.

It will be the second time they’ve gotten the honor: Relic was on the bill the last time Roach came to town, back in May 2007.

Dave Billock, vocalist and guitarist, said Relic isn’t setting out to play what’s popular — it’s just playing the music it loves.

“Music is a big passion of ours, and we would love to play for the rest of our lives as a career,” he said. “And this is the type of music we love. This is what you get when you bring all of our favorites together.”

The five members of Relic — Billock, Roger Lewis (drums), Lukas Balogh (keyboards), Travis Hatmaker (bass) and Jason Miller (guitar) write songs in collaboration with each other. “It’s a group effort,” said Billock.

The band, which has been together for three years, will mark a homecoming of sorts with a Dec. 26 show at The Cellar in Struthers. “We haven’t had a real-big local show in a while,” said Billock, explaining the band has been spending its weekends on the road, doing shows in Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh and other cities.

But Saturday’s gig — the band expects to play about 40 minutes — will, of course, be all about warming up a crowd that’s there exclusively for Papa Roach.

It also will be a rare opportunity to gain exposure.

“A high-profile show is double-edged,” said Billock. “You get exposed to people who don’t listen to up-and-coming bands, and you get a chance to impress the people in suits and ties,” a reference to industry insiders.

More melody than metal, Relic is often compared to the alt-leaning Breaking Benjamin.

On stage, the act appeals to both the sit-at-the-bar-and-listen types and those who want to get up and move. “We leave our hearts on the stage, like an athlete,” said Billock.

Relic already has released an EP and is currently chipping away at a full-length album. “We have enough material to do one or two solid albums, but it’s so expensive [to record],” said Billock.