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Rustbelt City to make its Youngstown debut
By JOHN BENSON
When Dan Spencer left Ohio in late 2008 to study audio engineering at the Art Institute of Washington, D.C., the 2002 Austintown Fitch High School graduate admits he had an ulterior motive.
“I played in a few groups around Youngstown in the past,” said Spencer, an Austintown native who now calls Alexandria, Va., home. “Right around 2002, I was in the pop-rock band the Redlights, and I also played in a pretty popular cover band called Groove Clinic. So, yeah, when I left for school, finding another band was actually in the back of my mind. Think about it, if you go to an audio-recording program, you’re going to meet musicians. And that’s how I connected with my band mates to form Rustbelt City. It was pretty magical. It just seems like everything is working. There’s no negative feedback. It’s been pretty amazing. It’s definitely a dream come true.”
Formed exactly a year ago, Rustbelt City has been on quite a tear, playing nearly two dozen shows since the spring, including mini-tours to Akron, Baltimore and even New York City. In fact, just recently the pop act played at Washington’s famous 9:30 Club.
“We’re probably doing a lot more than we probably should be at the level we’re at,” Spencer said. “We didn’t start playing out until April, and this summer was just full of shows. And it wasn’t those shows where you play and don’t make much money. We were making pretty good money. So things are blowing up.”
The act is supporting its recently released debut effort, “These Empty Streets,” which contains songs such as the upbeat “Digital Love” and the ballad “Kevin’s Song.”
“Basically, we’re a pop-rock band,” Spencer said. “We’ve been compared to the current sound of Bon Jovi, The Goo Goo Dolls, Gin Blossoms and 3 Doors Down. We have like a ’90s alternative sound in there. There’s a lot of acoustic guitar in it, too. It’s really pop melodies behind guitar- driven music.”
Spencer said though Rustbelt City will be making its Youngstown debut Friday at Barley’s, already his family and friends know the music. More so, he’s confident his band’s sound will speak to newcomers and lead to more hometown shows in the future.
“People need to come out and hear what we’re all about, a mix of today’s pop music mixed with the ’90s,” Spencer said. “We’re a fun band to watch live. We have songs that will connect with them. I know a big thing in Youngstown is the indie-rock scene. Our show isn’t going to be like that. It’s not going to be ambient; it’s going to be catchy.”