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Jovian Sound Escape breaks metal chains
By John Benson
ALLIANCE
Today’s local music scene offers plenty of retro acts channeling the legends of grunge and metal, but you don’t find too many local bands garnering comparisons to Eric Clapton.
Then there’s Alliance-based rock act Jovian Sound Escape — Richie Kindler (guitar, vocals), Kyle Crison (bass), Andy Waitley (keys) and Nate Oliver (drums) — which plays Friday and Saturday at Jupiter Studios.
“I’ve been told that quite a bit,” said Kindler, a 2000 West Branch High School graduate. “I’d put [the band’s sound] in the same genre as alternative rock — Nirvana and Pearl Jam — but with Eric Clapton guitar work. Our first CD — ‘In Moving Mantra’ — came out in January 2012. It has probably a little more of a raw, kind of Cream sound with a little more raw edge to it.”
Jovian Sound Escape’s dynamic has evolved of late with the addition of Waitley on keyboards, opening up new sonic ground for the quartet. Kindler said the band’s recently released sophomore effort, “Apocrophilios” includes fan favorites such as the epic ballad “We Paintings Undried [Blood Masterpiece]” and the title track.
“People tell me the guitar is great and they like the meaning of the lyrics,” Kindler said. “They feel really good when they’re hanging out.”
Hanging out is what local audiences tend to do at Jupiter Studios, which Kindler owns and operates. The venue acts as an art gallery, live music venue, music school and full-service pizzeria. You have to credit Kindler and the group: there aren’t too many folks who are attempting such a grandiose grass-roots effort to create a music scene.
“I’d say the music scene in Ohio is mediocre in general,” Kindler said. “It just seems like there are not a ton of venues looking for original music. I don’t feel like Ohio has a very nurturing atmosphere for creative artists. If you want to play tribute-band music, then it’s probably fine.”
It’s this sense of ambivalence and apathy that drives Kindler to spark Northeast Ohio’s creativity and hopefully build something for the future.
“We’re trying to build a scene locally,” Kindler said. “I’ve actually been nurturing a local rock scene for about five years here. And we get all kinds of groups through from the area. We’re one of the few actual locations where original music thrives. People are still just finding out about the venue, that it exists. We’re on a shoestring budget and pushing word of mouth and guerilla marketing techniques.”
The latter is evident with the upcoming Jovian Sound Escape shows, where he said the cover is $5 or a smile.
As for whether he’ll be successful in creating a music scene, Kindler said, “I hope so. It’s been a lot of work and time and energy.”