Red Jumpsuit Apparatus invades Kearney |
| Posted by Administrator on Apr 22 2009 at 12:37 PM |
Photo by Garret Ritonya
Ronnie Winter, lead singer of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, performs at the Health and Sports Center. RJA reached No. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts with their single "Face Down."
By Garrett Ritonya
Antelope Staff
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus invaded the Health and Sports Center on April 18. Touring following two successful albums, bringing to the stage a blend of rock which they have made their own. With over 500,000 copies sold of their major label record debut, "Don't You Fake It," the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has established themselves as one of the premiere rock bands in the country. Their lead single off that album, "Face Down," catapulted the band to super stardom levels, reaching No. 24 on the Billboard 100 and No. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts.
The band just recently released their second album, "Lonely Road," which debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 music album chart.
"Personally, I love being in the studio, especially when you're there with people who are there to create awesome stuff together. It's the feeling of creating something that's yours and that has never been done before," said Ronnie Winter, lead singer of RJA. "But you can't compete with the live energy of a show, when people are together and they're pumped."
The band is comprised of members from around the western area of Jacksonville, Fla., uncommon for most bands today. The tight connection between the performers, who live within miles of one another, plays into the band's success.
"It's cool because when we go home, we're all literally right there next to one another and we can continue what we love to do," said bassist Joey Westwood. "We love to meet bands like that because it is really uncommon to see that in music today."
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is kicking off their Lonely Road Tour, traveling across the country to showcase their music. They have recently made stops in Lincoln, and also in Wayne. But traveling across the country isn't the real perk in touring. That would be when the band gets to play overseas and experience culture outside of the norm.
"We have played in the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Singapore, UK, Germany, France, Holland and Belgium," Winters said. "What I enjoy about it is the culture shock, meeting people that were born in a different place and seeing how they react to your music."
During the show on Saturday, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus proved why they are one of the top up-and-coming rock acts in all of music today. With a combination of high-energy music, crowd interaction and powerful lyrics, RJA is able to win over fans at every stop they make.
Success hasn't come easy for the band; however, they are quick to offer advice to any musician aspiring to make it big in the industry or just make it in a band.
"The most important thing is just to play your instrument and nothing else," Westwood said. "Everything will fall into place, but music is the bottom line."
"You have to know your instrument and be good at what you do. If you work at it long enough, you will find other people who are good at what they do and you'll be in a band," Winters said.
Drummer Jon Wilkes offered up his own sage advice: "If you want to make touring a part of your life, make sure that is what you want to do and don't take no for an answer."
After forming in 2001 and releasing their first EP in 2004, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has achieved what every band dreams of - to make a lasting impression on their fans. It's not about the money for these guys. They say it's about making music and enjoying what they do.
For more information about the band, to learn more about the members or to hear some of their music, visit www.redjumpsuit.com.
