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Monticello Road leads a double life. Onstage, the band captures the fun-seeking, frat-boy irreverence needed to appeal to high school and college-aged concertgoers. Their busines strategy, however, tells a different story: The Band has its own manager, is testing out a booking agency and has even formed into a limited liability corporation.


Professional keg-tapping music? Perhaps. But "The Road" is serious about shaping itself into on of the region's major successes. In addition to its rigourous touring through the Mid-Atlantic college circuit, the band, now in its sixth year, has continued to polish and reinvent its sound, exploring diverse genres like country, gospel, and rap from within a base of catch pop-rock tunes.


And if the Simon Cowell's of the critic world have sometimes scoffed at the band's mainstream bent, Monticello Road is crying all the way to the top. Local radio and media favorably received their 2003 EP, "This Scripted Show." In 2004, C-VILLE voters named them Charlottesville's best local rock band.


"The guys in the band realize that they don't have to be the cutting edge to enjoy what they're doing," says bassist Teswar Wood, who joined the group in February following the departure of longtime member Jason Marshall. "Our goal a lot of times is to be good at what we do."


Wood, previously a member of neo-soul trio The Digs, Says he hopes to add "a fresh perspective" to Monticello Road's long-term vision. "I do my best to throw out ideas of what I think would push the envelope a little bit more." Meanwhile, says manager Jane Murphy, the boys are keeping close to the studio to record their newest material and "are more committed than ever to keep going and to keep refining their craft 'til something big happens."


Monticello Road's current lineup features Wood on bass, vocalist and guitarist Kyle Rannigan, lead guitarist Vaden Cox, drummer Josh Manzano, and keyboard player Adam Silvers.."


Ben Sellers - The C-ville, May 10th, 2005

 
by Jason Wilson
Special to the Roanoke Times

Thursday November 18, 2004

 

The past 12 months have been very kind to Monticello Road. Since the release of its first full-length album - 2003's "This Scripted Show" - the Charlottesville five-piece has toured most of the East Coast, been voted best local rock band by readers of the C-VILLE weekly magazine and performed on the second stage at a Dave Matthews Band concert in Nashville, Tenn. Not to mention increasingly frequent airplay on radio stations from South Caroline to Washington, D.C.

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With their mix of traditional rock, country and southern boogie-woogie, they may be next in line of regional acts such as Bruce Hornsby, Dave Matthews, and Agents of Good Roots to break out of Virginia and into the big time.

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Q: Although you guys are a southern rock band, to call one would be selling you short. How do you explain your sound?

A: Kyle Rannigan (vocals, guitar): It's a mix of everything, really. I guess you could say we're part of the "Piedmont Sound"

Q: Musically, who influenced you?

A: Josh Manzano (drums): Jon Fishman of Phish is a big one for me

    Jason Marshall (bass): Dave Matthews and Ryan Adams

    Vaden Cox (guitar, vocals): James Taylor and my mom Brenda. She has a big influence over me.

'   As far as guitar? Eric Clapton and Duane Allman.

    Adam Silvers (keyboards, vocals): Ryan Adams and nothing else... except for voices in my head.

    Kyle: Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Ryan Adams. Discovering him has had a        

    tremendous effect on my songwriting.

Q: Now that you're back in Charlottesville and the tour is pretty much over, do you have any good war stories?

A: Kyle: Man, we got pulled over, like five times.

    Adam: One, our manager - who was sober - was driving and they stopped us.

    Vaden: And we practically has a whole ABC store in the van. He walks up and asks 'Has anyone  

    been drinking?' and Kyle yells out from the back...

    Kyle: 'Man, we all have!' It was so bad. We got away though.

    Jason: That's the only one we can tell you.

 

Starr Hill Music Hall - Friday, Nov. 5th

C-Ville Weekly Reviews by Andrew Leahey

 

Being the frontman of a band is a double-edged sword, an opportunity for rock stars to bask in the limelight or be the focal point of a jeering audience. It's a hard job, and its execution can make or break a band. Case in point: Monticello Road's headlining performance recently at Starr Hill.

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DC Natives Army of Me opened the Friday night show, taking the stage at 9:30 to scattered cheers.  A loose crowd of eager UVA students pushed to the front of the hall in anticipation, but the bulk of the older audience hung back , sipping Mojo Lager and waiting for Monticello Road to come on. Forget Southern hospitality - these out-of-towners were going to work for their applause.

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Luckily, singer Vince Scheurman's confident eccentricity cut through the indifference like a bayonet, and Army of Me's performance steadily drew packs of head-bopping Monticello Road fans to the foot of the stage. The music could easily be billed as indie rock, but its similarities to Radiohead, Coldplay, and The Pixies spiked songs like "Breath" and "Fake Ugly" with radio potential. Scheurman's vibrato-swaggering vocals brimmed with confidence, and Brad Tursi's harmonies and guitar work were dynamic, well timed and to the point. Live, the band walked the line between rock 'n' roll rawness and planned theatricality, particularly Scheurman, whose shaggy blonde curls spilled onto the collar of his WWI-style army jacket as he threw back his head to hold sustained notes. Occasionally, he'd take a break from the guitar and gesture his lyrics to the audience in large, sweeping motions. Despite such hints at theatrics, Army of Me came across as completely honest, a band determined to win an unfamiliar crowd on its own eccentric terms.

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Monticello Road's performance, on the other hand, seemed a little forced. Maybe the band's exaggerated stage antics were a result of the video cameras taping the show for a possible DVD release, or perhaps The Road has grown too comfortable with hometown gigs. These guys are still solid musicians, particularly during their piano-led forays into honky-tonk roots rock, but they speed through rock cliches without a hint of irony. In particular, frontman Kyle Rannigan seems determined to mix together the problematic stereotypes of soulful, passionate crooner and weary, indifferent rocker. He chewed gum for the duration of the set, seemingly feigning indifference when he wasn't at the mic, and sang with overexerted passion in a countrified voice that didn't suit him. And while the audience of Charlottesville's most beautiful 20somethings didn't seem to mind, Monticello Road's fratboy appeal won't keep them afloat in many venues beyond their hometown. Leave the egos in the dressing room and stick to your rip-roaring alt country numbers, boys. Army of Me might not play your genre of music, but a lot of bands could learn a lesson from their musical sincerity. - Andrew Leahey

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A letter to the editor response to this music review was posted the following week in C-ville Weekly's Mailbag. The featured article is as follows:

 

Road Warrior

Letter to the Editor by Dave Semus

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This letter is in reference to Andrew Leahey's review of the November 5th Monticello Road / Army of Me show at Starr Hill, printed in the November 16 C-VILLE.

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I could not possibly disagree with this article more. First off, did your local fashion editor review this show or was it an actual music critic? What do shaggy blonde curls have to do with a review? I read merely a sentence or tow about the music at hand.

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Secondly, it's a shame to see you bash the same band that your readers named the Best Rock Band [Best of C-VILLE, August 3]. You made a comment that Monticello Road would not play many gigs outside of Charlottesville. What an incredible error. They have the most impressive tour history of central Virginia bands in the past three years except for the Dave Matthews Band!

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At the Starr Hill show, I saw 15 to 20 listeners at best for Army of Me. Yes, they did have to work for their applause. The only crowd that gathered was for Monticello Road. I couldn't believe the number of people who sang along to the lyrics of their original material. I don't think Monticello Road has grown comfortable with their local crowd, I just think that their fans are in the palms of their hands. And for you as a reviewer, familiarity breeds contempt.

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Lastly, I'd like to comment on the "overdone performance". What does gum chewing say about a performance? Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters says he chews gum onstage because it helps his vocal cords. The only stunt I noticed was Monticello Road throwing out a salute to the pun "... bust a cap in your cracker @$%" in "Belmont Song", and that was great. I got to speak to Kyle Rannigan and the others briefly after the show. He was completely grounded and all smiles; he even gave me a free CD. I would say they are a completely approachable band as a whole. The only ego I saw was the alter ego of Army of Me's lead singer, Vince Scheuerman, who sang in a faux British accent and wore a hideous costume jacket for attention. I ask you now, who is more genuine?

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Your review was a jealous and vindictive attack on Monticello Road, their "beautiful 20something" fans, and a personal attack on singer Kyle Rannigan. You should be ashamed. Local music needs your support. If you are a music critic, stay in your league and talk about the music.

- Dave Semus

 
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