Live, Not Dead Doomascus

The view of a band.

Lead Singer Chris Smith (left) and back-up vocalist Darby Antle (right) sing off each other during the song "What Everybody Wants".

Master playing his drum solo in the song named after his book containing the lists of Doomascus songs, "Masters Notebook".
A picture from Nathan's point of view as Sound Guy.
Chris yells at the end of "Dark Side". Can you really take him seriously in plaid shorts.

A show entitled "Bro-B-Q" is where I decided to take my pictures and be on stage with the band to see what they see instead of what the audience see.  Since Smith assured me that there is no other experience like performing live, he insisted I be on stage with them to take pictures. It really felt like being in a band, except I was more of a prop than a musician.  Credit for some of the photos goes to Nathan Zangmeister.  Props for the photos and your camera. 

Where the music comes from

Inside, around the heart was lead singer Chris Smith's response to my question of where his music and lyrics come from.  "We try not to take ourselves to seriously. I want people to relate to our music and stuffiness is not something most people like," said Smith.  Darby, the rhythm guitarist and lyricist also added that although the band likes to adhere to a lighter side of music, when it comes down to making music it is all business.  "I think the perfect portrayal of us is at a live show," said Smith. "We are having fun but you can tell from expressions that we mean what we are saying."  

Several songs such as: 

Dark Side

Ashes to Ashes

Whiskey Drunk

shows how Smith's lyrics are not always light hearted.  He said that he just scribbles in notebooks, on his hand, in napkins and just about anywhere else when he gets an idea. There is no place where an idea can't come to you according to Smith.  Although the whole band agrees that they excel live and feel in their "best form" as lead guitarist Graves put it, the band has done some "music videos" where things are somewhat more subdued.  When the band recorded 

Masters Notebook

Rings of Saturn

 

Smith said it was a different experience than live shows or a recording studio.  "It seemed like we were selling out in some way. I know that doing a music video doesn't mean you are sold out, but I didn't like it as much as other ways of playing music." 

Being apart of all three venues of recording with Doomascus, I saw how they interacted in the studio, live shows and in the music video studio, I could tell how they changed.  In the recording studio they had fun but it was mostly all business, and technical aspects.  At the music video the band seemed on edge, not in their normal form.  But at live shows they just let go and embrace their audience and their music.  Being in a band is hardly glorious 95% of the time, playing song riffs for hours and eating Wendy's fast food between takes, packing and unpacking tiny Japanese cars with big amps and bigger hearts.  However, Chris Smith said, "Music is enough to make me do all this.  It doesn't matter how big or small we are, being in a band is about making good music, period."

In the recording studio

Chris Smith shows what we all wanted to do after 8 hours in the studio.
Lead guitarist Justin Graves (left) and rhythm guitarist Darby Antle (right) practice an echo riff for their song "Ashes to Ashes". Graves said the green tea is product placement. 

Lead singer Chris Smith lays down the main vocals for their song "The Dark Side" while the drummer and rhythm guitarist provide back-up screaming. 

Doomascus recording "Whiskey Drunk", their 4th time through because the metronome in the headphones wasn't loud enough. 

   A picture of band motivation.

All pictures taken by Shane Holtzman or Nathan Zangmeister.

People by day, people in a band by night. Well, sometimes they play shows in the day.

Doomascus 1.0

Doomascus 2.0

Doomascus 3.0

What started as 3 grew to 4, went back to 3 and is currently 4.  Doomascus began as a 3 piece band based in Caldwell, Ohio, the birthplace of numerous historic musical groups (too many to mention according to the bands drummer, Corey "Master" Bates).  They were and are friends first band mates second as is evident on their http://www.myspace.com/doomascustheband.  

The anatomy of a band usually includes some brooding, some black clothing and a temperamental lead singer, none of which Doomascus has.  Lead singer Chris Smith has a permanent smile, more Ledger than Joker, and hits a few notes while using some falsetto to punch out his "homemade" lyrics, as he refers to them.   "Lyrics are really important to me, " said Chris. "I like to see them as the backbone of any group."  

Lead Guitarist Justin Graves does nothing but "shred" the guitar.  He said he has no desire to do any sort of vocalizing, just write and play good riffs.

Drummer and wild man of the group, Corey "Master" Bates has been banging on the drums since he was 8 and says he has no intention of quitting.  The rest of the band holds him in high esteem.  Smith said that "Master" is the best musician in the band. 

Doomascus has influences that are scattered across the musical map, ranging from country to pop to metal to, of course, punk.  Smith said, "If the whole band had to pick an influence I guess it would be pop punk bands like Blink 182 and Green Day."

However, the whole band says country music has had a huge influence on them, not only as musicians but as people.  Graves said that the first music he remembers listening to was country music and he intends on that being the last music he ever hears.  According to Smith, one of his favorite songs of all time is Keith Whitley's I'm No Stranger to the Rain.

Enough said. 

My experience with Doomascus is intended to enlighten those who are not in a band that would like to know what the life of a local musician is like or what it takes to be in a band.  However, this is also an exercise in recognizing musical talent not in the mainstream like the Ripple Effect blog does.  Finding hidden gems is something Doomascus is hoping for because they see themselves as a diamond in the rough and hope that a place like Ripple would promote them.

Pictures taken from Doomascus website.