Detroit band, Chiodos Bros., will play in Logan
Michigan has always had a rich musical history from Motown in the 1960s to the current trends of garage rock and rap.
The Chiodos Bros. are becoming part of that legendary music scene and making it their own.
“As hard as we are or the way we play, it’s hard to be accepted in the Michigan scene,” said Craig Owens, the lead singer for the Chiodos Bros. “But fortunately we have a lot of amazing fans that come out and support us as much as they can.”
With such musical influences as Saves the Day, Queen, At the Drive-In and classical influences like Mozart and Bach, the self-described hardcore boy band has been compared to the indie post-hardcore Blood Brothers.
But to members of the Chiodos Bros., this is an unwelcome comparison.
“None of us in the band are fans, so we don’t really enjoy it and aren’t really that flattered by the comparison although they are very talented,” said Owens. “We’re just not big fans ourselves.”
If the Chiodos Bros. name sounds familiar, that’s because the boys have toured through Logan before.
“The kids are always so cool,” Owens said about Logan. “Everyone is so nice and it’s just like a bunch of friends are out [in Logan] because everyone has such good attitudes and I love that.”
“I love thinking of our fans as friends. I just love the good atmosphere where nobody will feel like they’re out of place and everybody can just have a good time and I feel that way in Logan.”
After the shake-ups the band has undergone in the past year – both the drummer and guitarist had to be replaced – they remain on tour.
But Owens assures that the two new members are cuter and they can’t wait to tour.
In addition to replacing essential band members, the six-member group had to wait for Owens to recover from a crippling illness.
In March of 2004, Owens suffered a debilitating bout of pneumonia, which forced the band to cancel most of its early summer tour.
“When my right lung collapsed, I was really worried because the doctors told me that I might not be able to sing ever again,” said Owens. “But thankfully after a lot of hard work and relearning how to walk again and doing all that stuff, I just feel blessed being able to do it again.”
This is good news for Owens, a man who has wanted to be a musician ever since he sang for his grandma as a youth.
“She just told me how talented I was and just the expression on her face really made me want to continue making her happy and continue to do it,” Owens said.
Through his music, Owens is continuing that tradition, whether it’s in a live performance or on their current CD, “The Heartless Control Everything.”
If it were up to Owens, however, he would much rather give a live performance.
“I really like live performances. I don’t feel the pressure when I’m live. It’s more fun. I can smile the whole time,” said Owens. “I’m not so stressed out and it’s just fun looking next to you and being able to see your best friend playing music with you. You can’t really see that when you record, you’re in a room by yourself.”
Their current album was released in 2003 and another one may be in the works.
“We’ll be announcing some really big news shortly dealing with out label situation, so we actually have tons and tons of plans, we’re just gonna keep on rocking and never stop,” Owens said.
The Chiodos Bros. will play Thursday at the Main Street Theatre (141 Main) in Smithfield for $4. Doors open at 7 p.m. with music starting at 7:15 p.m. The band will be playing with 16th East, Halfwayhome and Portugal, the Man, which is made up of former Anatomy of a Ghost members.
Owens said he would like people to attend because the show is a good place to escape the hardships of everyday life and all the stuff that makes people feel uncomfortable.
-meagkrock@cc.usu.edu