Open Air Stereo Releases Second Single, “Damned,” from Primates Debut Album
Austin Shows Confirmed During SXSW ~ Co-Headlining Tour with miggs Starts March 25 in Jacksonville, FL
2014 is already proving to be a busy year for Open Air Stereo. Not only have they just released the second single, “Damned,” from their Primates debut album, which was added to SiriusXM’s “The Pulse” channel right away, but they’re getting ready for a batch of shows in Austin, TX during SXSW and they’ll be launching a co-headlining tour with miggs and Man On Earth in March.
While a lyric video for “Damned” can currently be seen on the band’s YouTube page, they recently completed an official music video for the song with Devin DeHaven (Slash, R. Kelly, Rita Ora) at the director’s helm, which will be released soon. Until then, though, you can also enjoy their “Stuck On You” video (directed by Anthony Leondari, who did Imagine Dragons’ “It’s Time” clip).
Meanwhile, the Southern California band ~ Chase Johnson (lead vocals), Nick Gross (drums), Scott Pounds (guitars), Evan Smith (bass) ~ is getting ready for the co-headlining tour with miggs and Man On Earth starting March 25 in Jacksonville, FL at Jack Rabbits and concluding May 4 in Scottsdale, AZ at the Rogue Bar. Before the trek kicks off, Open Air Stereo will perform a handful of shows in Austin, TX during SXSW.
Primates has been racking up rave reviews since its release last May. Gibson.com described it as “…melodic rock that’s a bit edgy and free, with lots of guitar bite.” Examiner.com called it “…an energetic and hook-filled hard rock album…” Reviewfix.com hailed, “Open Air Stereo encapsulates Southern California pop and rock sound. Their debut album features ten tracks that give off that beachy, summery spirit that is enjoyable, refreshing and triggers the senses to aurally experience the laid-back, chill vibes of surf, sand and sun.”
Check out Open Air Stereo at any of the following stops, with more shows to be announced in the coming weeks:
DATE SPONSOR VENUE/TIME
DURING SXSW IN AUSTIN, TX:
Mon 3/10 Set.fm The Majestic/9pm
Tue 3/11 Jivewire The Rooftop/7:15pm
Wed 3/12 Red Gorilla The Thirsty Nickel/11pm
Wed 3/12 Jivewire Touche/6pm
Thu 3/13 In2une Music Shakespears/9pm
Fri 3/14 Jivewire Darwin’s Pub/2:30pm
Fri 3/14 Red Gorilla Handle Bar/10pm
Fri 3/14 KAMX Key Bar/TBA
With miggs and Man On Earth:
Tue 3/25 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
Thu 3/27 Orlando, FL The Social
Sat 3/29 Tampa, FL Orpheum
Tue 4/1 Washington, DC Jammin’ Java
Wed 4/2 Philadelphia, PA Grape Room
Thu 4/3 New York, NY The Bowery Electric
Fri 4/4 Westport, CT Toquet Hall
Sun 4/6 Boston, MA Church
Thu 4/10 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
Sat 4/12 Newport, KY Southgate House
Wed 4/16 Chicago, IL Elbo Room
Fri 4/18 Indianapolis, IN Rathskeller
Wed 4/23 Denver, CO Lost Lake Lounge
Thu 4/24 Salt Lake City, UT The Royal
Sat 4/26 Seattle, WA El Corazon
Sun 4/27 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
Tue 4/29 Oakland, CA The New Parish
Thu 5/1 Los Angeles, CA Molly Malone’s
Sat 5/3 San Diego, CA Lestat’s Coffee House
Sun 5/4 Scottsdale, AZ Rogue Bar
More About Open Air Stereo
Fans might remember Open Air Stereo from MTV’s series “Laguna Beach.” Front man Chad Johnson became a main character in the series, which prominently featured the band. The series concluded with the band’s sold-out performance at The Roxy in Los Angeles. Pounds joined the band around that time, and the band marvels to this day over being able to find such a talented guitarist through a Craigslist ad.
At the time they were being featured on the TV show, Open Air Stereo signed to Sony Epic Records, and were diligently working on recording their debut album. Over a year and a half of writing and recording eventually hit a creative blockade, and the sessions stalled. The band split for about three years, unsure of the future and uncertain that the music they had worked so hard to create would ever see the light of day.
Fortunately, their music was indeed destined to be heard by fans old and new. They reconvened in 2011 and got back to work on Primates. With a mix of songs ~ some written by the band and some co-written with collaborators ~ Primates is an exercise in the tight, economical execution of rock and roll. It was produced by an array of producers including Gavin Brown, Mike Plotnikoff, and Peter Stengaard, and a significant amount of the writing on the album was accomplished with Marti Fredrikson (Daughtry, Aerosmith, Def Leppard). With Primates, the band has filtered their various influences through their own personal experiences to present a fully realized and confident debut album.
The album’s title was inspired by mankind’s own evolutionary cousins, giving the band a moment to reflect on their own personal evolution through time, perfecting their craft and going through the growing pains to emerge on the other side as a stronger, leaner, fitter band.