August 2007 Cover Story

 

     Echoburn…Keeping the Pace

                               by Rachel “Rocks”

 

   When I came on the scene back in October of 2006, my first show was Echoburn, headlining at the Grand Opening of Tubby’s. When I saw these guys I was blown away, I automatically assumed they’d been playing together for years. They all seemed to click and jive so well together. I now know this is only their 2nd Summer! Wow! How did Echoburn get so far so fast?

   The biggest thing they kept repeating was keeping their eyes on their goals and the visions they had of what they wanted, and still want to become. They didn’t let people sway them off track. Different people have suggested different things, but they knew what they wanted and so far they’ve been figuring out how to get there.

   One of their biggest and earliest accomplishments was getting official representation from Media 5. They’ve been great at getting them into big rooms in a short amount of time, but of course Echoburn has been making sure they get invited back with their outstanding performances. They’ve also become an official LLC (Limitied Liability Corporation). Greg said it’s a lot of hard work, paper work, and of course money, but if you are going to do something like this full time, it’s worth it.

   I personally feel their biggest asset is they are always ready to play. I’ve personally seen them five times and every time has been a totally different atmosphere and situation. I’ve seen them at Tubby’s Grand Opening, the Hardware Bar, Old Mt. Stone Inn, the Brewhouse Grille, and now at The Saloon in State College. Each time has been a fantastic show. They play to their full potential no matter how they are feeling or how big the crowd is. When Media 5 calls and says “they want you back this day, this day, and this day.” They say “put us in.”

   Of course this also means lots and lots of driving. If you check out their pics on their site you see them crammed in an old, van with their equipment stacked up to the roof! When they got out they’d still be shaking to the good ol’ vibrations. Now they are driving in style with a new van and trailer with all the comforts of home. They are stationed in Harrisburg, which is a big help because they are pretty much 1 1/2 hours from everywhere. Well, not quite everywhere. In May, they actually played 21 gigs, in 5 different states, one being California! They of course had no life, but it was worth it. (Don’t forget your sleeping bags ) In total they’ve actually played in 11 different states ranging from Vermont all the way down to Key West. Get ready Georgia, they are coming to you in November. These guys are definitely doing their thing, having the time of their lives.

   Speaking of lives… Joey Dalto has been around music all his life. His Dad is a musician and he has a makeshift studio in the basement so Joey would hang out and listen to his Dad and his friends jam. Finally around middle school, he decided to pick up the guitar. He remembers seeing Fuel’s name on the marquee outside of Wanda’s, and he dreamed about how cool that would be. Fuel became a huge influence. He would listen to their CD from beginning to end repeatedly. Joey only started singing after some friends heard him singing to Fuel in the car. They convinced him to try out for the Fuel Front-man Audition after Brent left. He unfortunately didn’t make the final cut. (He did get flown out to LA and dwindled down to 30.) The thrill of the audition made him decide to join a band. Now he’s the Front-man for Echoburn, playing guitar, keeping all the ladies happy.

   Echoburn originally got started as a four piece, but Joey is the only original member. The other guys used up all their vacation and sick time from work by July in their first year, and they just weren’t willing to take that risk and quit their day jobs. They hung on and stuck around till Joey could find all the perfect guys to make Echoburn what it is today.

    Chris Anderson has been playing drums since he got his first Mickey Mouse drum set when he was 3. Seriously… he finally got his real kit when he was 13, but didn’t truly start playing regularly till he was asked to play for Echoburn a little over a year ago. Joey knew Chris since they were pretty young, and he knew Chris liked drums, so he decided to try him out. Now he can’t get rid of him, Chris is a very dedicated drummer, playing his heart out at every show. I don’t think his hand ever stops tapping on his cymbals. He is definitely a ball of energy.

   Greg Folsom was technically the #2 guy on the auditions for the band, but when the first guy fell through, Greg was relieved to get the call from Joey. He was currently playing in a band in State College, but was ready to break out and see more of the world. Greg does a great job at harmonizing with Joey, and stepping up to take the lead when it’s necessary. Greg keeps the band focused and achieving all the goals they want to achieve.

   Doug has the most interesting story of them all. He was a Physics College professor out in California, but Greg, Doug’s brother, needed help with his band, so he jumped coasts, quit his job, and joined Echoburn full time. It was one of those decisions that he didn’t want to wonder “what if” for the rest of his life, so here he is. He was originally invited in to play guitar, but Greg decided it was too hard to teach him all the guitar parts (hmmm), so he stuck him on bass instead. They each played both instruments growing up, so they knew they could swap between the two. Greg was usually the bass player, so he likes the change. Doug is just happy to be part of a band, taking a leap of faith into a life he thought he could only dream of.

   Their lives have taken them to so many awesome places. I asked where their favorite place to play was and they couldn’t really single out any “one” place. Each venue has their own special characteristics and fans, but they do like playing the bigger venues like Parris in Boston, MA, and up in Killington, VT. One of their goals was playing The Paddock in Ocean City, MD. Media 5 didn’t directly work with them, but their friends, Mr. Greengenes, put in a great word for them, and got them their first gig. Now they are regulars there. Sometimes it just all depends on who you know. I asked what it’s like driving to a town where you don’t know anybody and getting out to play; They said it’s sort of nice because you just have to play your “A-list” show in an “A-list” room. You don’t have the pressure of bringing so many people through the door. It’s more relaxing just focusing on your show and playing your heart out.

   But how did they get so good? Echoburn has been checking out the scene, studying other bands, getting great ideas and incorporating them into their show to make it different and unique, but most importantly successful. They know they still have a lot of work to do, but so far they feel like they are doing everything right. They also all take vocal lessons, from the legendary, Steve Whiteman. That’s a great example of how much they are trying to make their show as good as they possibly can. It definitely hasn’t all been easy, but they are staying focused and pushing toward their goals.

   I asked them where they see themselves in the future. They’d of course love to at least record an EP of their original stuff but right now they are focused on finding fans, and keeping up with their fast pace they’ve set for themselves. Ideally they’d love to one day start sneaking originals into their sets and then ultimately flip flop it to sneaking in a cover to their originals, but that will be a while down the road. But at the pace Echoburn is flying at, it might not actually be too far into the future.