"It probably would be difficult if we cared enough about school," said Nick Mendola, a sophomore English major and Spectrum reporter. "It's obviously a lot more fun, but it's like having a second job."
The "second job" Mendola is referring to is his role as the lead singer of Clearmotive, a local band composed entirely of UB students. Mendola, Joe Hooley, Peter Jay, Nick Tardif and Bob Kiekbusch gathered last Saturday night at the Mohawk Place to create a sound more appealing than certain UB pop-rock and punk bands.
Clearmotive had a CD release party at the Mohawk Place for their first EP, "Words as Weapons." While the new album is arguably not the best Clearmotive work, it piques enough listener interest to show the potential the band has, especially in concert.
The recording quality on "Words as Weapons" does not do justice for a single member in the band. In their live show, the guitars are clear, the bass kicks are heavy and the vocal tones are far better.
But to prove this point, Mendola, who is also a staff reporter for The Spectrum, revealed how playing shows has allowed the group to progress further in its geographical scope. Many local bands dream of having a successful touring schedule. Clearmotive have already mapped the east coast.
"We've been to Boston, New Hampshire ... We already have shows (for this summer) in St. Augustine, Fla., North Carolina and D.C.," said Mendola.
For the singer, who seeks higher aspirations than playing the Queen City, landing a cross-country touring schedule is the only way out.
"We can't really do anything without (the touring) because Buffalo can be so dead," Mendola said. "If you play Buffalo a few times, it's for the same people."
But by "dead," Mendola must be referring to the lack of new faces. In a nod to Clearmotive's established fan base, The Mohawk Place audience was especially accommodating Saturday night.
However, as Mendola indicated, this kind of motivation has negative qualities for a lot of indie rockers. Familiar faces at every show can translate into a lack of a growing fan base. In the end, the final revelation is low record sales. Being careful not to step on any toes, Mendola said, "Everyone else is trying, I just think we're going to try a little harder than everyone else. There are a ton of bands in Buffalo, but they just have to put their minds to it, as cheesy as that sounds."
When asked about his motivation tactics, the singer said, "(I) look at pictures of rock stars and whatnot."
But regardless of popularity, Clearmotive's music itself is intriguing. There is a steady undercurrent of hardcore influence, but the sound becomes altogether emo when Mendola croons such lyrics as, "I've been wallowing in this open wound for way too long."
It sounds like Thursday and Saves the Day have had a hand in their creation.
In concert last Saturday, Clearmotive found themselves in the most intimate of atmospheres, shown by how Mendola and the rest of the band waved and smiled to familiar fans. Treading a delicate line between a melancholy and an aggressive demeanor is the root of all that is emo and Clearmotive executed this nicely.
The band is ready to start recording a new record in a few weeks, although it is undetermined if tracks featured on "Words as Weapons" will appear on the new offering. To their credit, the tracks Mendola identified as "new" were the finest songs the band played in their set. But Mendola is clearly not content to limit what the band has to offer on their upcoming projects.
"People have always told us that, 'as soon as you're ready to release something, you'll be ready to do something else,'" he said. "For the first time, we really understand what that feels like."
This will be tested when the band takes off on tour this spring. According to the singer, "It's a pretty good reason to take a few weeks off and see the country." But this all fits into the objectives of one of the finest bands UB may lay claim.
"We want to be a rock band forever," said Mendola.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
