There s absolutely no reason for Chiodos to be on an indie label.
For starters, the post-hardcore band s current CD, Bone Palace Ballet, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart last September, right next to major-label discs from artists like Linkin Park and Fergie. Add to that tours with heavy-hitters My Chemical Romance and The Used, and appearances on the Vans Warped Tour and Taste Of Chaos.
But no matter who sticks an offer in their faces, the guys turn it down to stay with Albany, N,Y,-based, independent hardcore/punk label Equal Vision.
The mainstream music labels don t know what they re doing, said bass player Matt Goddard, 24, by phone from his Davison, Mich., home. They re in such a crazy spot right now that we re going to sit it out. If we come to a point where we feel like we need to make that move, then we ll do it, but Equal Vision has great people working for them. They re all super-cool and they know what they re doing.
By that, Goddard means Equal Vision knows how to market the Chiodos brand. Call it music tailor-made for the 25-and-under crowd. These are songs with high-energy punk sheen, catchy hooks, and high-pitched crooning. They re tracks made for a generation of kids growing up with iTunes instead of CDs, text messaging instead of letter writing, and a heavy case of Facebook addiction.
That s not to say Chiodos, who will play Toledo tomorrow night, is just another teeny-bopper rock band. Quite the opposite. With a unique mix of emo, punk, post-hardcore, and progressive metal, Chiodos defies characterization.
When we first started, we always had a goal to do something where we made a musical buffet of all our favorite bands, Goddard said. We wanted to make an eclectic mix of completely different sounds.
Our influences over the years have switched between a million different bands, he added. You could ask me what I m listening to right now, and it would be totally different from what I was listening to last week. But when we first stared out, we were really into Saves the Day, Beloved, The Get Up Kids and Alkaline Trio.
The band members first got together in the Flint suburb of Davison, with vocalist Craig Owens, keyboard player Bradley Bell, guitarist Pat McManaman, guitarist Jason Hale, drummer Derrick Frost, and Goddard on bass. Breaking out of a small town was an uphill battle, but the guys developed a strong fan base through what else? social networking sites like MySpace and PureVolume.
Goddard still raves about the promotional blessings of the Internet.
We were pretty much discovered on PureVolume, he said. It s free marketing. Before the Internet, you had to have a major label backing you; you had to have the marketing and management to get that push. But nowadays, you can do it yourself. Sometimes you don t even need a label. The Internet is truly amazing. It still takes sacrifice. Like with any sort of dream, don t expect anything to come easily. But if you work hard enough, you can get your music out there and get yourself heard and get fans.
At the heart of Chiodos is the band s live show.
It s pretty much our therapy, going on stage and letting it out, said Goddard. And it s important to us that the crowd gets into it as much as we get into it. It s nice to have that release onstage.
Like many bands, Chiodos has its share of pain and drama. Last month, reports broke that Owens attempted suicide by overdosing on prescribed anti-anxiety medicine.
Owens survived. And he plans to continue touring. Next on tap: headlining with Motion City Soundtrack. His bandmates couldn t be happier, either.
Craig is doing fine, Goddard said. We just played a show together down in Rockford, Illinois. Everyone goes though rough times, but he definitely got the help he needed and he s doing well.
Chiodos, The Showdown, Dr. Manhattan, Forever and a Day, and Against the Fire will play at the Toledo Civic Theatre at the Erie Street Market in downtown tomorrow. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18 at the door and $15 in advance at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 419-474-1333, www.ticketmaster.com, and Culture Clash and Ramalama Records. The Toledo Civic Theatre is at 237 South Erie St. Information: 419-693-5300.
First Published August 27, 2008, 8:13 p.m.
