MySpace a place for friends

Buffalo, NY — as far upstate as you can go to the cold barren tundra. Best city in the world, some would call it, all crushed between a waterfall and a large upstate forest where the legal age to drink might have been your 18th birthday. As I recall, the last time I visited, my airplane landed on one wheel in a drift of snow, or was it 3 feet of snow... Like any city, most natives care more about mainstay team The Bills than say hometown’s Goo Goo Dolls or Every Time I Die. Buffalo is without question, a very difficult scene to break out of...this is probably due to the fact that there isn’t much of a scene at all. To an up-and-coming band’s advantage — when the competition is non-existent, and you’re as serious as the band I’m going to tell you about, things heat up rather fast.

Meet young Chris Flury, Alex Niceforo, Sean Kalaras, Kyle Adams, and star front man Donny Evans — Buffalo’s own, and collectively known as SETTINGS. Call it a delicate balance between electronic induced alternative and power pop, no matter how you slice it, SETTINGS is doing “their own thing.” See the band live, I’d follow that line by “I dare you” -- in a scene inundated with laptop powered garage rock, it’s refreshing to know that some people are still focused on being a ROCK band. Drawing any comparison would be a reach; however, the band’s influences range from The Receiving End of Sirens to Thrice to 30 Seconds to Mars to Linkin Park to Orgy to Breaking Benjamin. Enough influence to be deemed the best identity crisis this side o’ lake Erie. My apologies, did I forget to mention the Transiberian Orchestra? Now that your interest is officially peaked — let’s talk about this band’s upbringing. This band is REAL, you’re not going to find a man behind the curtain here, they write, engineer, and produce all of their own music. In addition, these guys pack what is quite possibly the most intricate light show I’ve seen to date. Epileptics bring your shades — this is the real deal. You’ve got to see it to believe it. To simply explain why I love this band — they’d rather spend their time importing 300 watt industrial amps from Germany and seeking out the latest in laser lighting technology than sitting at the computer adding myspace friends, I mean that. That’s not Buffalo work ethic but VISION for the band to exist in the real world. By the way -- In hoping that I did not put the proverbial “spin” on this band’s great story, these guys are truly Buffalo enthusiasts.

SETTINGS has released 2 all digital EPs to date exclusively via Itunes — which by the way, have collectively sold over 30,000 singles. Summer of 2008 the band peformed on the Van’s Warped tour, winning an online contest by taking first place out of 15,000 unsigned bands. Immediately following, they made a video for 2008 internet hit “Creatures,” dark yet refined, very representative of the band. The video had major success at MTVu and received well over 100,000 internet spins .. viral web sites. In fall of 2008, the band was getting so much attention as an unsigned band that MTV’s TRL brought the band on to play live at their 1515 studios. With Donny’s first note immediately following a Jonas Brother’s premier video, there was no question that this would be a great look for the band. The attention only continued as they were asked to tape for MTV2’s Spankin new music week, which aired all throughout the month of December. In this particular appearance, the band performed their set as well as a masterfully crafted cover of Linkin Park’s hit single “Numb.” With an Alternative Press feature, Hot Topic merchandise adds, being asked to appear on a northeast Taste of Chaos date, all to add to the hype, needless to say, things really started to pick up. Jumping to December, end of last year — the band performed at Kevin Lyman and Ernie Ball’s end of year holiday party. Out of the 5 bands that performed they were unanimously voted to play on the Warped tour in 2009. What a way to close off 2008... As I watched the band’s most recent hometown show at the Town Ballroom, it became more than obvious that SETTINGS has something going on. SOLD OUT read the box office window... and this is only the beginning. With the Warped tour this summer and a brand new release on the horizon, it is clear where the band is headed. Could you believe this is just the beginning?

bio written by Lucas Keller

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