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Elevator Action Gives Athens Another Try

by Kelly Brooks
03/07/2006



Last time Elevator Action played Athens, they got shafted. But the Charlotte, North Carolina guitar, bass and drum trio plays a double header this week, which makes for double the potential instrument destruction.

According to vocalist/guitarist Eric Gilstrap, EA picked up a last minute gig late February at Tasty World, where they played amongst jam bands to a small crowd. They didn't really fit in with the other bands on the bill and found themselves in front of a crowd who didn't really appreciate their music.

Lucky for us, Eric and his bandmates haven't written the town off after one lackluster experience. "I love Athens. You can't always expect a great turnout, especially because that date was a fill-in," Gilstrap said.

Typically, EA knows how to rock a willing audience. "We get pretty crazy… there's been some jumping through drumsets and smashing guitars," Gilstrap said. "It's an expensive habit."

EA has been together since 2002 and will release their second album, Society, Secret, on June 6, 2006. Don't let the unintentionally ominous release date fool you. Gilstrap says their sophomore effort represents a more evolved sound for the band. "Our first album was more unabashed rock, more reactionary. We were all in different bands before, so we kind of came together and said, ‘Let's do this'."

While their new album incorporates more diverse arrangements with additional instruments, Elevator Action still maintains their three piece power pop/glam rock vibe. Their shows shouldn't be any less entertaining, either.

Just one week after the band's clean sweep of the Georgia scene, EA heads off to the almighty annual South by Southwest festival in Austin. Gilstrap says EA looks forward to the critical exposure the festival provides. "I've never been to Austin, so I've been excited about it for a while."

The band should get a better feel for the Athens scene this time around, as they're playing Thursday night at the 40 Watt with locals Boulevard. Since this is the same night Wilco is playing the Classic Center, you can get free admission to this show if you bring your Wilco ticket stub. For extreme fans, EA will rock the target="_blank">Go Bar Friday as well.