LINNEA SWENSON | staff writer
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Linnea Swenson
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| The members of twentyfour64''s new album features a diverse sound. |
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Local band twentyfour64 debuted their first full-length CD, Know Me, at a concert in UTCC last Tuesday, March 3.
Their multi-element style, passionate lyrics and unique flair set the vibrant tone for the concert.
Energy was felt throughout the room as the band opened with their song “Field on Fire” and the crowd’s applause funneled into a rhythmic clap keeping in line with the pulsating beat of the music.
“They have a very strong lead singer and I like the blend between alternative rock, punk, and R&B,” junior commercial music major and east campus worship leader Sean Beck said. “They do a neat job of mixing them. It’s different.”
Beck has been listening to the band ever since the fall of 2007 and attended the March 3 concert.
Local bands Metroid and One Year Yesterday opened the evening and set the stage for twentyfour64 whose show was a fusion of R&B and gospel medley, propelled by an alternative rock undercurrent.
The creative styling from guest singers added to the showcase of their 12-track CD and created a communal vibe throughout the room.
Although this was their first time playing their full-length CD at Azusa Pacific, it was not the first time they have stolen the stage in UTCC.
In the fall of 2007, shortly after the band made their trek from Honolulu to Los Angeles in hopes of pursuing their musical careers, twentyfour64 made their first band debut at Azusa Pacific when they won first place in the university’s Battle of the Bands.
“That [Battle of the Bands] was the starting point of getting recognized,” sophomore music major and guitarist Kenton Fukuda said.
Fukuda and junior political science major Mark McDonald are both guitarists for twentyfour64 and the only band members who currently attend APU. The other four members reside in Covina.
When it comes to describing their music, Fukuda attempted to say it simply.
“It’s kind of like a hybrid. You can’t really place it in a genre,” Fukuda said. “Mark’s more like the jazzy person and Roy and I are more the alternative rock people, while [lead singer] Junior T is more of the gospel and R&B feel. I guess we just bring all our ideas to the table and that’s how we form our music.”
After winning Azusa Pacific’s Battle of the Bands, drummer Roy Nuesca was offered an endorsement from Battlefield Drums, a Christian-based drum company that currently sponsors Ethan Luck from Relient K.
This past year, the band opened for Christian artist Tyrone Wells at a concert in Pomona and also had the opportunity to play at the Orange County Music Awards Live Showcase at Chain Reaction.
Most recently, they performed a CD pre-release show in Honolulu, Hawaii on Jan. 2.
Sticking with their Hawaiian roots, twentyfour64 has developed a unique blend of music that seeks to empower and encourage their listening audience.
“Every track has a purpose,” junior marketing major and twentyfour64’s band manager Tim Gionet said. “The song “Consider Their
Cries” was written for Invisible Children [IC] and played at an IC benefit.”
The upcoming months look promising for the band as they’re performing at a few well-known music festivals around the country.
Twentyfour64’s biggest show yet will be their performance at South by Southwest (SXSW), a legendary festival showcasing more than 1,800
musical acts of all genres from around the globe, later this month.
Following their March performance in Austin, Texas, the band will be traveling to Nashville, Tenn. in April to play at the Gospel Music Association (GMA) showcase where they will take part in GMA’s famed music week.
With SXSW drawing in a large secular crowd and GMA drawing together all the top Christian industry professionals, twentyfour64 has high hopes of being picked up by a recording label in the near future.
“We don’t know what route we’re going to be picked up on yet,” Gionet said. “We could get picked up on a secular label or a Christian label. We’re waiting to see what we get offered.”
If you would like to find out more about twentyfour64 and their upcoming shows you can find them on Facebook and Myspace. Their newest CD, Know Me, is available on iTunes today.
