Dude, we’re in California,” laughed front man Taki Sassaris to his fellow band members in the quiet between songs. He brushed off the revelation, ecstatic, but simultaneously bewildered by the insanity of it all. They had come clear across the country in a matter of days, and were two songs deep in the fifth show they had played that week. With bellies full of Jameson and Jager, all five members of Eve to Adam nodded in agreement. It was weird for them too. It had been a long, long week.
It’s no surprise that the now five members of Eve to Adam are currently overwhelmed. The last few months have been a whirlwind of writing, recording and promoting. Not to mention that they are in the midst of kicking off their nationwide spot on the Jagermeister Tour featuring Halestorm and In This Moment. This sold out show at the House of Blues in West Hollywood was stop number five for them. In that first week they had departed New York, played through The South, and made it all the way to the West Coast.
“We’re lucky to be on this tour,” admitted drummer Alex Sassaris in a pre show interview with Screamer Magazine. Considering where the band is headed, the Jager tour is no doubt a much-needed shot in the arm for the group. Fresh off of a national tour with Creed, ETA has been producing records, adding members, and booking enough dates to propel them into 2013. The extra publicity provided by the Jagermeister Tour is just what Eve to Adam needs to really get going. Alex sums up the band’s current position saying, “We came off 50 dates with Creed, we’ve been out for a year… this is 150 shows after this run, and I think where we’re headed is clear skies.”
The addition of a new member is the most palpable change that Eve to Adam has made in recent months. The addition of a rhythm guitarist, Virus (Dope, Lords of Acid), has literally freed the hands of lead vocalist Taki Sassaris so that he can step into a role as a full-fledged front man. Showcasing itself as a five-member act, Eve to Adam is looking to develop a sense of identity as they reach a wider audience. The show itself is straight up rock and roll. No gimmicks, no extensive lighting or stage set up, it’s just a solid display of some good old-fashioned rock. Their signature songs sounded great, and they played an extremely tight cover of Rebel Yell, that really got the house going early in the night. For a quality display of music from a well-rehearsed band, Eve to Adam most definitely has its shit together.
But embarking on this most recent tour has been exhausting for the band and it inevitably showed on stage. Their performance was a tad deflated under the weight of sleeplessness and ambivalent reception from an unfamiliar audience. Every member showed up to play, because the sound was good, but the performance itself left something to be desired. The most lacking aspect of the show was a true sense of engagement. Eve to Adam showed up to do its job, but there was no connection between the band and the audience. It was good music, and not much more.
In this case, the responsibility of engaging the audience falls on the shoulders of the front man. Sassaris is a talented vocalist and fearless in front of a crowd, but he needs to learn how to truly draw the attention and reactions of the crowd. The banter in between songs was canned, un-rehearsed, and drew little response from an audience that felt little obligation to react. If Sassaris intends to carry these live shows, he needs to learn how to speak with his audience, and not at his audience.
The highest point of audience engagement occurred when Sassaris pulled off his shirt, mid set, and threw it in the crowd. The shirt came off with all the grace of an amateur Chip and Dale at his first day on the job. The garment then proceeded to fly into the crowd, and fall to the ground without reaction, only to be trampled on by fans flooding the floor to see the other bands on the bill. It’s a move that only really works if you’re the headlining act. And even then, a male strip tease at a rock show of this magnitude just seems out-of-place if the crowd isn’t asking for it already.
Nevertheless, Eve to Adam’s future looks bright as they find themselves as a band. Their potential for growth is distinct and it shows in their music. With time they will perfect their live show, but for now, the focus is on recording new tracks and reaching a wider audience. Lead guitarist Guarav Bali insists that ETA’s ‘theme’ for the coming year is “expanding horizons,” and that the group is “trying to push the envelope.”
Look for Eve to Adam to likely follow their upcoming releases with more tours and hopefully, a grasp on that wider audience that they are trying to reach. As for now, Eve to Adam really needs to turn some heads with the remaining dates of the Jagermeister Tour. The successes of their prospective ventures for 2013 most definitely depend on it.
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