My senior year of high school, when buying CDs in a record store was still the norm, I walked past a listening station and a green case caught my eye. It only took about the first 20 seconds of “Memories” to make me melt; I was now an Eisley fan. Almost eight years later and they are still one of my go to bands and for good reason: their sound is not only cohesive and fluid…it’s down right beautiful.
However, the DuPree family started making music long before I came across what was their first full-length album, Room Noises. The Tyler, Texas quintet have been playing together since they were all young kids; sisters Chauntelle, Sherri, and Stacy, their brother Weston and cousin Garron started in 1997 – eventually garnering attention from and signing with Warner Bros. Records in 2003. After the release of their debut in 2005, they began touring with bands like New Found Glory, Hot Hot Heat, and Taking Back Sunday. In 2007, came Combinations, which included tracks that were a little more upbeat and dancey in comparison to Room Noises. The band continued to tour and gain popularity and released The Valley earlier this year.
I have been lucky enough to see them live a couple of times before and both times were unbelievable. Stacey and Sherri’s voices are just as beautiful live, if not more so and their entire stage presence just plays right into the whimsical, yet meaningful music that they have been creating for over a decade. Hearing Eisley play live you get the sensation that they are absolutely in love with what they are doing and they make you feel like you are a part of it. If their live show doesn’t move you, then I don’t know what will.
Making the “ValleyScapes” tour a definite family affair, one of the openers is the youngest DuPree sibling – sister Christie. Her voice is just as lovely as her older sisters’ and though her sound is simpler (it’s just her and her guitar), it is beautiful and stirring. After hearing her music, it is even more unbelievable to me that so much raw and pure talent could be in one family. It almost seems unfair to the rest of the musical world. Christie’s voice is as sweet as someone that is still naïve to all the bad that exist around her, yet her lyrics read like someone wiser than her 22 years. And she definitely has that patented DuPree twang!
If there was any band outside the DuPree family that absolutely belongs on this tour, it’s Marksmen. Adding to their awesomeness is the fact that they are local boys on a bill that could (and should) be their big break. I initially became acquainted with their music a year or so ago, unaware that they were from Tampa. Marksmen hit the trifecta of great music making: vocalist Matt Segallos rich vocals, the band’s soul-baring lyrics, and instrumentals that accompany every word perfectly. They go from creating an aura of almost unbearable heaviness, to painting a picture of the light side of life – seamlessly; their music is a rollercoaster of emotion that you would gladly wait in line to ride. This will be my very first time seeing them live and I am certain that watching them perform will only solidify my belief that they are destiny for greatness.
Doors are set to open at 830pm on Friday, September 23 at Crowbar and the show is all ages! And with tickets only $12 in advance and $14 at the door, you’ll feel like you’re committing highway robbery by the end of the night. Do yourself a favor…and just be there!
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