 "Photo: Illustration by Ryan Stokes")
When: Wednesday @ 8 p.m. Where: The Senator Theatre Tickets $26 @ Diamond W Western Wear ticketweb.com
On the brink of their fourth studio album, The Used are playing the Senator Theatre.
Drummer Dan Whitesides is eager to tour after a five-month hiatus, he said.
"I have a feeling once we hit Austin, we're going to rage," Whitesides said.
Chico fans are in luck. The Used will be in full-on, rocking tour mode by the time they land at the Senator on April 1. The Bled will share the stage along with other bands that have yet to be announced.
Whitesides is looking forward to playing smaller venues, he said. They provide different energy than stadium shows.
The grittiness of small rock clubs feeds into the feel of the new album, "Artwork."
"(There is) definitely a dark side to this album," Whitesides said.
The album took a laid-back, artist-controlled approach. In a market dominated by over-produced, polished-into-meaninglessness records, "Artwork" will be a departure.
Whitesides describes the album as one that can be listened to over and over. Sometimes working on an album can make a person sick of it, he said. But, this one made him an even bigger fan of The Used.
Before officially joining the band in 2007, Whitesides drummed for The New Transit Direction. The other members of the band didn't want to tour, but Whitesides was itching to get out on the road.
"I would be on the road 365 days a year if I could," he said.
When The Used drummer Branden Steineckert left, Whitesides took his place.
Knowing the guys from The Used, and being a big fan of their music, Whitesides was beyond stoked to be a part of the band.
"(It's) the best thing that has ever happened to me," he said.
The Used are placed under the emo umbrella by critics, but Whitesides disagrees. He considers the band straight-up rock.
Considering the ever-shifting public opinion of emo, this might be a good thing for the band. Some former fans of emo music have left the genre.
"Life's too good to be depressed about it all the time," said Chris Lopes, Headz Up record store employee.
Emo is sometimes characterized as being sad for sad's sake. The genre came from the post-hardcore movement. Then, songs were driven by more than heartache.
"It had substance - it used to have meaning," said English major Andy Bonnenfant.
As with many derivations of punk rock, post-hardcore was concerned with social justice. Since emo has become mainstream, it has forgotten its heritage.
Whitesides thinks The Used are different. They took an existing genre and made it their own, he said. Ultimately, he considers it ridiculous to put labels on things.
"Artwork" is the album that will get people excited about The Used, Whitesides said. It will demonstrate the breadth of the band's work. There will be a solid ballad, a couple of pop tracks and some heavier stuff with big riffs.
The Used will perform one track from "Artwork" for sure, and possibly others, he said.
Whitesides likes getting feedback from the fans.
"Whoever reads this and comes to the show, come say 'Hi,'" he said.
Randy Davenport can be reached at rdavenport@theorion.com
Be the first to comment on this article!