tool name
closeON THE SCENE “Nitekast to perform at Bar Blue”
By Jessica Savrock
- For Blue Magazine
Hailing from Cherry Tree, Pa., rock band Nitekast is staying strong.
The band’s original song “Stay Strong” was written in memory of their former road manager Jordan Clark. Clark, who was the cousin of the band’s guitarist/vocalist Brandon Scalese, was killed in a car accident on November 19, 2007, just months shy of his 21st birthday.
“Our original song ‘Stay Strong’ was written in Jordan’s memory and I think it kinda sums up how everyone close to him has felt over the last six months,” said Scalese. “We played it out a few times but because it’s such a solemn song we don’t play it at every show.”
Through their loss, the band emerged bigger and better than they’d ever been before and have been striving to carry Clark’s memory. While Nitekast has been around since 1998 (formerly named Mystyk), they spent a few years going through member transition and juggling instruments to find the perfect fit. Earlier this year, with Scalese on guitar, Josh Oaks on drums and Bobby Boring on bass, Nitekast decided to expand its sound by adding a female vocalist. They found what they were looking for in February when they added Lily Taylor to the lineup.
“From the moment I first talked to her I knew she was the right fit for us,” said Scalese. “[In addition to] being a great vocalist she also plays the guitar and the piano which opened up our sound even more.”
This decision has been nothing but positive for the band, and has allowed them to begin booking shows in State College, near Taylor’s hometown of Bellefonte.
“Our fans have had nothing but good things to say about Lily’s vocals and stage presence,” said Scalese. “At first our close friends and fans were unsure if this was the right direction to go but as soon as they saw how much more dynamic our sound was they were quickly won over.” Since Scalese is also a vocalist, Taylor’s addition allows the band to have a unique edge compared to other bands in the area. “Splitting our set list between Lily and myself keeps us from getting locked into that ‘every song sounds the same’ deal you get with some bands,” he said. Nitekast has put out seven recordings (albums and demos) since it got its start as Mystyk in 1998. They currently have another in the works, which has been slightly delayed due to a lineup transition last year, but is expected to be completed this summer.
“The wait worked out good for us actually because originally it was to be a four-song demo, but because of the extra time we’re hoping to make it a full-length album,” said Scalese.
MP3 files of a few of the band’s recorded originals can be downloaded at www.nitekast.com
While the band prides itself on its original material, they also play cover songs at their live shows.
“We choose our covers wisely and stay away from the over-played cover band songs,” said Scalese.
Band member:
Jason Scalese – Guitar, vocals
Josh Oaks – Drums
Bobby Boring – Bass
Lily Taylor – Vocals
In Print
news.mcclatchy.com headlines
