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Now Dawning, began as three: Nick Rivard, Angelo Tatesure, and Swan Burton, who aggregated in the late 90's while still in middle school. The three longtime friends literally learned from each other how to play as a band, which is certainly different from playing alone. Swan can still recall the feeling of exhilaration that accompanied the first riffs and jams leading to the blissful experience of collective creation. The band played together loosely, on and off, getting more serious as time progressed. They were at times joined by other musicians such as guitarist Linden Wood.
In 2001, at the suggestion of Nick's brother Jared, Alex joined the band as vocalist. Prior to his work with Now Dawning, Alex mainly saw himself as a performance actor or comedian. This may explain why he is so given to actin' a fool during live performances. Nevertheless, the transition has proven a natural and beneficial one for him.
The group's early work was characterized by progressive style and tempo switches, vocal role-play and an A.D.D. like addiction to musical switch-ups that caused one commentator to compare Now Dawning to the ever-changing and musically elusive band, King Crimson. Although many songs were created during this early phase, only 5 were committed to digital tape in an unnamed demo CD that was never offered for sale.
Now Dawning's initial voyage lasted only two years, and briefly rekindled under the name 4-Play in 2003. 4-Play lacked bassist Angelo, but featured Swan, Alex, Nick, and Jeff Metzger as a second drummer. The band practiced just a few times, but went on to win second place at the Corvallis High School Battle of the Bands with an almost completely improvised set. It is difficult to remember the specifics, but 4-Play was certainly a short-lived experiment, lasting only a few months.
Although the idea of a reunion has been circulating for some time, the current iteration of the group wasn't born until late in 2007. The party met at Angelo's request to just "jam," but ended up beginning some serious song construction. Older and more committed, the four original members are currently seeking to push the creative impulse as far as it can go without snapping. Combining elements of jazz, hip-hop, funk, reggae and rock, Now Dawning remains true to its eclectic roots and has retained its emphasis on lyrical distinction and musical individuality.
Country
United States
nowdawning
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