PNW: GRAMMY Camp - SoundCheck with The Airborne Toxic Event Recap
Saturday January 21, 2012 marked an exciting day for The Recording Academy PNW Chapter and The GRAMMY Foundation as they hosted the first GRAMMY Camp - SoundCheck in Hawaii with up and coming band The Airborne Toxic Event before their show at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu, HI. GRAMMY U members from the MELE Program at Hawaii Community College were privileged with the opportunity to sit-in during the set-up and sound check of these veritable stars. The group then indulged in a deep and heart-felt Q&A session led by GRAMMY U Hawaii Representative Chris Salvador.
The crowd arrived shortly before the band did, and was treated with the opportunity to watch the manager, stage hands, and other various assistants set up the stage in preparation for the sound check. It was amazing to watch the tour/band manager lead the set-up. His precise directions and the speed of the process made it all seem scripted. Following the set up, the band took the stage, tuning and EQ-ing their various instruments and adjusting for volume in a playful back and forth between the members. Emanating a positive energy the band cracked some jokes and tossed around some witty comments, making the crowd comfortable and familiar with their modus operandi. They then proceeded to play five songs, some in their entirety and others exclusively for their critical parts, all the while communicating with their engineer and manager to achieve their desired unique sounds.
After rocking out, the band sat on the edge of the stage and the Q&A began. The students brought some interesting questions and the dynamics between each band member and as a whole allowed for deep insight and revelation on the bands thoughtfulness. Two questions in particular were very well received: “What are your common and individual musical inspirations?” and “What was your big break into the music industry?” For the first question they answered from their experiences and influences growing up, but then each touched upon the fact that they all agreed that listening to all types of music and finding good to take away from each piece was essential to their success and collectively important. As for the second question the band leader responded jokingly, “300 performances ago!” then on a more serious note commented that, “In our case, it’s not so much been one ‘big break’ but the many small ones that have led to other opportunities down the road.’”
At the conclusion of the event, The Airborne Toxic Event took group pictures with all the attendees. The crowd got the chance to thank the band for the opportunity and wish them a great concert. All in all, the staff and band graciously made this first ever GRAMMY Camp - SoundCheck in Hawaii a great experience for all who attended. The GRAMMY U members in Hawaii are excited to see the further success of this band, and more GRAMMY Camp - SoundCheck opportunities in Hawaii in the near future.
Recap by GRAMMY U Hawaii Representative Chris Salvador
Photo by PNW Chapter Staff