Cymbals Eat Guitars wsg Stagnant Pools
Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids
Nov. 17, 9 p.m.
Free, 21+
foundersbrewing.com, (616) 776-2182
We haven't heard much from Cymbals Eat Guitars, the NYC-based indie rock outfit responsible for 2009's Why There Are Mountains and the 2011 follow-up Lenses Alien.
What's a young band to do after getting stamped with a "Best New Music" label by the hype machines? For CEG, personnel changes and relocating back to Brooklyn have kept the group busy and given them something of a new look.
"We have a new drummer – his name is Andrew Dole and he's fantastic," said Joseph D'Agostino, vocalist and guitarist for CEG. "Getting a new drummer is essentially like overhauling the engine in your car – it's a lot of work, and in the end you have a completely different machine. It has definitely made for a very exciting time, creatively speaking."
CEG cronies will get a chance to check out the new format during the band's November tour. Even though touring is a source of catharsis, D'Agostino said, hitting the road involves some sacrifices.
"We love touring, but we are all finding it increasingly difficult to go out on the road for extended periods," D'Agostino said. "To be able to do it, we all have a lot of creative maneuvering to do in terms of our personal lives – it's a labor of love."
As a result of being pegged as a Pitchfork it-band, D'Agostino said CEG shows have taken on a new level of importance.
"We know the people who are coming to the shows now are true fans at this point, which really pushes us to try to put on a better show," he said.
CEG recently played the I AM Festival in Connecticut, which gave the guys a chance to test out some of the new tunes with Dole.
"Our set was roughly 50 percent new material and it seemed to go over really well – people danced," D'Agostino said.
Following the tour, D'Agostino said CEG plans on finishing up writing sessions and heading into the studio to record their third record, with a more holistic creative approach.
"We're starting to take it easier in terms of making each song be like this huge event that we focus on 100 percent until it's finished," D'Agostino said.
