Crash the Car
Biography:
Crash the Car sounds (to me) like a cross between bands like The Cult, Stone Temple Pilots, Danzig and other guitar-heavy arena rockers. CTC rocked Kansas City until November 2009.
Joe Pluff played guitar and is one of the founding members of the band. He's got chops for days and balances pure shreddiness with discipline. The result is melodic, well-considered solos and thick, chunky rhythms. With all of that, we never needed a second guitar player.
Scott King played bass and I'm pretty sure he may be part machine. He's got great time and can hammer out solid lines, but he's also got a nice feel for using effects. Some truly horrifying tones leap out of his amp, but he never jacks up his role holding down the bottom while surprising us with them. He is the other remaining founding member.
RJ Stafos was the lead singer and a great front man. He's not full of shit like most lead singers and the crowd can feel that he's a great guy. He's also got a powerful voice and can sell a song. Check out the newer material to hear his melodic sense and lyrical abilities on display.
I played drums and had a great time figuring out how to merge my peculiar drum style with their brand of rock. That intersection has gifted me with a ton of new drumming ideas and I think that my take on some of the older songs freshened up the set.
Gig Videos:
Crosstown Station 8/02/2008.wmv
This performance is at one of the new clubs that are part of downtown Kansas City's revitalization. It's a “chill” environment and an easy place to have some fun.
This performance is a classic, outside-in-the-heat show that Kansas City is famous for. Friends, family, barbeque and oh yeah, live music!
This performance is pretty exciting and the venue is outstanding, but the sound man turned us up so loud that the video is a little distorted at times. The camera was at least 70 feet from the stage and literally almost got vibrated off its tripod.