The World Through Different Eyes

Since I saw them live a few weeks ago I haven’t been able to put their CD down. The disc it titled The World Through Different Eyes, and it is filled with incredible tracks. From songs like Underground to tunes like Going Nowhere, the lyrics match their sound that fits perfectly with their instrumental skills. I had heard of these guys before, but I had never heard them before I saw them perform. They were on a bill with a good friend of mine, Fred Shafer, and rocked the house at Birdy’s Bar & Grill. But the more I listen to these guys, the more I want to talk about them. It’s no wonder why these guys won the 2009 Battle of Birdy’s.

Glass Halo is made up of four guys who look like they are just out of college and trying to find their way into the job market. One of the band members graduated from Rose Hulman University, while another has a degree in public relations. They sound more like a corporation than a rock band.

On lead vocals you have a guy by the name of Eric Arnett. He comes walking in, grabs the first PBR he can find, and just gets to know his audience. Then, you have Aaron on lead guitar and backing vocals. He is an energetic little fireball, and it shows on stage. During their most recent performance, every time I looked at him he was dripping in sweat and jumping around, having the time of his life.

On bass, you will find Dave Grodzki. This dude looks like Eric’s twin brother, both sporting a stylish faux hawk on top of their heads. During their performance, the one thing I noticed about him was his attention to the crowd. He was on stage playing, sure, but he was in each and every one of those audience members’ faces. He was playing the bass off of memory, and his skills shone through. And behind them all, you find Jason Kuykendall. You hardly even notice him back there, as he doesn’t fit the overall theme of the band all that well. What you notice is his skill with a pair of drumsticks. You don’t notice him because the sound fits perfectly with what the other three guys are trying to do.

Their disc starts off with one great track after another. And their lyrics are what keep me hitting replay. With lyrics like, “You can’t save me no matter how you try. I’m going to live and die,” you can’t help but wonder where these came from. Are they from experience, or just a night with buddies at a bar making up words? They let you decide.

After having seen them, I was trying to find whom they sounded like. I can’t. They are unique. They aren’t really rock. They aren’t really pop either. They are a mixture of passion and blues tossed into a blender with the Killers and a dash of Wilco.

Back to the lyrics. I can’t get over how a band from Indianapolis can produce such sweet-sounding music and still just be performing at local hot spots. These guys are too polished to just be sitting around the Circle City playing a couple nights a week. I want to see them at the Murat (or is it the Old National Bank Theater now?) with a national act. I can see them opening for a band like The National or Coldplay. They have the ability to turn rock, and they look like rock stars ready to bust out of their skin, but they keep it together with their lyrics and the obvious passion on stage.

During the show, I met all of the band members. I shook each of their hands and told them how excited I was to meet them. I immediately confirmed an interview with Eric, and was well on my way to whatever Glass Halo could bring me and rickyleepotts.com. All I wanted was to learn more about the band. But the more I listen to them, the more I want to work with them. I also met their photographer, Melissa Brewer from Melissa Brewer Photography. She has been working with the guys for a while now, and pretty much any promotion shot is her work. She truly understands how to capture something in every act she shoots.

Grab a copy of the disc at their next show. Check their show calendar, as I am sure they are coming to a town near you sooner or later. You can also find them on MySpace, on their official website, and even on the popular social networking site Twitter. They are all on there, sharing their hearts with all of us.  What better way to stay in touch with fans?

After you listen to the album once, I dare you to not play it again. The disc is an emotional roller coaster, and you can’t help but ask for more when it’s over. Not to mention that all four of these guys are incredibly nice and love each and every fan they make. Introduce yourself, and see if you don’t get a new friend in the music business.

I can’t put this disc down. I dare you to. This is Glass Halo, and I am grateful that I had the chance to see them live, to grab a copy of their disc, and to make four new friends. Rock on.