Samantha Hallowell, Staff Writer
Just off their first ever tour, opening for indie band on the rise Hippo Campus, California-based Sure Sure is an electrifying and upbeat sight to behold. Chris Beachy on keyboard and vocals, Charlie Glick on guitar and vocals, Kevin Farzad on drums, and producer Michael Coleman providing alternative percussion touches create a warm sound suited to accompany a summertime montage in an art film. Although their show at Port City Music Hall in Portland was only two weeks ago on a rainy, Sunday night, the audience was transported to a chill, beachy dreamscape. Their stage presence demanded attention, and the audience was more than happy to give it to them. No matter if they had been fans since the start of the band’s career, new listeners just for the show, or had never heard the sweet sounds of the bands keyboard heavy vibes, every person was feeling it. Sure Sure’s hits like “New Biome” and “Friends” are easy to sway and groove to. Bass-heavy “Hands Up Head Down” has a spooky vibe, with it’s altered, off-key keyboard melodies. No matter what genres reign supreme as your favorites, Sure Sure has tunes that anyone can connect with.
Major artists like the Rolling Stones and Beyonce have pretty much mastered the art of touring. They know just where to play, what to play, and they know for sure that they are going to sell out arenas and stadiums around the world. It was not always that easy though. There was a time when even the Ramones or the Beatles were looking for a place to play and people to listen to their music. Out of the hundreds of thousands of bands formed in garages and basements across the country, some make it and many do not. The majority will not tour, get signed to a label, successfully self-produce, or develop the kind of listenership that they would like. These milestones are often pipe dreams for many musicians, but for those that make their dreams into realities, the payoffs are significant.
In a phone interview with the band members on their drive home to LA from Kansas, they expressed their expectations for their first tour.
“Tour was just a question mark,” Glick divulged. Having never travelled the country on such a grand scale, they had no idea what to expect. With shows everywhere from their first tour date in chilly Vancouver, to sunny Phoenix, AZ, the weather was unpredictable for a winter tour.
There’s also the issue of taking care of one’s body and mind with such an erratic schedule. One band member fell ill due to a combination of stress, exposure to lots of people, a topsy-turvy sleep schedule and the cold weather.
Hippo Campus, the band that Sure Sure had been opening for, has performed at major music festivals, including Lollapalooza, Bonaroo and Reading and Leads.
“Watching them perform made us better performers,” Glick said. Having never met the boys of Hippo Campus before their first show, any advice that could’ve been given on how to perform was taken in through Sure Sure’s observations.
Chris, Charlie, Kevin and Michael all live together in a yellow house, that they’ve transformed into a home recording studio. Sure Sure encourages their fans to call and chat with them through their landline at (323)739-0630.
Make sure to catch Sure Sure when they come back to Portland on Wednesday, April 18 at 9:00 p.m. at Empire Live Music and Events, located at 575 Congress St in Portland. Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.