with Dark Stone, Bridges To Royal
Date/Time: Jun 11 2016, 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Vancouver, Venue NightclubAge: 19+
Cost: $10.00
Find tickets: here
DARK STONE: Powerhouse rock with a gritty blues edge is what makes Dark Stone a vibrant new band on the Vancouver music scene. Uniquely original, Dark Stone has managed to blend classic hard rock with metal and blues. The result is a vocal ensemble of brothers Matt Mintenko and guitarist Jason Mintenko, interspersed with searing guitar runs and thunderous rhythms from bassist Kato von Essen and drummer Stefan Grabowski. Lyrically their music speaks loudly of life's challenges, second chances, and redemption.
BRIDGES TO ROYAL: Amrik and Aaron met in high-school and quickly realized they shared a deep passion for music; Aaron was rocking a Nirvana shirt, Amrik responded by swinging open his jacket to reveal a well-worn Smashing Pumpkins shirt. Bad hair, ripped jeans, and holey Converse All-Stars seemed to round out the package. The beginnings of "Drag Me Down" from Bridges To Royal’s self-titled demo EP emerged from their first jam session together. The two have been writing and performing together ever since.
As time went by the shared passion for music grew stronger with each new riff and song idea, but there was something missing. Aaron met James in line at a café by chance. Aaron commented on James’ shirt and mentioned he was working on a project and was looking for a vocalist to collaborate with; James was quick to tell Aaron he was looking for a band to join as a lead singer, a jam session was quickly arranged at Bully’s in New Westminster. James took a chance and shared a song idea he had been working on and "Dirty" was born.
The bridges to the Royal City brought the three together and such Bridges To Royal was formed. Chemistry between the three was instant; James added a fresh perspective, the songs began to flow. James’ vocals elevated the sound Amrik and Aaron had been crafting for years.
Going through a couple line-up changes they found themselves looking for a drummer and met Cody through some mutual friends. Cody joined the band in February 2014 bringing with him the final piece to the sound Bridges To Royal was looking for: a bad-ass, hard-hitting drummer. Cody brought some serious firepower with his grooves and his unique, energetic way of playing. With Cody manning the drums, Bridges To Royal managed to break into the Fox Vancouver SEEDS 2014 Top 14.
Bridges To Royal is straight ahead, guitar driven, drum slammin’, bass rumblin’ rock n’ roll. Hammer Records put it best: “Modern Rock riffs with a hint of classic Blues Rock thrown in for good measure.
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