Nicholas Charles Thompson
Deer Park, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF
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This weekend, Nick C. Thompson and Better Off came out to support The Parise Project and to help T.P.P.'s bassist, Melanie Costa celebrate her birthday with the rest of the bar over at Bruno's Restaurant and Pub on Hawkins Avenue in Ronkonkoma! My concert buddy, Jennifer Payne, and I were privileged to partake in the festivities (and were even lucky enough to enjoy some red velvet birthday cake!).
Nick Thompson (a.k.a. Costa's main squeeze) was the first to perform, and he completed a solid acoustic set reminiscent of alternative rock group Vertical Horizon's sound and substance. Thompson's dedication to Costa entitled "Treasure Map" is a warm and sappy tune where you could practically see the hearts rise above their heads (a la "Scott Pilgrim" style) and feel the goosebumps rise as lyrics like "'There's something in the way she moves' plays from my radio, and I think of you."
Thompson's "A Million Miles" reminded Jen of the famous one-hit-wonder, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something. All in all, I found Thompson's alternative style to be rather enjoyable as a conglomerate of modern and radio-friendly nineties-era rock. You can check out Thompson's Youtube channel here and his Facebook page here.
Next up was Better Off, Costa's former band. A few of the band's close friends chose to stand directly in front of our table, so the overall experience for us was a bit tainted, as we couldn't really see anything for the entirety of their set. The instruments played by Desiree Parrillo, Frank Perry and Eddie Becker were powerful and were delivered with near expert skill, however they seemed to overpower the vocals of lead singer April Alder. This could have been due to technical difficulties, since they seemed to be having problems with their equipment before the set and I don't remember this being an issue when we saw them at Mulachy's in Centereach last year. Nonetheless, the band had some great energy and were well received. Check out their Facebook page here for more information.
And last, but certainly never least, to go on was The Parise Project. Rockin' out with such tunes as "Johnny, Johnny" and "Carving a Lullaby", they certainly seemed destined for much bigger things than playing at a bar as, in Jen's words, "background music to someone else's good time." They've got funk and they've got rock and they mix it together like a musical candy bar. The band also gets my sincere gratitude and appreciation for dedicating their new single, "Never Ever" to yours truly, as it's been a favorite of mine since the moment I first heard it in the studio. There are fewer instruments cooler than the stand up bass Costa plays on this track. I thoroughly enjoy how the band incorporates Bradley Murphy's saxophone into the majority of their work. The sax helps add a bluesy, smokey room feel to their sound and it is a truly underused instrument in modern music today.
Mike Dzwil brought the house down with his slick drumming skill and Ryan Parise belted out the lyrics that I paid closer attention to this time around and had not realized previously the extent to which I could relate. And I must say, keyboardist Matt DiMartino makes some of the greatest rock faces you will ever see. His parts always seem to come in when you thought a song had already reached its peak. A quick slide down the keys brings new life to a tune that you thought was nearing its end.
It's always a good time when The Parise Project is around. If you haven't checked them out live yet, you definitely should, at the very least to help a local band gain exposure. And you never know...you just might enjoy yourself! Their next gig will be at the Brick House Brewery at 67 West Main Street in Patchogue on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 10:00 P.M. Come on out and support a group that is worthy of recognition!
Also, check out the video on this page that I took of Nicholas C. Thompson. My camera isn't the greatest, so I apologize for the awful quality, especially on the video I took of The Parise Project (the one I took of Thompson doesn't have as much feedback).
Download The Parise Project's first single "Never Ever" for free! You can also check out their website, their Facebook page or their Youtube channel.
Enjoy and keep on rockin'!
Continue reading on Examiner.com Nick C. Thompson, Better Off and The Parise Project were live at Bruno's! - Long Island Pop Culture | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/pop-culture-in-long-island/nick-c-thompson-better-off-and-the-parise-project-were-live-at-bruno-s-pub#ixzz1Q9wdFKEK - Examiner
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Nicholas Charles Thompson is a Singer/Songwriter originating from Long Island. He traffics in Pop/Rock with strong, soaring vocal melodies. His live show is as engaging as anything you’ll hear on the radio these days, but much more honest and heartfelt. NCT often plays solo or with the help of a few friends due to his love for connecting intimately with his audience. In 2013 he performed for the second year in a row at the CMJ Music Marathon. In preparing for that there has been a great push to add more instruments and create a much larger sound for his already booming music. There is so much NCT has yet to expose to the ears of the public. Do yourself a favor and don’t be the last to come on board. It is surely going to be a wonderful ride of positive creativity. Listen to NCT on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else music is sold. You can also hear him in the band With The People.
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