LIberty Deep Down (LDD)

March 18 – Columbus, OH

Liberty Deep Down

“To say that we are grateful is an understatement,” said Dominic Frissora of Liberty Deep Down. “We admire how Jon Bon Jovi uses his resources to help others, whether through the JBJ Soul Foundation or by giving new bands the opportunity to share the stage with him. We are honored and humbled to have been chosen. Personally, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning because Bon Jovi was one of my first concerts and favorite bands growing up. Thank you, JBJ and Live Nation, for choosing us. We look forward to an amazing show!” - BonJovi.com

In January, Jon Bon Jovi announced on Facebook a contest to give local bands a chance to open up for the superstar's The House Is Not For Sale Tour. Liberty Deep Down was selected to open in Columbus on March 18th.

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"To say that we are grateful is an understatement,” said Dominic Frissora of Liberty Deep Down. “We admire how Jon Bon Jovi uses his resources to help others, whether through the JBJ Soul Foundation or by giving new bands the opportunity to share the stage with him. We are honored and humbled to have been chosen. Personally, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning because Bon Jovi was one of my first concerts and favorite bands growing up. Thank you, JBJ and Live Nation, for choosing us. We look forward to an amazing show!"
The This House Is Not for Sale Tour is Bon Jovi’s first outing since the band’s 2013 Because We Can World Tour. - ABC 6

In 1989, Bon Jovi was livin' on a prayer. In 2017, Liberty Deep Down's prayers have been answered.

The band, featuring two Gahanna Lincoln High School and two Olentangy Liberty High School alumni, will perform as the opening act for Jon Bon Jovi at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd.


To say the band is grateful is an understatement, said lead singer Dominic Frissora, 21, a 2014 Lincoln graduate.

In addition to Frissora, the band features identical 20-year-old twins Halen and Noah Bouhadana, the group's guitarist/keyboard player and drummer, respectively. They are 2014 Olentangy Liberty graduates. On bass and backing vocals is Cameron Becker, 19, a 2016 Gahanna Lincoln graduate who is a Capital University student.

"We admire how Jon Bon Jovi uses his resources to help others, whether through the JBJ Soul Foundation or by giving new bands the opportunity to share the stage with him," Frissora said. "We are honored and humbled to have been chosen."

Liberty Deep Down manager Tyler Richardson, 33, said an opening-act contest was run by Bon Jovi, administered by Live Nation and facilitated through Facebook.

"Unsigned artists all over the country had the opportunity to submit a video of themselves playing," he said. "Out of the 60 Columbus entrants, Live Nation selected 10 finalists and then submitted those to Bon Jovi, who then hand-selected the winner."

Richardson said the band had no idea how it was doing in the contest until a call that notified members they had won.

"I am extremely proud of the progress we have made in the last year and extremely excited to unveil our new album, 'Electric,' on March 17," he said.


Richardson said Liberty Deep Down would perform a five-song set as the only opening act March 18.

Frissora said there was a lot of great local talent to choose from, but he thinks Liberty Deep Down ultimately was chosen due to its high-energy performances and crowd interaction.

"Personally, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning because Bon Jovi was one of my first concerts and favorite bands growing up," he said. "Thank you, JBJ and Live Nation, for choosing us. We look forward to an amazing show."

Liberty Deep Down was formed in Powell, slowly evolving into the high-energy, catchy group it is today, said Richardson, an Ohio State University alumnus. The band's website, libertydeepdown.com, states the twins wanted to create something special that would convey their passion for music in fall 2013.

After performing with a number of young and talented musicians, Frissora and Becker were recruited to complete the band's current lineup in fall 2014.

"While their composition techniques have evolved, their intrinsic love of music still pulses through every vibrant performance," the website states.

The band's new album will debut March 17 on Spotify and iTunes.


Its videos can be found on the YouTube channel youtube.com/libertydeepdown, and on social-media sites including Facebook, Twitter and - ThisWeek Community News

Liberty Deep Down have released their new song called “Electric.”

Check it out below. - Heart State Review

Liberty Deep Down, a central Ohio band, won the opening spot to open for Bon Jovi at Nationwide Arena. Before their new album drops, they gave Good Day Columbus viewers a sneak peek of their music. - Fox28 / Good Day Columbus

No matter where you’re reading this from, your city is going to have a plethora of young, talented, local bands just dying to make it big. Whether you listen to them or not, your city is going to have them. After all, if you grew up listening to music at all, chances are that at one point, you thought about what it would be like to be in a band. You may have thought about how cool it would be to hear your own music on the radio, have t-shirts made for your band, be on stage and having people yell your name, or even just knowing that there are kids going through a hard time who listen to your music because it gives them comfort when nothing else does.

That’s ultimately what this is about. You have local bands in your area, and I, of course, have mine. Sure, I have my favorites and my not so favorites. But why would I be writing about someone who’s not my favorite? Someone who I don’t believe in? I wouldn’t. So that brings me to this:

Liberty Deep Down. The band itself is fairly young, having formed just two years ago, but so are the members themselves - all under 20 years old. Despite their youth and short career thus far, the band is not short of its accomplishments to this point. The band has opened for national acts like Fifth Harmony, Gavin DeGraw, Aaron Carter, and more. This upcoming summer they will also be opening for recent-sensation Rachel Platten on multiple dates. The band themselves have also went out on multiple tours across the country, to much success.

But, let’s talk for a minute or two here about their music. Their 2014 debut release, Blackout, was received well by their growing fanbase. The music style itself was a bit different than some of the band members are previously accustomed to, having previously played in multiple rock/alternative bands prior to forming Liberty Deep Down. Despite this, the band didn’t struggle to find their footing as they shifted towards more of the pop-rock side of the music spectrum. Despite the sudden success with their debut release, the band wasn’t content with making the same music again.

Jump ahead two years to 2016 and the band has released their latest EP, Late Night Calls – a clear departure from Blackout. If you ask the band themselves about the change in sound, they will describe it as being “poppier.” If you listen for yourself, you will see that while they’re not wrong, it’s more layered than just your average pop song. There’s the atmospheric guitars and vocals, the pounding drums, and the throbbing bass that could be played to a rock song. But, of course, not all of these hit you at once. It’s sprinkled throughout the release effortlessly and syncs together perfectly. Layered in between it all, you’ll find synthesizers not unlike those that dominated the 80′s mainstream music culture. How do these things go together, you may ask? Well, you’ll just have to listen for yourself because these words won’t make it any easier.

Now two, almost three years into their career, Liberty Deep Down has laid the groundwork for a successful future. Just last month the band headlined the iconic Newport Music Hall in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio – something the band define themselves as “surreal” and an important step in their career. This is something the band didn’t take lightly, as they came out with a bang and dominated the whole night with their energetic live takes on their studio recordings. With lights coming not only down onto them, but from directly behind them, the band had colors flying to match the mood of each song. They didn’t just stop there, they decided to bring a fog-machine with them as well that further advanced the mood of the night. Despite all the theatrics, the band’s natural talent on stage was the main contributor that night to their success. With a banner behind them simply saying “Liberty Deep Down,” the band didn’t hesitate to showcase themselves to everyone in attendance that night.

As the band continues forward, I am positive you will hear more about them from people other than me. At the same time, this will undoubtedly not be the last time I find myself writing to you about them. The band has accomplished a multitude of amazing things two years into their career, but has shown no signs of slowing down. And why should they? With their local scene dominated and blown away, it’s time for the national stage. Something that not only the band seems ready for, but something that they seem destined to do.

This is not just your average “local band,” this is not even just your average “pop” band. This isn’t a band that’s just content just being known as your “hometown heroes,” no; this is Liberty Deep Down, and they’re going to leave one hell of an impression on you. - Heart State Review

For the four central Ohioans who form the pop-rock band Liberty Deep Down, a headlining gig at the Newport Music Hall feels like a rite of passage. They've played there before, sure, but only as an opening act. Since forming three years ago, the band has made a rapid ascension, building a large, loyal following - they have 127,000 Twitter followers and more than 5,600 likes on Facebook - while performing across the country.

By Eric Lagatta, The Columbus Dispatch
For the four central Ohioans who form the pop-rock band Liberty Deep Down, a headlining gig at the Newport Music Hall feels like a rite of passage.


They've played there before, sure, but only as an opening act.

Since forming three years ago, the band has made a rapid ascension, building a large, loyal following -- they have 127,000 Twitter followers and more than 5,600 likes on Facebook -- while performing across the country.

The band's members -- none older than 20 -- have opened for national artists such as Aaron Carter and Gavin DeGraw and have played in front of crowds as large as 6,000.

It's all been enough to grab the attention of PromoWest, which handles several venues in Columbus, including the Newport, where Liberty Deep Down will headline Friday. Several other acts -- including a fellow central Ohioan, rapper Justin Stone -- will perform.

"Newport was always a place where, 'I really want to play that, I really want to play that,' " said Halen Bouhadana, who plays guitar and keyboards.

"Now to get to headline it, it's pretty surreal."

The performance is timed for the release of the band's self-titled EP, which features songs they hope will be included on their second album.

The EP is something of a departure from their 2014 debut effort, "Blackout," which sold 10,000 copies, said drummer Noah Bouhadana, Halen's twin brother.

Liberty Deep Down
Where: Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St.
Contact: 614-461-5483, www.promowestlive.com
Style: pop rock
Opening acts: Justin Stone, the Sink or Swim, Lily McCabe, Post Modern, Pace of Glaciers
Doors open: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $10, or $15 at the door
Band members describe the upcoming tracks as having more a 1970s and '80s flair, with synthesizer-heavy arrangements.

"It's definitely a little more pop-ier," Halen Bouhadana said. "Before, we had a lot of rock elements to us, but we kind of did away with that."

The twins, who are 19 and from Powell, formed the band while students at Olentangy Liberty High School, which inspired their name.

Liberty Deep Down's singer, Dom Frissora, 20, was playing in another band at the time, but he and Halen Bouhadana formed a friendship when they began dating sisters, a friendship that strengthened when those romantic relationships ended.

"Eventually, Noah and I just accepted Dom as a new lead singer," Halen Bouhadana said.

Cam Becker, 18, joined them last July as the bass player after they met the New Albany resident at a music festival.

The band members, who all began playing music at a young age, are primarily self-taught on their instruments. Halen Bouhadana studied music theory in high school, and Becker, a senior at Gahanna Lincoln High School, plans to study music production at Capital University this fall.

As the band members worked to define their sound, they drew on a range of influences, including classic-rock bands such as Aerosmith and Rush and contemporary performers Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake. As they have matured, so has their music.

"I really like to write about personal experiences that have helped me grow as a person," Frissora said. "I think our fan base has matured as well."

As for the Newport show, the band members hinted at pyrotechnics and otherwise "crazy production that we couldn't do when we had smaller venues because of fire hazards," Noah Bouhadana said.

The theatrics will accentuate the stage energy for which the band has become known.

"We like to keep people on their feet," Becker said. "If you come to a Liberty Deep Down show, expect to be sweating by the time you're done."

The band members hope the Newport gig is only the beginning. Liberty Deep Down is scheduled to perform around Ohio this summer, including a special engagement connected to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, the Columbus Pride Parade in June and an opening gig for an as-yet-unnamed act at Express Live in August.

"I can only imagine what's coming next," Becker said.

elagatta@dispatch.com

@EricLagatta - Columbus Dispatch

For the first time ever, Dublin’s Bridge Park will be hosting a festival in time for the Memorial Tournament.

After wandering the greens on Thursday, May 31, head out to Fore!Fest, a FREE street and music festival offering live entertainment, food and beverage options and more.

Between 4- 10pm, rain or shine, attendees will have access to not only Bridge Park’s fine dining options but also to grub and libations from the Memorial Tournament’s official caterer, Cameron Mitchell.

Live entertainment will be courtesy of MojoFlo, The Floorwalkers, Swagg, and Liberty Deep Down.

“Fore!Fest will be a nice way to provide additional entertainment to golf fans and the community at large outside the Memorial grounds during the week of May 28,” said Tournament Executive Director Dan Sullivan in a release.

If you’re among the first 2,000 to arrive at Bridge Park, you’ll be able to snag one of the FREE parking spaces (ooh ahh).

There will also be a pop-Up Tournament Golf Shop for official Memorial merch. - 614 Now