SILVERSAGE

If you are in Las Vegas, or anywhere really, and into good old fashioned rock n’ roll, then you need to keep your eyes peeled for Silversage. I have had the pleasure of seeing this quintet on 3 occasions in a short period of time, and each time they completely blew me away.

Comprised of Chris Kennedy (vocals/guitar), Michael Romano (guitar), Austin Perry (drums), Elias Trujillo (bass), and Jon Trujillo (guitar/keys/vocals), these guys formed just 9 months ago, and have already played not just the Brooklyn Bowl, opening for the legendary Steve Winwood, but also the House of Blues.
I walked in to the Brooklyn Bowl the first night of the Steve Winwood to see what these guys had to offer, and was completely blown away. Kennedy’s vocals filled the venue in a way that could haunt your dreams. I managed to push my way through the crowd as they ended their 3rd song of the evening. What came next completely caught me off guard. Romano switched his acoustic guitars, and with the grin I was all too familiar with upon his face, began to strum the opening chords to Led Zeppelin’s “The Rain Song”.
The crowd turned into a sea of whispers and faces in awe of the raw talent that graced the stage. Audience members both local and visiting turned to me as I snapped shots of Silversage and said, “Are they from Las Vegas? They are amazing! How can I get a hold of their stuff?” I couldn’t stop smiling, feeling very proud of this little band for capturing the hearts of their audience.
Night 2 of Steve Winwood was no different for Silversage. The crowd was at least 200 stronger than the previous evening, and the screams were the loudest I had heard for a local band in years. I heard a musician once say that if a song sounds like shit when it is played acoustically, then it’s overall a shitty song. For 2 nights, every single song that they played sounded amazing. In my purse were the tickets for their show at the House of Blues, which would be the first time I was seeing them outside of an acoustic setting, and although I was in love with those 2 nights at the Brooklyn Bowl, I was curious to see if they could pull off something more intense.
The floor of the House of Blues was completely packed as the boys set up their equipment. The crowd cheered as they ripped into their first song. Unlike their acoustic set where the crowd swayed with each beat, the crowd at the House of Blues jumped along to the music and danced as Perry’s drums and E. Trujillo’s bass shook the walls. The dual guitars of Romano & J. Trujillo burst through my ears as I bobbed my head along with the music, and when Kennedy brought his guitar out to join in on a few songs, electric magic happened. For the first time in a long time, I felt proud of a local rock group. If anyone was going to make it out of this town and take over the world, I wanted it to be them.
They commanded the crowd with force, and the crowd responded well. As the crowd sang along with them, and clapped when they were asked to clap, you could see the band’s energy rise, and the smiles on their faces grew. Each drum beat, each bass line, and each guitar solo, along with those haunting vocals, drew the crowd in further and further, and when the band broke into their last song of the night, you could tell the crowd was genuinely disappointed that their set was over.

Again, this is a band that you will want to keep your eyes and ears open for. I promise you that you will not be disappointed by them what-so-ever. Don’t believe me? Check them out here. I look forward to seeing them again and again. - ZRockR Magazine

By JAN HOGAN
VIEW STAFF WRITER



Silversage is poised to make a name for itself. The rock band, made up of locals, has been in existence for less than a year, but it’s already played a number of gigs in town and regionally.

Most notably, it opened for Steve Winwood at the Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas in June.

“We got a call, and they were like, ‘Hey, Steve Winwood, his management, heard your music and really like you. They want you to open for him,’ ” said Silversage’s drummer, Austin Perry.

The southwest resident is the band’s co-founder and worked in Nashville, Tenn., as a freelance drummer.

“We were, like, holy crap,” he said of booking the Winwood gig. “He’s a rock and roll music legend. For a local band to open for somebody who’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it was a great experience for us. That was a really big break for a band that’s trying to get itself on the map in Las Vegas.”

Along with Perry, Silversage’s other members are lead singer Chris Kennedy, a Summerlin South resident; bass player Elias Trujillo, a Sunrise resident; rhythm guitar player Jon Trujillo, a northwest resident; and lead guitarist Michael Romano, a Centennial Hills resident.

Romano is a graduate of Las Vegas Academy and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has played some large music festivals, such as Lollapalooza Brazil.

Kennedy said the group is a “pure rock and roll band, and that’s pretty hard to find these days. We’re not metal; we’re not crazy. … We have a raw sound, classic and cool.”

The band’s influences include Kings of Leon, Shinedown and Foo Fighters. It’s played a variety of places, including the Gold Spike, Backstage Bar & Billiards, the Riviera’s Wicked Vicky Tavern, Money Plays, Commonwealth, Life Cube Festival at the Plaza and the Cheyenne Saloon.

“We’ve been moving pretty fast for a band,” Perry said.

Perry and Kennedy knew each other when they attended Sierra Vista High School, 8100 W. Robindale Road. Kennedy went to the University of Arizona, while Perry studied music at UNLV. Kennedy returned to Las Vegas to perform as a solo country music singer. Perry went to Nashville and hooked up with a country band. When the music scene in Tennessee slowed down, Perry came back to Nevada, approached Kennedy and suggested they form a band. Though each had been doing country, they made Silversage a rock band.

“We were excited to be putting together a band,” Perry said. “Chris’ voice is more suited for rock.”

The Trujillo brothers were found through another high school buddy. Romano was the last to join.

As soon as the band was formed, there was a sense of urgency.

“From the get-go, I said, ‘Let’s hit the ground running. Let’s reach out to promoters,’ ” Perry said. “We always handle ourselves professionally, and I think that goes a long way. We’re always on time; we always make sure to thank the promoters.”

He and Kennedy manage the group, looking for bookings and approaching the media. They were included in a local band showcase in June at the House of Blues, taking the main stage before roughly 1,000 people.

“We do a few covers, just to get the crowd warmed up,” Perry said. “People always love to hear a song they’re familiar with.”

After that, it’s their own music. As much as 90 percent of the show includes original songs, a process that begins with Kennedy mapping out a song on the acoustic guitar. He also writes the lyrics. He then taps Romano to help develop it until it becomes a full band collaboration.

Is it a little scary to put your own songs out there?

“Any time you’re putting your art for display, you always are a little scared,” Perry said. “You want people to like what you’re doing, of course. You spend a lot of time coming up with the songs, the lyrics, all that’s involved. Luckily, people really enjoy the songs. … A lot of time, we’ll say, ‘OK, we know this worked. Let’s kind of keep going in the same direction.’ “

He said Las Vegas is providing an upward movement for a regional band such as theirs.

“In a year, I’d like to see us on tour,” said Perry, “playing notable concert venues and, hopefully, getting a label’s attention.”

Silversage is on iTunes and has a ReverbNation page, reverbnation.com/silversage, with some tracks. The band plans a free EP release show for Sept. 23 at the Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Crazy Chief and Josh Royse also are set to perform. Doors are set to open at 7 p.m. For more information, call 702-862-2695.

For the EP trailer, visit tinyurl.com/opohwb5.

Contact Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 702-387-2949. - Las Vegas Review Journal