The Kid Henry

Long Island band The Kid Henry will be playing at The Studio at Webster Hall tomorrow night, April 25th. They've got a lot of drive, a lot of heart and a lot worth paying attention to.

I have, on a number of occasions, described the members of The Kid Henry as being "some of the nicest people I've ever met." That's not an exaggeration either. They are definitely a genuine group, always ready to extend the hand of friendship to those they meet, and then openly support those friends when moments and happenings call for such gestures. The "human" aspect of this band is far from the only thing that defines their role in the somewhat fragmented music scene on Long Island; their sound is head turning - driven by skill, enthusiasm and downright clever songwriting.

According to their Facebook page, "The Kid Henry is an alternative rock band, featuring classically-trained vocalist Alexandra Lombardi. Formed in 2008, The Kid Henry has been a fixture in the resurgent Long Island music scene ever since. The individuals that make up The Kid Henry bring together eclectic musical taste and style to create a distinct sound built on driving rhythm, anthemic melody and personal, honest lyrics." They released their self-titled EP in May 2011, which can be downloaded by following this link, or by simply looking below this line of writing.

A recent article on LongIsland.com, stated that "One thing you can count on from this band is a high-energy, exciting performance," and also focused on the group's flow, camaraderie and multitude of musical talents. The Kid Henry will be playing tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 25th, at The Studio at Webster Hall in New York City. Included here are some photos I shot of them during their April 11th show at Local 269 on the Lower East Side. - Uncounted Circles

The Kid Henry is the alternative rock creation of four musically-driven Long Island natives who are in it to have fun and rejuvenate the camaraderie ...
As a female-fronted band, The Kid Henry brings a welcomed alternative rock set list to the Long Island music scene. The groups distinct sound blends elements of punk and rock, which are evident on their newly released self-titled EP.

All four band members - Alexandra, vocalist, Eammonn, bass, Frank, guitarist, and Vin on drums - are Long Island natives. The group makes the most of their location, with nearly endless venues and plenty of new fans ripe for the taking. “Long Islanders love bars and live music,” Alexandra tells us. “Almost every bar you walk into on a Friday or Saturday night has live music and it is important to connect with those bands, to broaden your audience.”

“There are countries smaller than Long Island,” Vin said. “People don’t realize what they have here on any given night in any venue on the Island. I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge with any city in America. No one has the diversity of music or quality bands that we have here.”

For The Kid Henry, establishing mutual relationships among other Long Island bands is important for individual bands and for the entire industry of emerging bands in the area. “We have been trying very hard to bring back the camaraderie in our local music scene,” Alex said. “We think it is extremely important that bands support each other, being from the music capitol of the world.”

The members of The Kid Henry all have a long history of working with creative bands with different musical backgrounds. So, what works with this unique group? “We all come from extremely different musical backgrounds, but the one thing we all pretty much agree on is our love for punk rock music,” said Alex. “We take a little of our personal favorites, combined with that little edge of punk rock and out pops The Kid Henry.”

“For the most part I feel it just flows out like that, to say that there aren't arguments would be a lie, but they are very rare, and much easier than I've had in previous bands,” Eammonn adds. “We write every song the way we want to, we never worry about if people are going to like it. We don't need to win anybody over; we do this because we like it,” says Vin.

Part of the recipe is not taking things too personally. “If someone comes up with a riff or even a whole song, some words or hums a melody, and everyone likes it, we go with it. If we don’t like it, we move on,” Vin explains. “We have very few bruised egos.”

Another part of The Kid Henry’s appeal is the band’s lead female vocalist. “When a girl fronts a rock band, there is always a head turning element of interest. We are blessed with a talented vocalist who really shines,” Frank said.

One thing you can count on from this band is a high-energy, exciting performance. When asked about their favorite performances, Alex described a show played in early January on the Lower East Side. “To have kids sing back lyrics that I wrote and be so excited for the music was unreal. They wanted all of our merch, our autographs and pictures; it was crazy!,” Alex said. “I had to take off work the next day, because I felt like such a rock star, I couldn't dream of sitting behind a desk the next day,” she added.

Vin, Frank and Eammonn all recounted their experience performing at The Kraine Theater in New York City, a venue that is well-known for experimental productions. Sharing the stage with their friends in All New Episode, tickets were sold out, and the audience sang their songs along with the band. Eammonn described the performance as a turning point for the group. “We realized, at that show, that we are doing what we are meant to do,” Frank said. “It took me a long time to play a show where the audience was so engaged with the music, and I’m glad to have it happen with this band,” Vin added.

As for their personalities, “ - longisland.com

Listen to The Kid Henry interviewed by hosts Mike Ferrari and Radio J, and perform three acoustic songs. Runtime approximately 1 hour. Original air date 09/27/2011 - 88.1 WCWP-FM

The strange thing about nostalgia is the surprise factor involved. For example, you can account for a certain song you listened to when you were dating a certain person to dredge up certain memories, but sometimes revisiting albums from the past barely stirs a passing thought. And then there's the stuff for which you can't even account - for example, why does listening to the self-titled debut EP from Long Island band The Kid Henry weirdly make this writer reminisce about the halcyon days of the mid '90s, when we were stretching our wings to the soundtrack of the third generation punk rockers MXPX and Tilt?

The Kid Henry aren't exactly punky - if anything, they cleave to the "alternative rock band" designation they give themselves, but we'll be damned if it doesn't share the same dynamics as the big and bittersweet closers on the aforementioned MXPX's best effort Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffallo. Take "What We've Become," a slowly boiling hard ballad that joins lead singer Alexandra Lombardi's supple but pretty tone with chugging, intent guitars and a stomping rhythm section. "Dirty Dancing" is a little more overtly quickfooted and catchy, and the anthem "A Month Of Sundays" combines the band's signature soft-loud dynamics to great effect - it's a song that begs to come out of car windows at a high volume.

Though it's a consistent EP, it's still possible to parse the stronger tracks from the weaker. "Legendary" is intent on telling a story to the detriment of lyrical pacing, and "Change Of Scene" is pleasantly punky but doesn't have much to keep in lodged in the brain. The Kid Henry are finding their footing on this EP, a selection that will appeal to those of us who grew up with melodic punk rock and to new fans who think NOFX is a cleaning product. We look forward to hearing what steps they make in the near future. - madeloud.com

Album Review: The Kid Henry, The Kid Henry

The Kid Henry, “The Kid Henry”
The Kid Henry has all the makings of becoming a household name among teens that are ready to walk away from mainstream pop and ease into the indie rock scene. The female-fronted five-piece rock band’s self-titled album features hooky danceable tunes, which are rounded out nicely with classically-trained Alexandra Lombardi’s vocals. Standout tracks include: “Change of Scene,” and “Dirty Dancing”. - sinistergirlz.com

The please follow the link to read comments posted by listeners who have heard The Kid Henry. - Compliled from jango.com

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Video featuring The Kid Henry which aired on Verizon FIOS 1 in October, 2010. Also available on the web for all eternity. See URL below. - mylitv.com

Clayton Guitar Picks (All Musicians)
Silverfox Percussion, Soultone Cymbals (Vincent Giordano) - The Kid Henry

The Kid Henry is a Featured Indie Artist Of The Week, with bio and music displayed on the front page of madeloud.com. - madeloud.com