wild violet | mythic mist - days awake review by linda oatman high

Playing a rare holiday weekday show at New York’s The Bitter End on December 27 was the dynamic six-member band Days Awake. Hailing from New Jersey, a state stereotypically known for cover bands, Days Awake is a rock band, a jam band, a bluesy, rootsy, get-your-groove-on, one-of-a-kind band. Performed with passion, the band’s unique music was a force to be reckoned with as they took on the stage bursting with an energy rarely seen in the performers of today. Hints of various musical styles from decades past blended seamlessly in a vigorously mixed recipe that results in the original inventive music of Days Awake. Delivering passionate and gutsy lyrics, lead singer Chuck Schoonmaker commanded the audience with a delivery that mesmerized from the first note.

The band is tight and unified, not simply in sound but in the vibe they sent out to the crowd at The Bitter End. This is not only a band; this is a family. Drummer Sarah Tomek is a creative and precise percussionist, and her drums are the heartbeat of a band that obviously delights in playing together. Lead guitarist Jeremy Korpas is fast and fluid on the frets, and he doesn’t just play the guitar; Jeremy and the guitar become one. Rhythm guitarist Dom Laquiniti invokes shades of influences from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and the Allman Brothers with jams that shimmy and flow from his soulful and trademark slide guitar. Dom never stops smiling, and neither does his guitar. Jay Cagna’s flawless bass lines are steady and powerful, and beautifully rounding out the sound is Eric Sarka, a master of the keyboards.

The audience at The Bitter End was a varied one, including members of the MTV generation and older fans. Days Awake pleased them all. Launching the show with a compelling rendition of “Someday Somewhere,” the band delivered an eight-song jamming, riveting set that exploded the venue. Having some difficulty with a monitor, guitarist Korpas instructed the sound people to “just turn it off. We’re from the streets of Asbury Park. We’re not used to monitors, anyway.”

Days Awake does Jersey proud. Walking away with four honors at the prestigious 2005 Asbury Park music awards, including “Best Rock Band,” the band is expected to be the next big thing out of a state that already claims Springsteen and Bon Jovi. Getting air play and bookings not only in New Jersey but in Philadelphia and New York, as well, the band is busy preparing for national exposure. Having paid their dues at shore venues such as the famed Stone Pony, Days Awake has set their collective sights on making music full-time. Formed in the summer of 2003, the band’s been working hard at what Jeremy Korpas calls “creating my own paradise called Days Awake.”

And it’s heavenly for their fans. Ending their set at The Bitter End with a rousing rendition of “Let’s Get Together,” Days Awake gave the audience at The Bitter End a satisfying experience of rock and roll that’s not just rock and roll.

Sarah Tomek Chuck Schoonmaker