Randy J. Klodz - Something Corporate Offers Something Different

April 22, 2004

Something Corporate Offers Something Different

By Randy J. Klodz

Piano-driven slow-rockers, Something Corporate will be headed to Chicago for the final time in months, this time with a co-headlining jaunt with Yellowcard, for a night of light punk-rock on April 23 at Riviera Theatre.

Currently a quartet following the departure of guitarist William Tell, Something Corporate now features Andrew McMahon on vocals and piano, Josh Partington on guitar, Clutch on bass and Brian Ireland on drums. The band is making its last national run on the band’s sophomore effort, “North,” which was released in October of 2003.

For some reason or another, Something Corporate is often lumped into the pop-punk legion of bands typical to the majority found on the Vans Warped Tour. Though the band has been featured on the tour, and has the utmost respect for it and its participants, Something Corporate is nothing like Good Charlotte. In fact, Something Corporate’s lead singer and pianist, Andrew McMahon, 21, plays an acoustic upright piano onstage in a similar fashion to one of McMahon’s idols, Ben Folds.

“We had [the piano] around even before we had a career, and as a singer it always has been very tacky to be behind a Wave keyboard onstage,” McMahon said. “It’s one thing to have keyboards in the background but to be playing it, to be sitting and being a frontman from behind a digital keyboard seemed like a hokey thing for me, so I decided to be a real pain in everybody’s ass and bring out an acoustic piano,” he said jokingly.

The slow-rocking “North” track “Space” glistens with McMahon’s lyrics: “Hey! Give me space so I can breathe / Give me space so I can sleep / Give me space so you can drown in this with me.” McMahon has firm command of the piano on the ballad-like “She Paints Me Blue,” as he sings: “And your my good feeling, I'm kneeling / Inside her room she paints me blue / And you are my reason for breathing / Inside her room she paints me blue,” giving listeners a sneak-peak at what may appear in his private journal. Other key tracks include “Break Myself,” “Me and the Moon” and “Only Ashes,” to name a few.

Though the band spent last summer on the Vans Warped Tour, the band is making alternative plans this summer, opting to not spend the upcoming summer months trudging through nearly fifty dates on this year’s Vans Warped Tour. McMahon said that he and his bandmates plan to hit the studio, though fans can rest assured that Something Corporate should be back and better than ever, following a sophomore-effort titled “North,” the band is always looking to mature to newer heights.

“Our time is far better served in the studio anyway,” said McMahon, “we can get a new record ready because, inevitably we are going to being touring every fall so we might as well spend the time getting a new album together so we can prepare for some new music to come out, hopefully by the beginning of the year.”

Riviera Theatre is at 4746 N. Racine Ave. Tickets for this all-ages show are listed for $19.50 each with a show start time slated for 7 p.m. The Format is also scheduled to perform. For more information on Something Corporate log on to www.somethingcorporate.com.