MUSIC

Beware of Darkness descending at Stickyz

If the band named Beware of Darkness sounds familiar, it could be traced to late former Beatle George Harrison’s song of the same name.

But Beware of Darkness, the band, is no Harrison tribute band. Nor is it even a heavy metal band, as some have assumed, according to the band’s founder and singer-songwriter-guitarist, Kyle Nicolaides of Santa Barbara, Calif.

“When I was growing up, I would go to Amoeba Music, a big record store in LA, where they had a massive amount of used CDs selling for $3 or $4,” Nicolaides says. “At those prices, they opened the doors for me to try all kinds of music, from Cole Porter to Miles Davis. So I bought a copy of George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and it blew my mind.

“There were all these great songs, complete with meaningful, spiritual lyrics, and it really hit me hard. So when I thought about a name for my band, I thought of that song, and how when people hear the name, some think we’re a hard rock band or heavy metal,and really, the name should serve as a cautionary tale, as in ‘be aware of it.’”

Nicolaides started his band a year and a half ago, after he met drummer Tony Cupito at a show in downtown Los Angeles. They added bassist Daniel Curcio and the lineup was complete. The triohas played at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas, the past two years, and has opened shows for Social Distortion, Stone Temple Pilots, Tegan and Sara, Bush and The Deftones.

The band’s debut album, Orthodox, will be released May 7 on the Bright Antenna label and Nicolaides says the album name, like the band’s name, has special meaning.

“It’s more about the creative process,” he explains, “and how you enter the studio and make plans and then there’s how it works out. I had thought about calling the album Bleak, but I kept writing the word ‘orthodox’ in my journal. I was raised Greek Orthodox, but I’m not really religious at all.”

Growing up, Nicolaides credits a father with great musical taste (his dad saw Led Zeppelin eight times) for exposing him to great rock music, including buying him a copy of The Beatles’ Help album as his first cassette: “He’s the one who really got me into music by taking me to see Robert Plant for my first concert.”

Beware of Darkness will perform its first Arkansas show tonight, and in July will open a European tour for Smashing Pumpkins.

Beware of Darkness

Opening act: To be announced

9 p.m. today, Stickyz Rock

’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 107

River Market Ave., Little

Rock

Admission: $5

(501) 372-7707

stickyz.com

Style, Pages 29 on 04/23/2013

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