Tom Gryskewicz, Mike Golla, Giselle, & Kenny Va
The Starting Line dishes on Warped, going green and a new “direction”
By Giselle Portuondo
There’s nothing Pennsylvania-based band The Starting Line hasn’t been through. After years of touring and being stepped on by the music industry, the boys were ready for a new start, or may I say “direction,” which as you may have guessed is the title of the band’s new record. And so I got the chance to sit down with singer Kenny Vasoli for a one on one interview about life, direction, and even a little green (for the environment).
I asked Vasoli how the tour was going. “Hot” he answered, I laughed and agreed. “Hot” was the word of the day. After a brief chat on the subject of heat, I asked him about being on a tour bus for so long?
Tom Gryskewicz, Mike Golla, & Kenny Va
“It’s better than a van,” he said. “But we did have this leak in the back, and it was starting to smell really bad. We finally found it and fixed it today, so the bus smells like bubblegum now.”
Life on the road is not easy for the boys, however, being that this is the band’s third year at Warped. Touring is something they’ve gotten a little more used to.
“I think Warped is one of the best tours to be on,” he said. “You get to watch all your favorite bands, and tour around with a bunch of friends. It just can’t get any better.”
The band has also released their fourth album Direction this year. The new album is very different from the previous Starting Line records.
The Starting Line
“I am really excited about it. We always try and change things up a bit. We write about what we know. You kind of change with age, and you can see how the band has grown both in a musical and personal way through the previous records,” Vasoli said.
Their last album Based on a True Story was a flop for critics and the fans did not embrace it as well as previous albums. The band had to deal with the worst in the music industry, but they’ve stayed true to themselves.
“I always try to confront that face on and let people know what our intentions are for making music,” Vasoli said. The new record so far has been a hit for both the critics and devoted fans.
We got back on the Warped Tour subject and talked about the tour going green.
“I think it’s great! We’ve always been very active in keeping the environment safe. Not a lot of people are really aware of how much we have damaged the environment. I think that what we are doing in the tour is awesome, and kids are really becoming interested in how to help out.”
I asked Vasoli about performing on the Warped Tour, and he said interacting with fans was the “best part of my day. It’s a thrill to go out there, you really feel the energy, and that gets you pumped up. We have a blast.”
Vasoli and The Starting Line boys performed later that day, sang songs from the new and previous records, fans sang along and screamed as the lead singer moved around on stage, always a pleasure to see, The Starting Line gave one of the best performances of the night.
Becoming a fan? Tell Giselle at outloud@outloud.com.
If you want to find out more about The Starting Line, visit their site myspace.com/thestartingline.