In the small upper room of the Worcester Palladium on November 8th, people dressed in black with flowing long hair waited. The crowd was small, yet excited and eager. As soon as the band appeared, the crowd cheered with excitement and rushed towards them. 3, a group of three from Woodstock, NY, took the stage with pride and just as much excitement as the crowd.
Before their set, 3 sat at their merch table, ready to be converse with their fans. I interviewed Joey Eppard and from the brief moments I chatted with him and the others, I could tell that they not only are passionate about their music, but they know the business, and know it well.
Due to technical errors, 3 spent the beginning of their set fiddling with their instruments, yelling back and forth with the sound guy. Once 3 started, however, they did not stop.
3’s music is unique, nearly impossible to describe. Although labeled as a rock band, they tie in a little bit of everything. Incorporating everything from heavy metal sweeps, to funky jazz rhythms tied together with Latin beats, amazing guitar riffs, solos and total breakdowns, 3 drove the audience wild. The vocalist was equally diverse, transitioning from belting out the words to “React” and to near growling to some of their darker tunes. Even people who seemed hesitant towards the band at first were soon seen rocking out.
Although each song’s style was beautiful on its own, the never-ending power of each song really captured the entire audience. Guitarist Eppard totally went wild, sweeping and totally jamming out, which is always exciting, his passion obvious through his head banging and dancing.
Drummer Josh Eppard really stood out, too. Most drum solos contain quick, outrageously chaotic patterns and loud bangs. Although this was part of the solo, it was very melodic and groovy. Bassist Chris Bittner too had a very fun, jazzy solo.
By the time 3’s set finished, I was craving more. 3’s ability to capture an audience was truly amazing – once you’re hooked on 3, you’ll never let go.
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