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| Raleigh-based ‘Alli
With An I’ returns to Boone |
Kevin Delury
Entertainment Beat Writer |
Josh Brown | Chief Photographer
Past performances in Boone include Geno’s Sports Restaurant
& Lounge. |
Alli With An I’s
history isn’t exactly the fodder for VH1’s “Behind
the Music.”
All four members get along incredibly well and enjoy touring with
each other. They cite their friendship as the cornerstone for the
band’s success and enjoy spending their time in the audience
after shows, supporting the other bands on the night’s bill.
“I think it’s so stupid when bands argue and they’re
not friends,” said drummer Michael Sileno. “What are they
in it for?”
It’s apparent that Alli with an I is in it for the simple fact
they love to play. |
Since forming in 2000,
the Raleigh-based act has gone on to share the stage with such national
acts as Grade, Good Riddance, Strike Anywhere, Taking Back Sunday
and Rufio.
In 2001, the group went into the studio to record their eight-song
album, “Long Story Short,” a non-stop tour de force of
emo-driven pop-punk that clocks in at a mere 28 minutes.
Only a year after its release, “Long Story Short” has
gone on to become a staple in North Carolina underground music.
Their album also gained them the attention of Forsaken Recordings,
which signed the band earlier this summer.
Outside of record labels, BMX clothing company Underground Products
and cycling manufacturers DK Bikes have also struck up sponsorship
deals for Alli With An I.
“DK hooked us up with four free BMX bikes, which was awesome,”
said Eshelman.
The group also has appeared on numerous BMX music compilations,
as well as played at BMX parks and exhibitions on tour.
The band is comprised of members Mathew Paul Sileno on guitar, Mathew’s
brother Michael Sileno on drums, guitarist and vocalist Ry Eshelman,
and Tom Sowder on bass guitar.
All four members of Alli With An I attend North Carolina State University,
with the exception of Michael Sileno, who graduated from N.C. State
in 2001 with a degree in sociology.
In the meantime, Mathew Sileno is pursuing a degree in biology,
Eshelman is currently a mathematics major, and Sowder is majoring
in English.
Being full-time students, as well as holding down full-time jobs
for a catering service can interfere with their touring schedule.
“We try to tour as much as much as we can, but being in school
makes it hard,” said Eshelman.
“It’s always a fall break tour, a winter tour, a spring
break tour, and a summer tour,” joked Sowder.
This is not the first time Alli With An I has toured through Boone.
The band is hoping for a much better reception this time around,
though.
“We played last winter at Geno’s at the Red Bull and vodka
sponsored night,” said Mathew Sileno. “That’s a great
idea, give a bunch of kids Red Bull and vodka and then they just
fight. One of our friends wound up at the hospital. It was insane.”
Besides their show at Geno’s, the group has seen their fair
share of incidents on tour.
“During a show on our summer tour, we saw this guy doing back
flips off of a 4-foot stage,” recalls Sowder. “He was
landing on his back, and there was broken glass all over the floor.”
“He had to get carried out, but we think he’s okay,”
said Eshelman.
In between playing shows and keeping up with the demands of school
and work, the group is planning to head back in the studio to record
the follow-up album to “Long Story Short.”
“Hopefully we’ll have it recorded by Christmas,”
said Mathew Sileno. “We need money to record, plus we need
to figure out where we’re going to do it. It’s just a
lot of organizational stuff.”
Alli with An I will be performing Sept. 6 in Whitewater, located
on the second floor of Plemmons Student Union.
Also slated to perform are Brentwood and Monday in London. Admission
is $3 at the door, and the show begins at 9 p.m. The event is BYOB
with a six-pack limit and valid ID.
For music downloads and more information on Alli With An I, visit
their website www.AlliWithAnI.com. |
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