On the fast track
Members of the band "Red Line District" are getting increasingly jittery at the thought of stepping onto the stage of Chicago's House of Blues next weekend.
But it's all good nerves, they say.
"We're really excited, really pumped," said drummer Chris Palmerin. "You just can't wait for that time when it's your cue to go on set. We've been waiting, waiting, waiting."
Guitarist Chris Gomez said the band "did the grunt work," playing their brand of hard-edged alternative rock in Chicago's underground locales and working their way up to established venues like the Double Door.
For a band that officially formed only eight months ago, it's quite an accomplishment to score a gig at the House of Blues, where Red Line District and California-based The Dear and Departed open Sept. 15 for headliners Within Temptation, a Dutch rock band.
How did they do that? With persistence, Gomez said.
"I submitted a physical press kit (to the House of Blues) and then got a referral to their booking agent. I must have called him 10 times," he said. "One day I got an e-mail from him saying we sounded great, and it all came about."
Gomez, 23, of Burr Ridge, and guitarist Callin Passero, 24, of Willowbrook, met through a mutual friend and formed the nucleus of the band they named in honor of Chicago's el train. "We're all representing the Chicago area, and we had promos on the red line," said Palmerin, 24, who lives in Chicago. "We're a Chicago band, and we're going to come out strong and let people know that."
The other band members are singer Ben VanBuskirk, 24, of Lyons, and bassist James Meador, 26, of Clarendon Hills. They practice out of an empty office space in Hinsdale that belongs to Passero's father.
Red Line District plans to unveil a couple of new songs written by VanBuskirk to add to its current 10-song set. The show will also be VanBuskirk's vocalist debut after singer Brian Mazzaferri was let go in late July.
According to Gomez, Mazzaferri's acoustic style didn't mesh well with the band's harder sound.
"The feedback we got from people, family and friends is that musically we were always on point, but that the singer wasn't fitting our genre," he said. "(Mazzaferri) definitely helped us get to where we are right now."
Writing new material is a collaborative process that generally starts with lyrics by VanBuskirk or music by Gomez and Passero, to which Meador and Palmerin add smooth transitions and overall "flavor," Palmerin said. "Sometimes we have to take a step back because if you have too many people working on the same thing, it's not going to work," he said.
Except for Passero, who is taking time off work to focus on his music, Red Line District's members have full-time jobs. Their goal, however, is to record and play music for a living.
"You don't want to be known just as a 15-minute band, but as a really good band that influenced people," Palmerin said. "My dream is to be recording in the studio with big label producers, working on the next album. My dream is to go as far as we can go -- there is no limit."
Red Line District and the Dear and Departed opening for Within Temptation
When: Sept. 15, doors open at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m.
Where: House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn St., Chicago
Tickets: $13
Info: call (312) 923-2000 or visit http://www.hob.com/tickets