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| ‘One Truth Freedom’
wins MEISA battle of bands |
Stephanie
Marshall
Entertainment Beat |
Peter Larkins | The Appalachian |
One Truth Freedom
took the gold at the Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association’s
(MEISA) Performer Showcase Saturday.
After close to five hours of bands battling it out, the winner
from the five finalists was announced.
The last band to play was One Truth Freedom, a Christian ska/rock
band. Even though the crowd had dwindled, they still managed to
win the showcase.
“We are just really glad we got to come out here and do
what we wanted to do and glorify the Lord,” Appalachian State
University freshman drummer John Morris said. |
One Truth
Freedom did not know if they would win because they did not really
know what the other competition was going to be like, Morris said.
“I was nervous,” said Rachel Lawrenson, Manteo High
School senior and lead singer of One Truth Freedom. One Truth Freedom
is composed of eight members, but only seven played.
The members are from Nags Head include Appalachian freshman
Morris on drums, Western Carolina University freshman Baron Draughton
on trombone, Randolph Macon College freshman Luke McGee on guitar,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill freshman Adam Hoffeman
on bass guitar, Will McMaster on guitar, Manteo High School seniors
Harry Skeen on the trumpet, Jenny Hawk on saxophone and lead singer
Rachel Lawrenson.
The only member that could not perform at the showcase was saxophone
player Jenny Hawk.
One Truth Freedom met and formed at the high school where all
of the members, execpt McMaster attended Hoffeman said.
“We were all friends beforehand, and we had figured out
we all played instruments, so we got a band together,” Morris
said.
The name One Truth Freedom was inspired by a cartoon that Morris
saw on television one day.
“It’s kind of like saying America freedom; one truth
is an adjective describing the freedom, and one truth is Jesus Christ,”
Morris said.
“Will is the only person in the band that does not like
the name,” Morris said.
The band been playing together for two years, Hoffeman said.
At first the band practiced every week, but now that the band
does not go school together, practicing usually only happens every
couple months or before shows.
The Performer’s Showcase was not the first place One Truth
Freedom has performed.
They now have the spot in the MEISA monthly and have performed
in their hometown as well, Morris said.
“It was an awesome opportunity to come here and get everybody
together from all across the state,” Morris said. |
| Weekend Excursion back in Boone,
at Legends tonight |
Stephanie
Marshall
Entertainment Beat |
Appalachian
Popular Programming Society (APPS) is starting the second semester
off with a bang, bringing a band to Appalachian State University
whose members once were Appalachian students themselves.
Weekend Excursion, consisting of Appalachian
alumni, is coming to Legends tonight.
Weekend Excursion is a popular, fun band that
always puts on a good show that brings in the crowd, Peter D.
Van Schoick, stage shows chairperson, said Tuesday.
Weekend Excursion’s members include, but
are not limited to, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Chris
Groch, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Jeff Foxworth and
drummer and backing vocalist Cas Edmunds, according to the Weekend
Excursion Web site. This Raleigh-based band
got its start in 1995 while the members were still seniors in
high school. Their first show was held in Edmunds’ basement.
According to their official Web site, that year they ended up
making a demo tape that was sold in a local dentist’s office.
After graduation the band headed off to become
students at Appalachian. When they received an overwhelming response
to their demo tape, they brought in John Plymale to record their
debut, self-titled CD, according to their Web site.
From then on, the band was forced into juggling
its time between school and weekend tours. The time paid off because
they again recorded with Plymale in 1998 for a second EP, “Five
to Six.”
While at Appalachian, Weekend Excursion was
involved with the fraternity scene, Van Schoick said.
After college, the band went on to record their
third EP, released in 2000, called “Radioactive,” which
would become one of North Carolina’s hottest sellers released
that year. The band also spread their touring radius from Florida
to Washington, D.C., according to their biography on the Web site.
In 2001, violinist Mike Ferry announced that
he would be leaving the band, which was a shock to all, including
the other band members, according to www.SamHillbands.com.
Mike Ferry left the band to go to graduate
school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Van
Schoick said.
Weekend Excursion recently released their debut
with The Redeye label called “Take Me Home.”
This new release is the first song-writing
contribution of Fisher and the first without the violin work of
Ferry, according to the Web site.
“Kick off the new semester with a party,
Weekend Excursion style,” Van Schoick said.
The tickets are $7 in advance and are being
sold at the information desk in W.H. Plemmons Student Union or
$9 at the door.
The show starts at 9 p.m. with an age limit
of 18 years or older. |
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