The first stage (of rocking) is Denial
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More than just a river in Egypt, Bellevue rock act Denial doesn't deny its audiences a good, hard, rocking time.
While the quintet - Ellie Struck (vocals), Mike "MC" Place (guitar), Sam Villareal (bass), Jake Stuck (drums) and Tod Allen (guitar) - falls somewhere under the hard, modern and alternative rock umbrella, the covers it chooses to play separate the act from its peers.
"We first try to please our own musical tastes, so we play things that aren't conventional," said Ellie, who teaches English at Monroeville High School during the day. "We'll play songs such as Tool's ëOpiate,' Rage Against The Machine's ëGuerilla Radio,' Finger Eleven's ëSuffocate' and Violent Femmes' ëAdd it Up.'"
While playing other people's material can be fun and might get the band a few more gigs than if it were just another original band playing bars, Ellie said the group really gets off on performing its own tunes, such as "Hard for Me" and "Fall Away."
The outfit will be recording its debut effort this summer.
"The original material is definitely where we're headed," she said. "It's hard and covers are fun, but certainly the rush we get from playing our own songs and having people being really into those far outweighs when we play covers."
One thing Denial has in its favor is the fact it's led by a female singer, which is different than most bands performing today.
"It's definitely unique," Ellie said. "I think it works because we're not a girl band and we don't do any songs by females. So it's been a challenge, certainly for us in the beginning, to kind of get respect and to get out places with a hard rock band that features a female singer, but I hold my own."
You can watch Ellie hold her own when Denial returns to the Northcoast. Having played numerous Erie County dates during the past few years - including opening for .38 Special at Lyman Harbor - the band will perform April 28 at The Pump Bar & Grille in Perkins Township.
"Sandusky has great audiences," Ellie said. "There's always lots of people out getting into the music, and that's what we love - to get up close and really be into what we're playing. We play for anybody who likes all types of rock and wants to see a good show."
She quickly added, "It's loud and rocking."
Denial
WHEN: 9 p.m. April 28
WHERE: The Pump Bar, Strub road and Ohio 4
COST: FREE
INFO: 419-621-1041
The second stage of rocking is weird - it involves a banana and $3 in change. E-mail John Benson at jbenson@funcoast.com.
