A trip to 'The Other Syde'
No drums, plenty of electronica and lots of heart: Industrial band members gear up for musical debut in Vienna
Brian Cetina, Design Editor
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Campus Life
In an age of MTV and VH1 reality shows, and bands that sell out and sound the same, it isn't too often you find bands that focus on being original anymore. The members of The Other Syde do, though, with an industrial and electronica sound, making music for themselves and for the pure love of the game.
The Other Syde does draw musical influence, however, from artists like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and The Cure. The Other Syde is a band that comes out of Vienna by way of surrounding cities, but all members aren't from the area, or even Ohio.
Jason Newman, guitarist for the band and Youngstown State University junior, explained, "We might all be from separate place, but the music and heart of this band was made right here, in Ohio."
Two of The Other Syde's members are originally from out of state — lead singer and keyboardist Michael Opalka from Florida and guitarist/vocalist Jason Bates from California.
The band came together by way of Opalka, residing in Cortland, who began playing piano at age seven, meeting Newman at Hot Topic in Niles. "I noticed his Cure and Depeche Mode buttons on his tag and thought 'I want to play music with this kid,'" said Opalka, "because I like those bands too."
"The Cure was huge for me as an influence on this band. Robert Smith is amazing," Newman shared.
Soon after, Newman and Opalka began playing music and writing early stages of what are now full songs. Opalka then met Bates, nicknamed "Psycho" after fictional character Norman Bates in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film. Psycho, influenced musically by Elliot Smith, began writing, playing and throwing down his own songs to contribute. The Other Syde was complete when the members met bassist Dan Drummond at an acoustic blues two-piece gig. Drummond was the final piece of this musical puzzle with jazz influences that differed from the musical backgrounds of his band mates.
Aside from the band's industrial and electronica sound and influences, there are also the influences that Psycho suggests, like the Beatles and Elliot Smith.
The Other Syde does draw musical influence, however, from artists like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and The Cure. The Other Syde is a band that comes out of Vienna by way of surrounding cities, but all members aren't from the area, or even Ohio.
Jason Newman, guitarist for the band and Youngstown State University junior, explained, "We might all be from separate place, but the music and heart of this band was made right here, in Ohio."
Two of The Other Syde's members are originally from out of state — lead singer and keyboardist Michael Opalka from Florida and guitarist/vocalist Jason Bates from California.
The band came together by way of Opalka, residing in Cortland, who began playing piano at age seven, meeting Newman at Hot Topic in Niles. "I noticed his Cure and Depeche Mode buttons on his tag and thought 'I want to play music with this kid,'" said Opalka, "because I like those bands too."
"The Cure was huge for me as an influence on this band. Robert Smith is amazing," Newman shared.
Soon after, Newman and Opalka began playing music and writing early stages of what are now full songs. Opalka then met Bates, nicknamed "Psycho" after fictional character Norman Bates in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film. Psycho, influenced musically by Elliot Smith, began writing, playing and throwing down his own songs to contribute. The Other Syde was complete when the members met bassist Dan Drummond at an acoustic blues two-piece gig. Drummond was the final piece of this musical puzzle with jazz influences that differed from the musical backgrounds of his band mates.
Aside from the band's industrial and electronica sound and influences, there are also the influences that Psycho suggests, like the Beatles and Elliot Smith.
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