found this in today's newsday and thought you might want to see
April 16, 2004
If you thought this winter was brutal, talk to Stage.
The Dix Hills band spent much of it touring, and that was on top of a rough 2003. Stage's self-titled debut on Maverick fizzled; band and label parted ways. Now Stage is working like an indie act again, recording material at the home of singer Ryan Stahr and hoping to self-release a new disc this year.
Stage's Tuesday show at The Downtown in Farmingdale was a homecoming of sorts. It was short (about half an hour) but intense, full of moody guitars and instrumental passages that hurtled anxiously toward their crescendos. Stahr's voice was in fine shape: On "Jesus Was a Test Tube Baby," he soared on a ghostly high note as the guitars decayed behind him.
But during some of the band's more indulgent moments (and there were a few), the crowd's attention seemed to wander. Whether Stage's brand of gothic grunge still has an audience in this era of emo and pop-punk remains to be seen.
Opening band Lux Courageous clearly has been practicing: Its show was top-notch, with singer PJ Tepe's voice sounding fuller and more assured. One new (and still untitled) song was an absolute scorcher, with a driving rhythm and the anguished line, "What's wrong with everyone around this town?"
The band also made an announcement: It's about to sign with Triple Crown Records. By the time you read this, the ink on the contract should be dry. Expect the album sometime in October.
*~katie~*
