In the middle of the Mojave desert is the oasis known as Las Vegas, and in Vegas there is an oasis from the lounge acts and cover bands known as Epstein's Mother. Formed in 1996, their artistry in writing and recording, as well as the quality of their live performances, has skyrocketed. When singer/songwriter/guitarist Shawn Eiferman and bassist Geoff Neuman headed into the studio to record some of Eiferman's songs, that level of accomplishment is just what they envisioned.
From the start, Epstein's Mother took an intelligent approach to their career path. The band's live shows started with their Saturday night residency at Gameworks on the famed Las Vegas Strip. Four years later, their cd release party for Subtle drew a crowd of almost 1,500 shouting fans at the House of Blues in early 2000. The album was produced by Mike Sak who also did the studio work for the Goo Goo Dolls and Ani DiFranco. Epstein's Mother has what it takes to make things work because they "play it smart" as Neuman put it. Playing honest guitar rock in a Bruce Springsteen vein to an ever-increasing throng of adoring fans is more than that-it's downright ingenious.
Seeing as no one stumbles upon such smarts, the members of Epstein's Mother have been mastering their crafts so there is not a dim-witted sweathog among them. Save for guitarist Christian Brady, they all went to UNLV, though that is not where their story begins. Eiferman has been performing for 20 years since age nine, and his repertoire also includes bass, keyboards, harmonica and drums. Neuman has a bachelor's degree in music from UNLV. His influences include an astounding range from Iron Maiden's bassist Steve Harris and Rush's Geddy Lee in Geoff's early days, to Chick Corea's former bassist John Patitucci who serves as his mentor and inspiration. Drummer Chris Morrison was brought into the EM fold after being Neuman's college roommate and band member in a previous jazz/fusion project. After embarking on the road to becoming a musician 17 years ago, this is his first foray into the world of rock'n'roll. Likewise, Brady got his start as a classical guitarist, but has been looming large on the Vegas scene for the past five years. With his keen instincts and style in place, Epstein's Mother has the wherewithal to play earnest songs that reach out to a wide yet discerning crowd of music fans that are equally supportive at home and on the road.
Press and radio, in addition to the true barometer of a band's talent-their fans-have been good to Epstein's Mother. Subtle has garnered consistent spins on KOMP and KXTE in Vegas as well as other major stations like Channel 104.1 in Arizona. Mike Prevatt of Las Vegas City Life said, "Upon just listening once to [Epstein's Mother's] debut full-length album, there's not a radio aware listener who can't deny that this album has "multi-platinum potential" written all over it... Their number one priority is becoming better musicians who play better music every time they rehearse, record or take the stage."
Aside from the gimmicks and the trends, one thing that will always have a place in the broader scope of popular music is straightforward, melodic songs that relate to the listener. That is the only kind of music Epstein's mother knows how to write and play. As Eiferman puts it, "What you see is what you get," and unlike other sights in the desert, this ain't no mirage.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.epsteinsmother.com/
Track List:
1. Gone
2. My Favorite Song
3. Big Picture
4. My Way
5. Believe
6. Living in the Memory
7. Payin' Your Dues
8. Sure Does
9. Constant Reminder
10. Hideaway
11. Motivation
12. Still I Dream
13. Barroom Star
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
From the start, Epstein's Mother took an intelligent approach to their career path. The band's live shows started with their Saturday night residency at Gameworks on the famed Las Vegas Strip. Four years later, their cd release party for Subtle drew a crowd of almost 1,500 shouting fans at the House of Blues in early 2000. The album was produced by Mike Sak who also did the studio work for the Goo Goo Dolls and Ani DiFranco. Epstein's Mother has what it takes to make things work because they "play it smart" as Neuman put it. Playing honest guitar rock in a Bruce Springsteen vein to an ever-increasing throng of adoring fans is more than that-it's downright ingenious.
Seeing as no one stumbles upon such smarts, the members of Epstein's Mother have been mastering their crafts so there is not a dim-witted sweathog among them. Save for guitarist Christian Brady, they all went to UNLV, though that is not where their story begins. Eiferman has been performing for 20 years since age nine, and his repertoire also includes bass, keyboards, harmonica and drums. Neuman has a bachelor's degree in music from UNLV. His influences include an astounding range from Iron Maiden's bassist Steve Harris and Rush's Geddy Lee in Geoff's early days, to Chick Corea's former bassist John Patitucci who serves as his mentor and inspiration. Drummer Chris Morrison was brought into the EM fold after being Neuman's college roommate and band member in a previous jazz/fusion project. After embarking on the road to becoming a musician 17 years ago, this is his first foray into the world of rock'n'roll. Likewise, Brady got his start as a classical guitarist, but has been looming large on the Vegas scene for the past five years. With his keen instincts and style in place, Epstein's Mother has the wherewithal to play earnest songs that reach out to a wide yet discerning crowd of music fans that are equally supportive at home and on the road.
Press and radio, in addition to the true barometer of a band's talent-their fans-have been good to Epstein's Mother. Subtle has garnered consistent spins on KOMP and KXTE in Vegas as well as other major stations like Channel 104.1 in Arizona. Mike Prevatt of Las Vegas City Life said, "Upon just listening once to [Epstein's Mother's] debut full-length album, there's not a radio aware listener who can't deny that this album has "multi-platinum potential" written all over it... Their number one priority is becoming better musicians who play better music every time they rehearse, record or take the stage."
Aside from the gimmicks and the trends, one thing that will always have a place in the broader scope of popular music is straightforward, melodic songs that relate to the listener. That is the only kind of music Epstein's mother knows how to write and play. As Eiferman puts it, "What you see is what you get," and unlike other sights in the desert, this ain't no mirage.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.epsteinsmother.com/
Track List:
1. Gone
2. My Favorite Song
3. Big Picture
4. My Way
5. Believe
6. Living in the Memory
7. Payin' Your Dues
8. Sure Does
9. Constant Reminder
10. Hideaway
11. Motivation
12. Still I Dream
13. Barroom Star
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- ROCK: Modern Rock
- ROCK: Roots Rock
- TYPE: ACOUSTIC