Are you that collegiette™ that loves to rock out to some heavy metal? I know I am. I’d take a metal jam band over a rap group any day, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Because let’s face it, there’s something sexy about a girl head banging to a metal band. But how often do you hear a metal band near you?
If you’re from the Binghamton area, Summer Moon might ring a bell. The band made their first official Oswego debut at the Battle of the Bands on March 10, and is comprised of three friends from Binghamton. Oswego State’s Chris Ballard plays bass, Jordan Johnson from the Savannah School of Art Design jams out on the drums and Adam “Rino” Stampfler from Binghamton University rocks it out on guitar. Stampfler and Johnson are two years older than Ballard, but after jamming out with him a few times, Summer Moon was born.
Currently, Summer Moon doesn’t have a vocalist. They had one for a while that they found on Craig’s List, but he was much older and not as tight knit into the group. Stampfler occasionally sings, but doesn’t take on the role very often. The band is currently having a hard time finding a lead singer who can fit their personality as a band, but many of their songs don’t have lyrics, so they don’t feel pressure to find a random vocalist. For now, they’re just enjoying the music they create.
“We mostly play on weekends when we’re all home,” says Ballard. “Sometimes we have a gig on Saturday and we practice for a little on Friday, and [then we go on stage].”
The band hasn’t had time to come out with anything new recently because they’re all students and deciding where the future will take them next.
The three have been friends since middle school and claim it was something “magical” that brought them together. Their name itself was created from a lyric in the track “Cashmere” by Led Zeplin. When they realized they were often rehearsing in Johnson’s barn on summer nights under a full moon, they knew it needed to be the band name.
Although most of their fans will recognize an Iron Maiden sound, the band has a very unique combination of inspirations. Some like hardcore metal, one of them is into punk, and another into classical.
“We all combine together to make such a big sound,” says Stamfler. “Each person plays their part of the song and it gives it energy and a great sound.”
Summer Moon has a variety of songs ranging from heavy metal to polka. They even have a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” to dabble in mainstream music a bit more.
Summer Moon has opened for and has been opened by Mob Day, and they opened for Rize, both of which are heavy metal bands in Binghamton. They tend to play at the same place in Binghamton, but the trio is currently trying to secure a spot to perform at Nikstock in Owego over the summer.
So what is next for Summer Moon? You’ll have to stay tuned, collegiettes™. The band is still playing in the Binghamton area, although they might be transitioning to New York City for educational or occupational reasons. It’s all up in the air right now until Ballard graduates in May. They’re still writing more songs and looking forward to summer, when they hope to begin recording a set of their own music.
If you haven’t checked out Summer Moon yet, be sure to check out their Facebook and MySpace pages. And if you’re not sure if this is the band for you, just make sure to remember that speed equals excellence, and have fun rocking out to a group that loves performing.
*Photos by Vala Kjarval