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: PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK From left, Caleb Scofield, John Conners, Adam McGrath and Stephen Brodsky, the members of Cave In, spend most of their time touring. The band will also play at Fall Out tonight. Bands CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 cal and emotional energy in one burst,” Brodsky said. Sparta, which shies from metalcore and favors a more emo-rock sound, could only ' commiserate with Brodsky about life on the road. Bassist Matt Miller said his relation ship with his girlfriend has been strained because he spends so much time on tour, and he said his time at home has be come awk ward. Sparta, which features Miller, gui tarist Paul Hinojos, vocal ist and en1 tarist Jim Ward, and drummer Tony Hajjar, came together in El Paso, Texas, less than two years ago. Now, Sparta finds itself con stantly on tour. For Miller, kick ing off Weezer’s tour in Salt Lake City in front of a crowd of 8,000 people has been one of the most memorable experiences from the road. But since the release of “Wiretap Scars” on Dreamworks records, the band has also taken to television. Performing on Craig Kilbom’s “Late Late Show” was stressful for Miller. “The way it’s laid out is not the way it’s taped,” he said. “The show is cut into pieces, and you have to perform the song perfectly.” The band is scheduled to per form on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” this Tuesday and plans to release another album after spending a year and a half on i-1-: tour. “We’re an honest band,” Miller said. “We play every show like it’s our last.” For now, Cave In is focusing on a new CD to be released in February on RCA Records and an EP titled “Tides of Tomorrow” on Hydra Head Records, which will come out Oct. 15. The band has broken modem rock conventions with its pro ductivity;'instead of taking years between releases, the band has made one album almost ev ery year since 1997. But then again, conven tion is the ene my for Cave In, which openly mocks main stream rock. “Most of those bands are really terrible,” Brodsky said, “and all four of us feel no connection to 90 percent of the bands because they haven’t gone through the dirt. They’ve been put together.” Neither Sparta nor Cave In has played in Columbia before, but Cave In will hit the stage at 1:15 p.m., and Sparta will per form at 5 p.m. Also look for Sparta in the crowd at FallOut, where Miller said the band plans to spend time after performing. As for Cave In, the goal for to day’s show is loud and clear: “I want to deafen as many kids as possible so that Cave In is the last thing they remember hear ing,” Brodsky said. Comments on this story?E-mail gameeockmixeditor@hotmail.com -----, “We’re an honest band. We play every show like it’s our last.” MATT MILLER SPARTA BASSIST OmjcronueitaKappa , SEPTEMBER 26 Office CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT? O Friends of the Earth invites you to take the EARTH POLL Your Opinion Counts! Protect our air and water, and the food we eat! EARTH POLL www.earth-poll.org/foe ' Encaustic brings unique style to new CD' BY WILLMISCHNER THE GAMECOCK Columbia’s own Encaustic will hold a CD release party at New Brookland Tavern tomorrow to celebrate the release of its long awaited sophomore album, “A Shadow’s Pull.” Encaustic is no stranger to the local music scene. All five band members are students at USC. Guitarist and celloist Bryan Gibson, a fourth-year music edu cation student; bassist Allen Graham, a fifth-year media arts student; guitarist Matt Heath, a fourth-year psychology student; vocalist Carmen Keigans, a third year English student; and drum mer Baljinder Sekhon II, a fifth year music composition/theory student, form the lineup of Encaustic. It all started six years ago in Orangeburg, where Gibson, Graham, Keigans and Sekhon were slowly forming a musical ensemble. At the time, however, tne Dana was praying jusi ior ran; it was not seriously pursuing its music. USC was ultimately the stomp ing ground that would bring the pieces of Encaustic together. The band’s dorm-room jam sessions eventually yieiu ed several full songs. In 2001, Encaustic em barked on a mu sical journey. It began exploring entry-level op portunities in the Columbia area, and played local onen-mic and acoustic-challenge competi tions. Its efforts finally paid off in 2001, when Encaustic won con tests at both the Village Idiot and New Brookland Tavern, giving it the exposure that would later land the band even bigger gigs outside the confines of the city, as far l away as Washington, D.C. Encaustic, having received both recognition and local atten tion, became a regular on the lo cal music scene. Its previous acoustic-challenge wins earned .Si t i i uie ucmu a ueau lining gig at the Elbow Room. Fans responded, and soon the band had a fol lowing. After strug gling to balance recording time with conflicting class schedules, Encaustic was able to finish its full-length album. “A Shadow’s Pull” includes some of the band’s favorite songs, in cluding “Little Pill” and “Midnight Matinee,” from its de but self-titled EP, but the new al bum mainly redefines the band’s sound with seven previously un released tracks. Encaustic found its name in true college-band fashion. Heath said it was not an epiphany or a godsend; “we found it in the back of an art history textbook.” “We just wanted something that sounded cool,” Heath said. “Encaustic” is a style of paint ing that involves mixing colors with beeswax on a canvas, mak ing the art more lifelike. Though this definition was not signifi cant to the band’s members when they chose it, they agree it probably does have some rele vance to their overall composi tion. Encaustic’s sound is unique. Its lyrics are intelligent, and its songs are stylistically diverse and eclectic. The band switches vo calists onstage, creating some what of a Fleetwood Mac vibe, Heath said. Encaustic separates itself from the field of local acts by its perva sive use of the cello. “It’s like-an other voice in our band,” Heath said. All of Encaustic’s voices will be together onstage for the release of its new CD at 10 p.m. Saturday at New Brookland Tavern. Djoliba Don, a West African group, will join the band as the opening act. ^ For Encaustic, it is sure to be a night to remember. “It’ll be real ly nice to finally have the CD fin ished and to just party with ev eryone.” As for the future of the band, Heath said, “We are just going to continue writing and working on our chemistry and just go from there.” Wherever it might take the band, the future for Encaustic looks bright. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com If You Go WHAT: Encaustic CD Release Patty WHERE: New Brookland Tavern WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m. _ mi* _ PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Encaustic, a diverse local band made up of five USC students, will releasing its anticipated sophomore album, “A Shadow’s Pull,” at New Brookland Tavern tomorrow night. I \ \ If you are readyfor a RFJJ. Tailgate Party, then come on by! f/ V, ~M tlie 3rd Great Gamecock 1 September 21 (USC v. TEMPLE) 4:00-6:30 pm Mil featuring live music by: DJ Rusty Bigham (L\ 4 // Sea well's Parking Lot - 1125 Rosewood Drive / / // across the street from "the ROCKET' at the State Fairgrounds, yfs // The best part is that it is all FREE: Music, Lots of Great Food, Drinks i Door Prizes. ^ x. / Souvenirs for the first 200 ISC students in attendance at each Tailgate Party. r^7// // THESE TAILGATE PASTIES ARE AN ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUG-FREE ENVIRONMENT sponsored by the Russell House Alcohol & Drag Projparos. / / / II MajMSji^prortdRtbrajr^rKavrtfmmlleUS.ItnwtmOTrfMaattn^ADregFiwSchoollPiiismii: IlKProwtiaiiifHijIvltWiD.inkiiisSVWmBrfavio.AiiiongOiqtStirimttl'rotKl VV / / !/ Paid foe, in pan, with student activity fees. Yy I !/ Actual dates or times may change due tofunding or programmatic decisions. For additional information, please call 777-7130. !^^X // Department vl Sludeni Life Division of Student & Alumni Services /// \\ I | Shade Sale j | ^ Show Student I.D. tor txtra Discount! \ ... ■ I ♦Large stock of Oakley available Not discounted I Sunglasses & Things, Inc. I 1 Five Points (Near Groucho's Deli) 11 I 256-3507 | Congratulations J \ to the | Fall 2002 Pledges Crystal Bullock Amber Magargle Dana Christiansen Lindsay Martin Rebecca Crawford Janice Michael Jay Duncan P Jennifer Polston Mike Garcia t|k Jessica Patel Bill Hrisko Gwendolyn Taylor 4 Amrita Jayaram Brian Whismant Jesse Johnson Breanna Wilson Jeff Joyne^^ Lisa Yeakel Kelly Lam y Annie Yelich