Listen Up: The Westbound's Bledsoe moves front and center

Photo by Michael Donahue // Buy this photo

Members of The Westbound: Sam Davidson, Neal Bledsoe, Jared Filsinger and Austin Russell.

Neal Bledsoe makes his debut Tuesday at the Hi-Tone Café as the newest singer in The Westbound. A drummer for 10 years in other bands, Bledsoe, 23, strictly will be singing in this band.

“I’ve never been up front before,” he said. “I’ve always been in the back. I’ve never been the voice in a band before.”

Photo by Michael Donahue

Members of The Westbound: Sam Davidson, Neal Bledsoe, Jared Filsinger and Austin Russell.

Through the band’s guitarist/vocalist, Austin Russell, 26, Bledsoe, got to know the other musicians: vocalist/bass player Jared Filsinger, 26; and drummer/backup vocalist Sam Davidson, 26. “We’re all good friends. When The Westbound practiced, I would come over. There’s always a guy there (who’s) like the outsider.”

The other band members would ask Bledsoe how a particular song sounded or if he liked it. “It turned into me doing the whole set with them. I knew all the words and everything.”

The Westbound’s music appealed to Bledsoe. “You have to be kind of an intelligent person to get it and understand where it’s coming from.”

“I think we appeal to individuals more so than to a scene or a subculture,” Filsinger said. “Some of our music is too punk for the hardcore fans, and then some of our lyrics might be too extreme for some of the more ‘p.c.’ (politically correct) punk fans.”

The music comes first for The Westbound.

“For most bands that’s not first,” Filsinger said. “They think if they have a cute singer and cool clothes, people will come.”

They have “an unconscious drive” to write music. “When it comes out, it’s complete emotion.”

Added Russell: “It’s kind of like what Nietzsche said about books. He said he doesn’t really want to read a book by someone who’s trying to write a book. He said he wants to read a book from somebody who’s trying to get their thoughts out on paper and it became a book.”

The band released their first CD, Emergence, a few months ago. Describing one of his songs, “2012,” Filsinger said, “It’s kind of a joke. I don’t believe the world is gonna end in 2012, but that song is really misanthropic. It’s how people pretty much turn (degenerate) and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if it did end in 2012.”

Listen Up spotlights area performers. Michael Donahue can be reached at 529-2797.

The Westbound with Agent Orange and Pezz

Tuesday at the Hi-Tone Cafe, 1913 Poplar. Doors open at 9 p.m. Cover: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Call: 278-8663.

Listen Up spotlights area performers. Michael Donahue can be reached at 529-2797.

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