Crash Midnight rocks Ohio opening for The Pretty Reckless. Contributed by Tara Williams

Crash Midnight may not be a household name YET! Brace yourselves…It’s coming! Their name will be on the tip of your tongue very soon. The band aptly got it’s name in true rock ‘n roll fashion. Front man Shaun Soho got a late night call from his brother Bo telling him he had a great name for a band, Crash Midnight. Followed by him asking for a late night ride since he had just wrecked his car. This five piece band hails from Boston & have been together for 10 years. They are a monster lab creation of combining the sounds of Axl Rose, Mick Jagger, & New York Dolls. A little blues, a little punk, & a LOT of real old school Rock ‘N Roll! I had the pleasure of catching their show at the Newport in Columbus, OH.

The band’s debut album “Lost In The City” is just around the corner with a release date of November 18th. It was pushed back until they are finished touring with Adelita’s Way & The Pretty Reckless. They wanted to be home in Boston for the release party. After meeting these guys I think they would change their wedding date if it meant they would miss a good party! New England has had theses guys hidden & kept all to themselves for many years. They have had years of writing songs and testing them on audiences. This CD may be their debut but, the material has been pre-tested & pre-approved. Instead of this being a cd full of new songs with a couple singles, they are going to struggle with choosing singles. After seeing them live I know that they have 10 years of music ready to rock faces off.These guys came to record with an arsenal of “greatest hits” that have already been tested on fans at every gig they have ever played.

Crash Midnight is already gaining fans with their 1st single “151”. Their early days play included Bacardi 151 & when money was tight Roberto 151. They seem to have traveled time & are a true partying rock & roll band of the late 1970’s. If you are a guitar lover, this band is a dream. “City Girl” offers Alex Donaldson THREE guitar solos. They have finished recording the video to “Take It” in NYC. “Welcome to Boston” has been used by the New England Patriots,The Boston Bruins, & Boston College. They are against the over worked computerized sounds of over edited auto tuned songs. I look forward to the release & am excited to hear “pure rock ‘n roll” again.

Songs are marinated in high yet smooth honey dripping lyrics & supported with sick ripping & shredding. Shaun has a priceless sought after gift of being able to support his high register effortlessly while maintaining a high level of energy on stage. He told me that he had wore out the band Bostons debut album. The late Brad Delps upper register could soar with the likes of Nancy Wilson. They did a cover of G&R’s “Mr. Brownstone” that was amazing. Crash Midnight plays off one another on stage & their energy sucks you in, wanting more.

The band is also very proud of a side project of Tony Pizzo resident guitarists & his baby “TARDUS1”. He has gutted a 1978 motor home & has configured it to run on clean energy. He’s part mad scientist part MacGuyver! He’s buying parts from Home Depot, converting salt water, separating Hydrogen from Oxygen,& end game running off it off hydrogen. Dream & imagination resulting in a mean green touring machine. His work has been backed by fan donations. There is more information about the Green Energy Tour Bus & at CrashMidnight.com

I am a huge 70’s rock fan, love acoustic, & was crushed at the end of the hair band era. I love the no makeup, no auto tune, pure old school rock & roll. Crash Midnight was a huge score to see & they checked off everything on my list that I love about rock music. I was so pumped & excited after their set. They left with me wanting more. I ended up meeting up with Shaun & Alex after the show. At first we tried to talk at their merch table but could barely hear one another. We were determined for us to talk.

I followed them to several locations searching for a quiet spot. We finally found ourselves in a tiny production room that had a computer desk, washer, & dryer. They had announced that Alex was from Columbus earlier. I asked him about growing up in Columbus & he laughed as he told me he went to school with Lil Bow Wow. It turns out that he grew up 2 streets from my house. Small world. Shaun had found a seat on top of the washer. I still have no clue why there is a washer & dryer in the production room. All of a sudden it made noise & startled Shaun. Alex is very quick witted & called him Shaun “Spin Cycle” Soho. Shaun had recently had an allergic reaction to clams(all obvious jokes that were told were sworn into secrecy). Boston is known for their seafood & accents. I was shocked that I had more of an accent than Shaun did. I had such a good time talking to these guys after an absolutely amazing show.

Crash Midnight loves to laugh, party with 151, & have a good time but they are ready to prove themselves worthy on a larger scale. They are starting this album with having a large fan base while quickly securing new fans in each town they crash into. Be sure to grab their debut/greatest hits cd “Lost In The City” on November 18th. This band is about to fill a niche we have been missing since the 90’s. Proof that real rock is NOT dead! The name Crash Midnight might be new on your tongue but their sound will make you thirst for more & more is what they intend to give!

~ Contributed by Tara Williams

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