Underoath comes to the Wiltern Theater
KOREATOWN Not every Christian rock band has to sing about Jesus and God.
It’s got the face of a hardcore rock band, the same explosive sounds, the screaming at the top of one’s lung, the same grungy-clad and long-haired band members.
But deep down, beneath the dark clothing and hard metal sounds is the soul of a Christian rock band and a group of guys who believe deep in their hearts that God does exist and knows they were put on Earth for a purpose.
“I think a lot of people associate Christian anything with really judgmen-tal crappy people or really terrible music,” said Tim McTague, the guitarist for Underoath.
What Underoath is, is a Christian rock band. What it isn’t, is the stereotypical Christian rock band, the music that is all about the message rather than the art of sound, McTague said in an interview last month.
“People put more brain and thought and money into getting the message out there and making sure the vessel is distributing the message so that it’s up to par with their peers,” McTague said.
Underoath is set to take the stage at the Wiltern Theater tonight at 7:30, performing pieces from the Gold-certified album, “Define the Great Line,” which sold more than 98,000 copies in the first week of its release in June 2006. The album has since sold more than one million copies and its hit single, “Writing on the Walls,” captured a Grammy nomination this year.
The band has come a ways since it formed in the bedroom of former vocalist Dallas Taylor in Tampa way back in 1998. A year later, the band, along with current members McTague, drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie and key-boardist Chris Dudley released its freshman album, “Act of Depression,” which sold more than 2,000 copies.
The group was a collection of a bunch of different kids that played in different bands growing up, coming together due to a case of “I know this guy,” and “he knows that guy,” McTague said.
“We kind of fell into random spots,” he said.
There’s been some changes in personnel since that first album — Taylor left the group in 2003 and Spencer Chamberlain came on board to do vocals. The current band also includes Grant Brandell on bass and guitarist James Smith.
“Define the Great Line,” is the result of the emotions, the ups and downs and the highlights and failures of more than two years of concert tours and life on the road.
“It tells a broader story than most (albums) do,” McTague said.
Underoath has performed in Los Angeles for the past seven years and has become familiar with the mannerism of Southern California crowds, the randomness of attendance — one concert packed to full capacity while another night struggles to draw a squeak from the audience.
It’s the band’s first time performing at the Wiltern, one of the most historic venues located on the western edge of Koreatown.
“Usually with cities you can gauge (the crowd turnout) — Dallas is always good, Oklahoma is always bad,” McTague said. “With L.A., you never know — we’ve had some of the best, but had some of the most dead zoned-out shows ever.”
But with Underoath, the members always thrive on the unexpected.
“It’s cool because it’s this very anticipated vortex of good and bad and you never know which end of the spectrum you’ll end up on,” McTague said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 5, 2007. Read the original PDF.