By: Angelina Berube
Posted In: Campus News
Photo credit: JESSE FROHMAN
Band L to R: DE’MAR HAMILTON, TOM HIGGENSON, MIKE RETONDO, DAVE TIRIO, TIM LOPEZ
‘Hey there Salve,’ this one’s for you. Plain White T’s, known for their smash single, “Hey There Delilah,” will perform at Salve on April 18, 2009.
Plain White T’s, with openers Single File and Danger Radio, will bring the “Three Part Harmony: A Show in Three Acts” headlining tour to Salve Regina University’s Rodgers Recreational Center in Newport, R.I. The show will consist of three acts: Act One: Rock, Act Two: Acoustic and Act Three: Medley of fan favorites. This unique arrangement will be a different experience for audiences as the performance is deliberately broken into three parts. Higgenson, Dave Tirio, Mike Retondo, De’Mar Hamilton, and Tim Lopez form the Chicago based quintet whose sounds are influenced by the 1950s and 1960s. Higgenson formed Plain White T’s along with guitarist Tirio in 1997. Retondo, Hamilton and Lopez rounded out the present lineup in 2005 with the release of their first full length CD on Fearless Records, “All That We Needed.” In 2006 Hollywood Records signed Plain White T’s and released the CD, “Every Second Counts” which included the single “Hate(I Really Don’t Like You)” and the rerelease of the breakout hit, “Hey There Delilah.” “Every Sound Counts” reached platinum status in 2006 with catchy and melodic songs and “Hey There Delilah” also landed Grammy recognition for the band. “Big Bad World,” released September 2008, is Plain White T’s fourth CD and most innovative to date by recording the CD without a click track, (equivalent to walking a high-wire without a net). Because of the living recording, imperfections can be heard on the songs. The Chicago based band recorded the CD live with instruments made before 1970. “Our songs in the past had a ’50’s and ’60’s influence with classic songwriting structures and harmonies,” Higgenson said. “This time we decided, rather than punk that out and make it sound modern, we would record as though it could have been done by the Beatles or early Tom Petty. We got to a place where we sounded good live 300 nights a year, so we wanted to capture that.” “Big Bad World” includes the hit single, “1,2,3,4” which was also heard on ABC Family’s popular sitcom, “Greek.” “Big Bad World” includes 10 infectious tracks telling the stories of mistakes, love and hope. Higgenson, the lead singer and lyricist, pours his heart into his songs, bravely referencing failures and mishaps in his own love life. From the love driven “1,2,3,4” and “That Girl” to the heartache of “Meet Me in California,” this CD showcases the pure talent that makes the Plain White T’s sound meaningful and pertinent to pop culture. Catch Plain White T’s live at Salve on Saturday April 18, 2009 at 8 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale for $10 for Salve students and $20 per Salve guest(one per student) at the Student Activities Office.
