Still Pending
Still Pending |
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Still Pending is an American rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon in 2005. The band is comprised of three young musicians, Reed Gulick-Stutz (guitar and vocals), Grant Ellman (drums and vocals), and Ian Rogers (bass guitar).
Band history
Formation of the band
Still Pending was formed by a group of classmates in the fall of 2005. During a performance at a school assembly, having not yet decided on a name for the group, the band was introduced by another student who stated, "the band's name is still pending." During a short discussion amongst the band members after their performance, they spontaneously decided to call the band Still Pending.
First big break
Shortly thereafter, the band got its first break as the on-stage band in the Oregon Children's Theatre rock musical production, Alexander, Who is Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going to Move. It all came about by chance. When he was casting the play, Stan Foote, Artistic Director, and new Music Director Darcy White were prepared to go with more conventional musical accompaniment.
"You probably would have seen one person, a drummer or a bass, working with Darcy," says Foote. Then young actor Derek Gulick-Stutz showed up to audition with his kid brother, Reed, in tow. "Reed was there, hat on backwards, walks in with his amp, plugs in," Foote says. "Off the cuff, I said, 'Too bad you don’t have a band.' Reed said, 'We do.'"
Once Foote saw the whole band, he was convinced.
"I thought, 'Kids will dig this.' This is what I would want to see if I was a kid. We found the band by Derek auditioning."
Still Pending received some media attention from Portland newspapers during the 42-performance run of the play.
Website launch
Also during this time, the band launched its official website, www.stillpending.com. The website was immediately popular amongst the young audiences of the play. Soon the band began to receive booking requests for local music events around the Portland area.
Video appearance
After an outdoor performance in the early summer of 2006, a friend of sports DVD producer, Rod Parmenter of Hood River, Oregon, approached the band about a DVD project of Parmenter's called, Kids who Rip. Parmenter was just about to wrap up shooting for a new, boxed DVD set to be released in the fall of 2006. The DVD would feature young kids participating in extreme sports such as snowboarding, motocross, and wakeboarding. The band contacted Mr. Parmenter and he decided to include Still Pending in the DVD.[1]
First CD
In September of 2006, the band released its first EP-length CD entitled, Innocent Days. The CD is comprised entirely of original material. On the CD, the band showcases its diverse and eclectic songwriting and musical style. All three musicians take part in crafting the music, experimenting with different styles of rock. The songs feature two-part harmonies by Reed and Grant with precision bass-lines by Ian.
National exposure
In the fall of 2006, Still Pending entered into a national talent search conducted by the Cartoon Network. The band was selected by Cartoon Network to be in a group of 15 talented young people. This group was video-taped and will appear on the Cartoon Network website sometime in the spring of 2007. The public will be allowed to vote for their favorites and the top six participants will appear in a Cartoon Network television production called Props, due to air in the fall of 2007.[citation needed]
Music industry exposure
In January of 2007, The International Music Products Association NAMM, selected Still Pending to promote their "Wanna Play?" initiative[2]. The band is featured on the celebrity endorsers page of NAMM's website along with other musical celebrities including Jim Messina and Michelle Branch. Still Pending will also be used in other promotional efforts in NAMM's campaign to highlight the benefits of creating music to Americans.
References
- Bartels, Eric (2006-04-25). "Young band builds its rock résumé on stage". Live music livens up a kids’ play. The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2006-02-13.
- Pete Ferryman, Joe Vithayathil, Reed Gulick-Stutz, Grant Ellman, Ian Rogers (2006-02-13). Still Pending FOX TV LIVE Appearance for Crystal Ballroom Show (streaming video). http://www.vimeo.com/clip:134003: Fox 12 Oregon, Good day Oregon.
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- "Still Pending Interview" (podcast). The Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2006-02-13.
- Bolger, Cori (2006-06-22). "Rockin' Lakefest". The Lake Oswego Review.
- Hogan Jennifer (2006-10-10). Hangin' with Hogan (streaming video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4uIEIJOWgI: KOIN 6 - Portland CBS News affiliate.
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