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Montgomery Blair High School's Online Student Newspaper
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Oct. 25, 2002

Livewire

by Josh Gottlieb-Miller, Page Editor
Review: Livewire’s energetic performances fluctuate between fun and incoherent. Scannell is a popular frontman and Spencer's drumming is the best in the county, while Silsbee and Fleming each play competently. But poor song selection and a lack of creativity make Livewire only a moderately good band who you either love or hate.

Genre: Rock.

Band Members:
Josh Scannell (Blair, junior): Singer and guitar.
David Spencer (Richard Montgomery, junior): Drums.
Ben Silsbee (Blair, junior): Bass.
Charlie Fleming (Richard Montgomery, junior): Lead guitar.

Influences: Josh: Garage. Ben: Punk. Charlie: Metal. David: Metal.

History: Started the summer of 1999 and began writing songs January, 2000. First show, May 9th. 2000. After one more gave up on performing until they were actually good. Began performing again 2001, though they focus on their live show they recently put out a CD. Currently they are on hiatus.

Album: “In the Shell."

Website: None.

Best Song: Lost.

Worst Song: New Orleans Love Song.

Best part of being in a band: Silsbee reports, “Writing our own [music] and playing [it] for people."

Worst part of being in a band: Silsbee says, “Being in a band is a big commitment. It takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money."

Reaction from other Blair musician: “I enjoy them." (Laura Blythe Goodman, Orange Julius)

Quotable: Josh Scannell remarks, “If you don’t have any confidence in yourself and your band; if you think you suck, you do. And it doesn’t help you get girls. That’s a lie."



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Discuss this Article

  • Ben Silsbee (View Email) on November 20, 2002
    Josh, what is this? You're not reviewing bands here, your stating your opinion on the bands which is mainly based on how cool the people in them are. I can't tell people to check out the blurb on my band right now because not only are we described as giving up on performing until we got good, (which isn't true, by the way) we are immediatley overshadowed by the subhead for 3rd Fret, which reads, "The best band at Blair. Period." My reccomendation is to present these "reviews" as what they are: your opinion. Not why you like or don't like the band, but what is different or unique. Describing a band as "girly alternative indie" is not only meaningless, but misleading, and I suggest you put more consideration into future opinion pieces. -Ben Silsbee
  • Micky (View Email) on December 13, 2002
    Can you guys please review other bands besides rock. There are plenty of other genres out there and maybe some of them should be explored, such as Roctapus, which just put out an album.
  • Josh Scannell (View Email) on December 22, 2002
    In all fairness to Josh GM, reviews are primarily opinion. Livewire's review wasn't overwhelmingly positive, but that could be because the person who reviewed the band was not very impressed. I think it would help the reviews if more specific aspects of what makes a band good were or bad are included (Josh has been getting better at that as he writes more reviews). Also, Third Fret is the best band at Blair, I agree with that statement. It would just be nice to know why they were so good. It's good that these bands are getting exposure. Keep it up.
  • senior on January 7, 2003
    Yes, but these "reviews" are pretty useless for anyone who hasn't heard the bands themselves. There's a lack of accurate description and too much labeling and fluff (such as "History" - it can be interesting, but it shouldn't be longer than the review/description of the band).
  • uh... on December 15, 2003
    we broke up, so shouldn't we be under "former" blair bands?
  • what!!! on September 17, 2004
    u broke up?????that sucks.....
  • joanna (View Email) on October 5, 2004
    why'd you break up?it would've been cool to still have another rock band in the school. is there any chance we can hear the album or see you perform a song?
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