Bemidji Band Enjoys What They Do

Minnesota Music Scene is Growing
By Taylor Klinke
Word Count: 750

Garrett Alvarado grabs a microphone and yells, “Are you ready, Bemidji?” before he starts to scream the lyrics with other vocalist Greg Anderson. The crowd responds by head banging, forming a mosh pit, or hardcore dancing. Guitarist Anthony Lamb throws his guitar behind his back while bassist Chris Compeau lies on the floor and plays the bass lines for the song Thus It Ends.

It can seem a little scary if you’ve never been to a hardcore concert – but before you know it you start bobbing your head along with the music – and shortly after you’re head banging and running into the middle of mosh pits.

A Day of Plague is a six-piece deathcore/metal band hailing from Bemidji and Mahnomen, Minnesota. A mix of solid metal riffs mixed with death metal vocals and brutal drums is the essential ingredients to A Day of Plague. One of their main goals as a band is to revive the metal scene and introduce the music to new ears. They blend metalcore breakdowns, brutal lyrics, and all around hardcore metal to satisfy any metal fan.

They originally started out as a joke in the fall of 2008, under the name Sic Semper Tyrannus. But soon after they became serious as a death metal outfit and began to write real songs over spring and began playing shows in the summer of 2009. The band includes Garrett Alvarado (lead vocals), Greg Anderson (vocals), Anthony Lamb (guitar), Austin Schmitz (guitar), Aaron Thiebert (bass), and Ben Dickinson (drums). They’ve played shows in numerous locations around Minnesota and North Dakota – including Bemidji, Thief River Falls, Hinckley, Burnsville, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Moorhead.

When asked what he enjoyed most about his band, leading vocalist Garrett Alvarado responded, “Screaming my butt off on stage and seeing the crowd get nuts. I also really enjoy meeting new people.” When you see the guys in these bands – they may look a little intimidating – but they are really down to earth and talk to anyone who wants to talk to them. “I love walking around at shows and meeting new people,” said guitarist Anthony Lamb, “I try to talk to as many people as I can.”

Garrett Alvarado is known to be a nice, caring guy but he writes most of the brutal lyrics for the band. “He just goes into his dark place and bangs out the words,” said Anthony Lamb, “He’s the one who got most of us into this genre of music.” Second vocalist Greg Anderson used to only listen to pop and rap music that’s on popular radio stations like Y94 in Fargo. But when he met Garrett, he was introduced to a new kind of music.

Last winter the guys headed out Fargo to work with Greg Lindholm, owner and producer of The Track Shack. They recorded a five song EP that was released this past summer. Greg Lindholm is a member in a very successful band from Fargo, ND called The Suit. The Suit just won the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Showcase in Hollywood, CA on December 3.

“The Suit is definitely my favorite band to play with,” said Anthony Lamb. And most bands who have played with The Suit agree with that statement. They are all down to earth, caring guys who have worked their way up the music scene ladder and are willing to help out smaller bands who are in a place they once were.

A Day of Plague has also hosted a couple of metal concerts at Bemidji State University. The first was last March in the Beaux Arts Ballroom and more recently they put together a show that was in Memorial 100 on November 4.  Other bands from surrounding areas also played including The Valiant Nomads, Forgiving December, Alistair Hennessey, and headliners My My Misfire. The first band started playing around 5:00 P.M. with My My Misfire closed the show around 10 P.M.

If you’ve never been to a metal concert before, check out the local scene because it’s something you’ll really enjoy. At first the screaming and hardcore dancing can seem a little overwhelming but you get used to it after a while. A Day of Plague is always playing shows in Bemidji and surrounding areas so keep a look out for posters around campus and interviews on FM90.

www.myspace.com/adayofplague

A Day of Plague guitarist Anthony Lamb playing at a show

in Memorial 100 at BSU on November 4th.



 Second vocalist Greg Anderson waiting for his turn

to scream some lyrics during a show on November 4th

Leading vocalist Garrett Alvardo belting out some lyrics

during a show at Bemidji State on November 4th.