Since being voted top “underground” band in SPIN.com’s 2005 Artist of the Year tournament, Queens-based rock trio the Upwelling have kept themselves mighty busy. Between gigs with the likes of Metric, Rainer Maria, the Duke Spirit, and the Wrens, and recording a second installment of songs, Ari Ingber (vocals/guitar), Josh Ingber (drums), and Conor Heffernan (keyboards) have polished up their catchy, guitar-driven sound that’s fresh enough to impress fashion-conscious hipsters as well as reign in ’90s alt-rock enthusiasts.
Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins caught wind of the trio’s colorful rock sound, and asked the Upwelling to join his band for a round of tour dates this spring. And all it took was a phone call from the alt-rock troubadour. “Apparently, Stephan Jenkins was handed our demo by an ex-girlfriend of his, who got it at a show,” Josh Ingber shared with SPIN.com. “He just called me up while I was in line for a CMJ show, and said ‘Hi, I am Stephan from Third Eye Blind.’ I had to call him back, and now, here we are on tour with them.”
With guitarist/vocalist Lee Moretti having joined the lineup, the Upwelling are delivering newly crafted modern rock gems like “Love Is Dead” and “The Steps” each night. “Love Is Dead” hits with a bit of ’80s guitar bombast, like they borrowed a pedal from Pat Benatar’s band, and is inflected with Heffernan’s playful synth tones. Sure, some might say love stinks, but there’s a glint of optimism echoing in Ari Ingber’s earnest tone that makes the Upwelling seem to really mean it.
The Upwelling tour dates supporting Third Eye Blind:
4/19, Providence, RI (Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel)
4/20, Schenectady, NY (Memorial Fieldhouse)
4/21, Babson Park, MA (PepsiCo Pavilion)
4/22, Johnson City, NY (Magic City Music Hall)
4/24, New York, NY (Nokia Theatre)
4/25, Poughkeepsie, NY (The Chance)
4/27, Sayreville, NJ (Starland Ballroom)
4/29, Baltimore, MD (Ram’s Head Live)
5/1, Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
5/3, Hampton, NH (Hampton Beach Casino)
5/4, Providence, RI (Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel)
5/6, Hanover, NH (Dartmouth College)
5/8, Wantagh, NY (Mulcahy’s)
Now Hear This:
The Upwelling – “Love Is Dead” DOWNLOAD MP3
The Upwelling – “The Steps” DOWNLOAD MP3
On the Web:
theupwelling.com
Talk: Will you walk with the Upwelling?
