Rock and roll may be in trouble

Jersey born and bred, Saves the Day, will break into the Avalon on their headline tour this coming Friday. The band has had amazing success with their first big-label album, In Reverie, produced by Dream Works, and are embarking upon an American tour. They are currently hitting up the east coast, from Washington to Portland, and everywhere in between.

Their music, slightly off kilter from their contemporaries, is less aggressive and more laid back than most alternative rock. It can be described as a hearty blend of old-school emo mixed with the chords of jam-punk, intermingled with the beats of pop.

Reminiscent of Bands like Blink 182 and Simple Plan, Saves the Day, has similar catchy punk rhythms -- songs where the chorus repeats so many times that you can't help but be singing along by the end of the tune.

Though their music may sound simplistic to the novel listener, Saves the Day boasts intricate melodies and complicated chords -- raw musical talent in a power chord driven genre.

More importantly, Saves the Day knows how to play together. After all, they have been performing for 10 consecutive years. The group got their start when lead singer Chris Conley was 13. He and guitarist Dave Solaway would play off one another's riffs in Soleway's basement. They hit their first record deal during senior year of high school with Vagrant Records and have been making music ever since, becoming one of the most influential and cutting edge emo bands of the era.

At the core of emo lies the catchy punk power chords, the repeated chorus's, the upbeat whiny tunes, the high falsetto voice, and the thread of minor tones. Ultimately, emo creates a different spin on the classic Beatle's rock and roll, becoming a very drum driven type of music.

Saves the Day songs are filled with teenage angst and more often than not, the love-puppy theme creeps in, appropriately filtered through Conley's baby-face appearance that is perfect for the genre. While short in stature, and with stringy blond hair, Conley leads the group. His soft whining-voice echoes through the 4/4 driven rock beat and his lyrics are some of the great talent of this band.

In 2001, Saves the Day released Stay Where You Are. The album flung Saves the Day onto the national scene, selling over 200,000 records and emerging in the top half of the Billboards' top 200. Their single 'At Your Funeral' received radio play beginning with Los Angeles's dominant KROQ and eventually landed Saves the Day their first music video on MTV, spurning there next hit single "Freakish."

Since then, Saves the Day has been embarking on some heavy touring. Traveling with the likes of Greenday, Blink 182, Weezer, and fellow emo-group Dashboard Confessional, they have made trips to Europe and plan to head over to Japan by the beginning of next year. With each tour the band gains more fans and momentum. This time around, Saves the Day aims to promote their critically acclaimed album, In Reverie.

In the midst of a pop-driven culture, Saves the Day puts on a good show that is slightly off the beaten path. They originated the old-fashioned way, together as young, inspired kids who wanted to make good music. With all four members in their early twenties, the young band has already been around for the past ten years. Who knew they were going to help define a new generation of Emo music?

Including some of the more talented musicians on the emo scene, you won't be able to see a band that more vivaciously demonstrates the genre.

Doors open at 5:00 this Friday at the Avalon and tickets are $18.50 through ticket master or can be purchased at the door. Saves the Day will share the stage with up and coming band, Taking Back Sunday.