By Lauren-Olivia “Liv” Simister
In 2004, the End of an Era began in Toms River, New Jersey in a garage; where the band spent a year recording their first demo. By 2005, they had solidified their line-up, and taken the name, “End of an Era.”
In March 2010, the group, comprised of Jeff Wallace (vocals), Steven Blair (keyboard), Justin Mazyk (bass), and Jeff Spags (drums) were joined by Chris Matsinger as their new guitarist.
When asked if they ever still get stage-fright, Steven Blair says, “We don’t get nervous…It’s more of an adrenaline rush. We’ve all been performing on-stage with bands for, like, ten years, so any stage fright we once had, is gone, unless we’re playing in front of a massive, and I mean massive, crowd.”
They’re not picky when it comes to venues either! “Any place with a P.A. system, and an audience; be it an audience of four or forty thousand, is our favorite venue,” Steve laughs.
Their rehearsals can be described in one word: “Chaotic.” During rehearsals, End of an Era are geared towards specific shows, making sure each song is perfect, as well as going over new songs.
The way they behave on stage is not just a front though. Off-stage, the guys of End of an Era have been friends for a long time. “It’s not like we have sex with each other or anything like that. We’re very close; we love each other very much. It’s pretty much like having 4 girlfriends,” Steve says. “You live with each other, you see each other all the time, and you get on each other’s nerves. All in all, we have a common goal, a common mind-set, and at the end of the day, all shit aside, we’re focused on the common goal.”
While End of an Era are always up for a party, despite what many people believe, life on the road is not a non-stop party. “It might work if you’re as big as Mötley Crüe or KISS, but if you’re a band whose struggling to get gas from one venue to the next, it’s a little different. You actually have to think if you can afford food, let alone a beer!”
In End of an Era’s experience, they say, “If you can put up with ten years of boringness, then it’s [the music business is] for you!”
So what would they do if the music business weren’t for them? “We’d either be serial killers or dead,” Steve says chuckling. “I’m actually serious about that. Music is the centerpiece of our lives, and I think without it, we wouldn’t know what to do.”
You can check out End of an Era at www.endofanera.org, and follow the links to purchase their album, The War Against, also available on Itunes now.
