April 10, 2010
By Brenda Bellaire
Since becoming a fan of Sons of Sylvia, I dreamed for the day that I could attend one of their concerts. Well, the time had finally come. Seeing them live and having the opportunity to possibly meet them, would be a complete thrill and a dream come true. Heading to this concert in Rockford, I felt like a teenager again!
After an eight hour drive, and a good night's sleep, the day of the concert had finally arrived! My heart quickly sped up as my three friends and I approached the venue. Long lines of fans moved slowly into the building and out of the drizzling rain. We parked and joined them in line. Once inside the venue, we bought our Sons of Sylvia T-shirts and found our seats, which were near the back of main floor.
We spotted the SOS Backdrop hanging behind the stage and at that moment, I realized my dream was finally coming true. We pulled out the SOS signs we had made and cracked our GREEN glowsticks to light. Just as we finished lighting our last stick, the lights went down. It was starting!!!
My heart was now in my throat as I heard the first few familiar notes of Austin's "Gimme Shelter" intro! He sounded sooo goood! We got to our feet and held up our signs which spelled out: S O S ROX! Everyone around us was looking at us like we were nuts! The spot light was on Austin and his beloved lap steel. He was ripping it up like only he can do and our little group was hooting and hollering through it all!
Ashley and Adam came out then and Ashley yelled into the mic..."HOW YA DOING ROCKFORD!!!!!!!"... The crowd went wild as he started into "There's a storm that's threatenin...." It was amazing seeing them up there! At one point, Ashley introduced his brothers and himself and they continued on with their set (not sure which order) of Revelation, 50 Ways, their Bluegrass number, John Wayne, Say My Name and Love Left to Lose.
They sounded incredible, just like their studio tracks! During 50 Ways, Ashley ran around on stage and showed us his crazy dance moves, which we enjoyed immensely! The Bluegrass number was awesome too, where they huddled up together and jammed. I've always admired their focus and intensity while they play. They give everything they've got to each little note.
Through each song, the four of us waved our glowsticks to the beat and held up our signs. When the guys sang the chorus to SAY MY NAME, we held up the flip side of S O S ROX! and spelled out ADAM ASH AUS TIN! Sometimes, it was only TIN! that was up, but we think the guys got the idea, because after they finished playing the song, Ashley said.. "I see you guys out there in the back!" Ha! We loved that! Thanks for the shout out Ash!
Their show was the quickest 25 minutes of my life. I could've rocked out to them all night! The people around us were asking us, "Who are these guys? They're amazing!" Well, we didn't hesitate to tell them who they were and where to find them online... http://sonsofsylvia.com
At the end of their set, Ashley announced the location of their Meet and Greet and we immediately ran! We had to get to the other side of the venue, but made it in line with only a few people ahead of us. We waited about 45 minutes before they came out, and spent some time talking to the fans in line...Their Merch table was set up with T-shirts, EP's and SOS wrist bands. Security was buzzing around, checking their watches, so we knew it was getting close...
Finally, we saw the guys coming up the escalator! They were all walking towards us with big smiles on their faces... I heard screaming coming from the girls in line, and I think a few of them came from me! I was definitely in teenager mode! The guys took their position behind the table and started taking pics with fans and giving out hugs. Who does that? They are just the sweetest guys ever!
It was now our turn to reach the table. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth and I didn't know how I was going to get any words out! The rest was blur. I remember putting my hand out to each of them, but to my delight..received hugs instead! I managed to blurt out to each of them that it was so nice to finally meet them, and it was! They all signed my T-shirt and Ash wrote on it..."Thanx 4 everything". Those three little words meant the world to me. I'm so thankful to THEM for everything! THEY are the ones who have shared their gift with us. Promoting them on a few fan sites is the least I could do.
Adam said when he saw our signs from the stage during SAY MY NAME...he told us he was so surprised by them, that he was having trouble playing! Ha, glad we could rattle him up! We took a few quick pics and said our good-byes. We hung around while they met the rest of the fans. I just wanted to live that moment for as long as I could. After the line was finished, the guys were kind enough to let us take a few more photos, including a treasured group shot with all seven of us.
We said our good-byes again as we watched them all head down the escalator. Ash turned around at that moment, looked at us and said "I love you guys!" Awe, what a night to remember... I know I'll never forget it. I always hear fans say that when they meet SOS, and now I finally understand what they're talking about.
Special thanks to Adam, Ash and Austin for everything YOU do and for making my dream come true. I love you guys, too!
Always, Brenda.
Sons of Sylvia made switch from farm boys to arena tours
April 8, 2010
These days, the Sons of Sylvia have a supersized life. Opening the Carrie Underwood concerts, they get big arenas, big crowds, a big bus. "It's like a miracle," Austin Clark said. "You get out of a million-dollar bus and you think, 'Wow, I'm in a million-dollar bus.'" They've been in the spotlight before. Back when they were The Clark Brothers, they won the first and only edition of "The Next Great American Band," on Fox.
Still, none of this is their natural habitat. "We worked on the farm during the day," Clark said of his Virginia boyhood. "Then we'd sit around and pick ... We didn't watch TV; we'd swap licks all night." There were lots of people to swap with. The family had 11 kids (nine boys, two girls), forming a band that traveled with their dad when he was an evangelical preacher.
For Austin, child No. 6, this was arbitrary. "My dad said, 'Well, I guess we don't have a dobro.'" Like some arranged marriages, it clicked. "I love the dobro," he said "It's such a lonesome sound." That's a guitar-like instrument with metal cones. He still plays it, along with a resonator guitar, a steel guitar and more. The Clarks do a lot. "They are amazingly talented," Underwood said. "Ashley Clark ... was in my band when I first came off 'Idol.' We'd sing together in our shows, so I knew we sounded good together." At times, Austin also backed her. The brothers might have stayed in the background forever - except for "Great American Band."
Ashley, Austin and Adam formed a trio, got on the show and won a record deal. But this wasn't instant fame in the Carrie Underwood style. The album finally comes out April 27 - two-and-a-half years after their win.
The band changed names (to Sons of Sylvia) and evolved its style, with a rock rhythm under its bluegrass picking. Meanwhile, Underwood co-wrote a duet and asked the brothers to perform it with her on her current album. "We got into the studio and they completely transformed the song," she said. "They are so talented."
These days, the Sons of Sylvia have a supersized life. Opening the Carrie Underwood concerts, they get big arenas, big crowds, a big bus. "It's like a miracle," Austin Clark said. "You get out of a million-dollar bus and you think, 'Wow, I'm in a million-dollar bus.'" They've been in the spotlight before. Back when they were The Clark Brothers, they won the first and only edition of "The Next Great American Band," on Fox.
Still, none of this is their natural habitat. "We worked on the farm during the day," Clark said of his Virginia boyhood. "Then we'd sit around and pick ... We didn't watch TV; we'd swap licks all night." There were lots of people to swap with. The family had 11 kids (nine boys, two girls), forming a band that traveled with their dad when he was an evangelical preacher.
For Austin, child No. 6, this was arbitrary. "My dad said, 'Well, I guess we don't have a dobro.'" Like some arranged marriages, it clicked. "I love the dobro," he said "It's such a lonesome sound." That's a guitar-like instrument with metal cones. He still plays it, along with a resonator guitar, a steel guitar and more. The Clarks do a lot. "They are amazingly talented," Underwood said. "Ashley Clark ... was in my band when I first came off 'Idol.' We'd sing together in our shows, so I knew we sounded good together." At times, Austin also backed her. The brothers might have stayed in the background forever - except for "Great American Band."
Ashley, Austin and Adam formed a trio, got on the show and won a record deal. But this wasn't instant fame in the Carrie Underwood style. The album finally comes out April 27 - two-and-a-half years after their win.
The band changed names (to Sons of Sylvia) and evolved its style, with a rock rhythm under its bluegrass picking. Meanwhile, Underwood co-wrote a duet and asked the brothers to perform it with her on her current album. "We got into the studio and they completely transformed the song," she said. "They are so talented."
From Justin...
Sons of Sylvia- Revelation & John Wayne
April 7, 2010
This is a group made up of three brothers; Adam, Ashley and Austin Clark. First of all, I really like the name; if I had a band I would totally name it after my mom too! Now, I know this is country music again, but to me this group doesn’t sound very country at all. It’s more rock in my opinion. If I had to choose I would probably say I like “Revelation” better, but the chorus and the way the singer hits those notes in John Wayne is really striking. Great group, check them out.
April 7, 2010
This is a group made up of three brothers; Adam, Ashley and Austin Clark. First of all, I really like the name; if I had a band I would totally name it after my mom too! Now, I know this is country music again, but to me this group doesn’t sound very country at all. It’s more rock in my opinion. If I had to choose I would probably say I like “Revelation” better, but the chorus and the way the singer hits those notes in John Wayne is really striking. Great group, check them out.
Sons of Sylvia Showcase Dobro Skills on New Album
Sons of Sylvia Showcase Dobro Skills on New Album
Elianne Halbersberg
April 7, 2010
When Adam, Ashley and Austin Clark — better known as Sons of Sylvia — refer to themselves as blessed, the term isn’t taken lightly. As three of the 11 children of an evangelical preacher and musician who taught all his children to play virtually every stringed instrument, blessings and music are both taken seriously.
Sons of Sylvia were originally known as The Clark Brothers, the name under which they entered and won Fox television’s The Next Great American Band in 2007. Based in Nashville, they are now on tour with Carrie Underwood and will release their debut album, Revelation, on April 27. They co-wrote all of the material, perform on the album and, between the three of them, play guitar, mandolin, fiddle, Dobro, lap steel, pedal steel, banjo, cello, bass and keyboard.
Austin Clark is most often recognized for his skills on the resonator guitar and Dobro. “What works for me is anything with a slide,” he says.
“I’ve known early on that this [ability to play music] is a gift from God, and to be able to present it to the world is another gift in itself. I’m thankful to have been given it. My first instrument was the Dobro, which I play on our record, along with lap steel and Melobar.” Clark swears by Gibson Dobros, noting, “I’ve had Gibsons my entire live. I absolutely love them. I’ve tried a lot of Dobros, but right off the factory line, Gibsons are the ones with the most consistent tone.”
Sons of Sylvia still do a lot of jamming. “It’s crucial for us, creatively,” says Clark. “We rely on it when we’re working on a song. The three of us get together, work it up, and it takes us in a direction — sometimes a unique direction — as we let the song drive itself and find its own way. If it moves us with, we go with it.” This, coupled with their bluegrass background, is what laid the foundation for Revelation. “Our dad taught us to play bluegrass, and that genre helped us grow as a band,” he says. “We combined all those influences, thoughts and passions into one record.”
That passion is what keeps music from becoming a job or routine for Sons of Sylvia. “It’s the sheer joy of just playing,” he says. “I open my case, take out my instrument and the excitement is always there. That’s very important. It’s different as an adult because I’m able to express it in my own way, which is also very important and in itself is the reason why we do this: to make the instrument speak the way we would speak. It’s an extension of us, as a band, and the fact that we get to do it every night is really living our dream. We’re very thankful that we’re able to have that.”
To learn more about Sons of Sylvia, visit www.sonsofsylvia.com.
Elianne Halbersberg
April 7, 2010
When Adam, Ashley and Austin Clark — better known as Sons of Sylvia — refer to themselves as blessed, the term isn’t taken lightly. As three of the 11 children of an evangelical preacher and musician who taught all his children to play virtually every stringed instrument, blessings and music are both taken seriously.
Sons of Sylvia were originally known as The Clark Brothers, the name under which they entered and won Fox television’s The Next Great American Band in 2007. Based in Nashville, they are now on tour with Carrie Underwood and will release their debut album, Revelation, on April 27. They co-wrote all of the material, perform on the album and, between the three of them, play guitar, mandolin, fiddle, Dobro, lap steel, pedal steel, banjo, cello, bass and keyboard.
Austin Clark is most often recognized for his skills on the resonator guitar and Dobro. “What works for me is anything with a slide,” he says.
“I’ve known early on that this [ability to play music] is a gift from God, and to be able to present it to the world is another gift in itself. I’m thankful to have been given it. My first instrument was the Dobro, which I play on our record, along with lap steel and Melobar.” Clark swears by Gibson Dobros, noting, “I’ve had Gibsons my entire live. I absolutely love them. I’ve tried a lot of Dobros, but right off the factory line, Gibsons are the ones with the most consistent tone.”
Sons of Sylvia still do a lot of jamming. “It’s crucial for us, creatively,” says Clark. “We rely on it when we’re working on a song. The three of us get together, work it up, and it takes us in a direction — sometimes a unique direction — as we let the song drive itself and find its own way. If it moves us with, we go with it.” This, coupled with their bluegrass background, is what laid the foundation for Revelation. “Our dad taught us to play bluegrass, and that genre helped us grow as a band,” he says. “We combined all those influences, thoughts and passions into one record.”
That passion is what keeps music from becoming a job or routine for Sons of Sylvia. “It’s the sheer joy of just playing,” he says. “I open my case, take out my instrument and the excitement is always there. That’s very important. It’s different as an adult because I’m able to express it in my own way, which is also very important and in itself is the reason why we do this: to make the instrument speak the way we would speak. It’s an extension of us, as a band, and the fact that we get to do it every night is really living our dream. We’re very thankful that we’re able to have that.”
To learn more about Sons of Sylvia, visit www.sonsofsylvia.com.
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