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The Story Continues..... 4th Division
managed to get several more gigs lined up during its first summer.
The members used what few contacts they had to get scheduled for a few
summer festivals and parties. They also played at the Cadillac
Rotary Performing Arts Pavilion twice. The band really enjoyed
playing live, and they looked forward to more gigs the following year. With Josh and Justin now
away at college after that first summer, the
band took a break, playing only two gigs during the school year. The
band practiced when they could, writing three original songs and showing
much individual improvement. During Christmas break, 4th Division
recorded a short demo CD. The band wanted something that would show what
kind of music they played. Using PC recording software and the band's P.A.
equipment, the band tracked the songs in Josh's garage (where they
always practiced). A barrel stove and lots of firewood kept the building
heated despite the Northern Michigan winter. The CD took about a week to
record, then Josh and Justin mixed the tracks and burned some CDs. After
that the band was at a standstill because of school obligations.
When school ended, 4th Division hit the practice sessions hard because
summer of 2002 was just around the corner. The band learned a few new
tunes, including more original music. The first big gig for the summer
was at Diamond Lake Lounge on June 7th. 4th Division played
several more gigs that summer and fall, including the now annual
Cadillac Pavilion show, which the band plays at least once a summer. Winter kicked in after a few
months of warm Northern Michigan weather, and it looked like the band
was on hold once again. They did record another short demo CD, but
besides that, the next few months were rather uneventful. The lack
of band activity eventually ended because a battle of the bands took
place in Cadillac for the snowmobile festival. After that the band was
booked at the Wired Frog just outside of Detroit. The band was looking
to expand its fan base, so the members packed up and headed south to
play the gig. That was the last gig the band played for a while, and it
would be the last show with the four original members of the band.
Justin was no longer with the band after that show. Despite Justin's absence from the
band, 4th Division kept practicing, and began recording their first
full-length CD. The band had a friend named Brandon Benson fill in on bass for a
while until they found a more permanent bass player. That person
would be Andy Pierson. Andy had met 4th Division at a Battle of
the Bands in which he was playing bass for his band MFG, from Lake City,
MI. Andy began practicing with 4th Division, bringing a lot of enthusiasm to the
group. He really helped breathe some life back into 4th Division
after losing Justin. Now that the
band was whole again, it was time to bring the music to the masses once
more. The band started the summer of 2003 with a battle of the
bands in Petoskey (2nd place in semifinals), then had shows at River Rock
in Big Rapids, and at the Kidney Walk in Cadillac. Then the band
performed its first show at Pine River High School on the last day of
classes for the seniors. Andy Syrewicze was a senior, which
made the concert a special event for the band. Later in the summer
the band performed at the Lake City battle of the bands, Luther Days
parade, and of course the Cadillac Rotary Performing Arts Pavilion.
The band finished its first CD over the 4th of July weekend of 2003.
The CD had been in the works for several months, and the finished
product turned out very well. 12 original songs gave the band
nearly an hour of music, and that was something to be proud of.
4th Division continued to play the occasional gig at local venues as the
cold weather set in. Shows at the Evart Lounge, Club Shadows, and
the Bucksnort Saloon kept the band going through the winter. Andy
Syrewicze and Josh McCarty, students at Ferris State University, signed
the band up for the campus talent show when spring 2004 rolled around.
Once that was completed the band looked ahead to summer gigs.
Keeping with tradition, the band played at the Cadillac Pavilion in the
summer. A lineup change occurred that summer as well; Andy
Syrewicze dropped guitar duty to Josh, Andy Pierson swapped his bass for
Ernie's guitar, and a new drummer, Karl, was added to the mix. The
band played two shows with this lineup. After that, it was back to
class for Josh and Andy S., which put 4th Division at a standstill.
There would be good news on the horizon, however. 4th Division was
selected as one of the bands featured on a local radio station called
The Zone. The Zone aired the show "Zonegrown," which featured 4th
Division and two other bands, on Sunday, October 17th, 2004 at 9pm.
The show included the songs Going Away, Thru With You, and Out of
Control, as well as an interview with the band's drummer Josh McCarty.
4th Division began practicing in the spring of 2005 as a four-piece band
with Andy S. on vocals and guitar, Karl Woodward on drums, and Josh and
Ernie sharing guitar and bass duties. The band learned a new
original song and performed it along with three other originals at
Ferris Fest 2005. This was the band's 2nd performance at Ferris
State University. The band is currently on a break for an
indefinite amount of time. To be continued...... |
