An Evening With

"These guys are the next best thing" - The Pillar - Detroit, MI

ARTIST OF THE MONTH: An Evening With
Album Review "Cruel Intentions"

By Chris Brach
New York City moves faster then most places on earth, so it only makes sense that the band An Evening With would bring their high energy sound straight out of the Big Apple. With their newly released debut album "Cruel Intentions", An Evening With is ready to take their fast paced, energetic songs off Long Island and out to the rest of the country. An Evening With started following singer Jay Alexander's departure as a drummer from a previous project. He assembled the remaining four members; Guitarists Mario Mendoza and Mike DiRoma, bassist Adam Pallack, and drummer ReDi to create the Long Island sound that is unique to the band.

AEW's debut album, "Cruel Intentions", is as modern alternative of a sound as you will find. At first listen, it feels in a lot of ways like you've heard their music before. Their sound comes through very similar to Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, or All American Rejects. But as you get further into the album the mold is broken and the band takes on a sound that is considerably more their own.

AEW comes out flying on the album with tracks like "For Ever Young" and "Bridge to Nowhere". On the latter, heavy drums start things off and lead into a fast paced, up beat song with soaring vocals. ReDi's drums stand out on the entire album given the speed of many of the songs, but "Bridge to Nowhere" is a great showcase of his abilities as the clean drumline sets the tone for what you are about to hear. The band tries to trick you with a slow start to "Die for You", but they head right into the powerfully quick rock that they started the album with. It is clear early on how dynamic Jay Alexander's vocal range is as he seems to find a way to hit just about every part of the scale in almost every song.

The duel guitars of Mario Mendoza and Mike DiRoma add considerable character to each of the songs. AEW, for the most part, uses the guitars in a strong rhythm and lead setup. However, on songs like "Hearts on Fire" the guitars team up in a lead role that opens with a very intricate sound that even with a processor couldn't be pulled off with a single guitar. Equally impressive is the bass line Adam Pallack carries on songs "Invincible" and "Time After Time". It reinforces Redi's work to carry the breakneck pace that embodies many of the songs on "Cruel Intentions".

Towards the end of the album you run into a track called "One Track Mind", which in my opinion is one of the catchiest tracks on the disc. This song about infatuation and obsession with the latest flavor of the month is ready for the radio today. Give it a listen on Rocksposure Radio, you'll see exactly what we're talking about. "One Track Mind" is as clean and polished as any song we have run across. Keep an ear out because we wouldn't be surprised to hear this song get regular airplay at the very least on the local level.

Another high point for AEW is when they really hit their stride on the bass heavy track "Tonight We're One". Again wielding the dueling guitars and strong vocals, they find their way back to the speed they started with. It is a great song on an album that keeps a strong pace from start to finish.

Be sure to check our Gig calendar to see when our March Artist of the Month, An Evening With, will be in your neighborhood to spend An Evening With you. - Rocksposure.com

Unsigned Artist of The Week: An Evening With
March 15, 2010 By jeanette


This Week’s unsigned artist is alt pop rockers An Evening With. Composed of Jay Alexander (vocals), Mario Mendoza (guitar), ReDi (drums), Mike DiRoma (guitar), and Adam Pallack (bass), this Long Island quintet is the brainchild of ex-drummer Jay Alexander. Wanting to create his musical vision, Alexander enlisted the help of “mad scientist” guitarist Mario Mendoza and the pair started to write songs and play open mic nights. The duo went on to expand their sound by adding three more members; drummer ReDi, Roma on guitar, and Pallack on bass. Once the band was in placed the next logical step was to record an album. The guys trekked over to NJ to record their debut album with Rob Freeman, producer (Cobra Starship) and former guitarist/vocalist for Hidden In Plain View.
This past October, An Evening With has completed the release, Cruel Intentions. With songs about the ups and downs of youth, love, and relationships, this album delivers a seamless blend of rock, pop, and punk creating ridiculously catchy, ear pleasing, enjoyment. You cannot help to get this music stuck in your head. Songs like “Die For You” and “Hearts On Fire Again” feature magnetic opening riffs that are infectiously delicious. This along with the enticing vocal range of lead singer Jay Alexander creates for music you’ll love.
Stand Out Tracks: “Die For You,” “Hearts On Fire Again,” and “Luck and Cruel Intentions”
The band will be playing a few shows in NY and NJ this month and next month on April 17th the AEW will be at The University of Pennsylvania’s Spring Fling. For more information check them out on Facebook. Cruel Intentions is available now on iTunes and Amazon. - Eat, Sleep, Breathe Music

An Evening With Begin Long Island's Westfield Live Acoustic Series
Tonight We're One




An Evening With (AEW) is an emerging rock quintet who bring refreshing punk, pop, and rock vibes to Long Island's music scene. Each of the 12 songs on their debut album Cruel Intentions, released last October, has its own up beat flair, created by the harmonious intertwining of the two guitar lines with the wide-ranging voice of the lead vocalist, supported by seamless and consistent bass and drum lines. All these are telltale signs that the five musicians pour their hearts and souls into their music.

I caught up with An Evening With at their live acoustic show, which started the Westfield Live Acoustic Series at Starbucks Sunrise Mall on March 12, 2010. Their musical style is reminiscent of Nirvana's powerful drum lines in "For Ever Young" and "Bridge to Nowhere," Fall Out Boy's audacious guitar lines in "Hearts on Fire Again," Mayday Parade's romantic themes and daring guitar solos in "Invincible" and "Die For You," and it resonates with the vocal harmony of The Cure in "Time After Time" and "Higher." The electronic instrumentation of "Luck & Cruel Intentions" evokes Joy Division's electronic sound in "Love Will Tear Us Apart." The genuine AEW style permeates through each tune, which enticed quite a few people to stop lend an ear to the musicians in Sunrise mall's Starbucks lounge.


An Evening With Live Acoustic Mix



Lead vocalist Jay Alexander, guitarist/ vocalist Mike DiRoma, guitarist/ vocalist Mario Mendoza, bassist/ vocalist Adam Pallack, and drummer ReDi understand the importance of showcasing their tunes. Earlier that week, they performed as the opening act for the touted pop/punk bands Bowling for Soup and The Dollyrots at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, N.Y., while the following weekend, they played two shows in Wayne, N.J. - Ana Barbu - Uncovered Sounds