Verona Grove

It is a typical Thursday or Friday night. Around nine o’clock the city comes out of its coma and people begin to fill Main Street. People shuffle back and forth between bars looking for a good time.

While walking the streets, the sound of club beats and blues can be heard pouring out from the bars. On a rare occasion, a live band can be heard pumping out their songs while drunken, slurred voices try to climb over the top of the music.

For the crowd and the venue itself, the band may be nothing more than background noise, but many bands create the sonic landscape for the evening.

While some bands play out to look cool, attract the opposite gender or show off, others do it because they truly care about the music and what they are doing with it.

Oshkosh-based band Verona Grove makes the most of any opportunity they have to spread their power-pop riff-rock to an audience, because of their passion for playing.

“They really care. The first time I saw them they wore matching clothes,” said Marc Golde, owner and engineer of Rock Garden Studio in Appleton. “Some people would think that is really cheesy, but they came out and rocked. It shows that they really cared about what they were doing.”

Relying on precision, up-beat songs, catchy riffs and true passion for the music, the band tries to make every show an experience that draws attention of an audience.

“I feel a lot of time people say, ‘Yeah, we’ll come out and see you guys.’ But only about half of them really show up,” said Tony Anders, vocalist and guitarist of Verona Grove. “I feel like once people actually come and see, we’ve got them. Normally after they see us, people are like ‘Shit, we should’ve have seen them the first time.’”

Like many of the local bands in the area, Verona Grove relies on their live show to attract devoted fans and make a name for themselves.

For the past two or three years, the once four-piece band has been playing the Fox Valley while trying to increase the circle of cities they play.

With Anders on guitar and vocals, Charlie Willhelm on bass and Max Harder on drums, the band tries to spread their brand of rock music while trying to set itself apart from other bands.

Described as being in the realm of power pop rock and pop-punk, the band looks to its influences to deliver straightforward rock.

“We have some Weezer and we have some Green Day in us,” Anders said. “We normally stick to the rock side of things — not so much pop-punk.”

With many bands labeled their genre, Verona Grove strives to break away through their honesty to the music and lyrics.

“We have an honest approach to things,” Anders said. “The lyrics are things or something that has happened to us, not that any other band doesn’t. Everyone looks for that catchy line that people want to hear. We just try to keep it real.”

This comes across through Verona Grove’s stage presence as well as their recorded music.

“When we play it is not to make people think we are this or that,” Anders said. “We are pretty transparent. We don’t change much from the bar to the stage.”



Although Verona Grove plays a style of riff-driven pop rock, the song writing doesn’t come any easier than it would for lyrical poets or art-rock bands.

“The writing process is always difficult,” Anders said. “You get the catchy line and then you figure out the means, but the words that come are just feelings, emotions, things that happened, dreams, or ideas of thinking big.”

Anders added that the hardest part is showing the other members the songs. It takes some time for them to write and develop the parts to a whole song he shows them.

Approaching each song with no delusions about the subject or the style, the band truly cares about making each one as musically strong as possible.

“The one thing I really appreciate about the band is that they are musicians,” said Golde, who recorded their latest release. “Everything was recorded as if it were from 1979—there were no computers used to alter the sound. Doing it this way really separates the men from the boys.”

The band prides itself on their musicianship both in the studio and on the stage.

“We focus on trying to play all the parts well,” Anders said. “The key to playing in a local band is to prove you are playing what you recorded.”

Even though the band approaches each part of the song with a strong attention to detail, they don’t use playing as an opportunity to show off.

“They don’t try to impress you with flashy musicianship,” Glode said. “There is no flaunting in the way they play. It is just fundamental rock ‘n roll.”

The group tries to bring in every member of the crowd by playing original songs as well as high-energy covers while focusing on being the best they can.

“Sometimes you see some band and they aren’t playing as well as you think they should be,” Anders said. “We strive for the best while playing. That is what keeps us going.”

Verona Grove will continue to writ - The Advacnced Titan UW- Oshkosh

Posted May 05, 2005

Verona Grove finds its place in music scene

By Jeff Potts of the Northwestern



It’s not easy being young and talented, especially when talking about a group of musicians.

For the members of the three-piece power-pop-rock band Verona Grove, finding their niche in an overcrowded and under-appreciated Fox Valley music scene hasn’t been easy. Then again, not much is in the music business.

“We all want to make it big, everybody in this business does,” said frontman Tony Anders. “But you have to have the right mindset —don’t get frustrated and work with what’s going on in the scene, not just within the band.”


Founded in 1999 while students at Fond du Lac High School, Verona Grove—rounded out with Charlie Wilhelm on bass and Max Harder on drums —has had its share of success. They played with the likes of The Kinks, The Clarks, Steriogram, and Alkaline Trio. But it was a gig during the summer of 2003 that helped to reshape the band’s focus.

Thousands of music fans propelled Verona Grove to the top of the Summerfest “Big Gig Competition,” where they won a gig opening for Sum 41 on the Harley Davidson Roadhouse stage.

Anders described the showcase performance as a shot of confidence for the band, saying in Wisconsin Summerfest is a benchmark for musical careers — if you get a regular gig there, you can get a gig anywhere in the state.

While that performance hasn’t translated into a return to Milwaukee’s lakefront, yet, the group was able to parlay its growing buzz into more gigs in the Fox Valley.

Soon Big Wave and TMJ production companies were booking Verona Grove at every music venue from Fond du Lac to Green Bay.

With one album under their belts, 2003’s “Half Tanked,” the band’s performances were an equal mix of bill-paying cover songs and hard rocking originals.

Finding a balance between the two wasn’t easy, as audiences and some venues almost require bands to cater to pop-radio tastes instead of originals.

Noticing their own shortcomings, the band made a conscious effort to find its own sounds, its own niche in the music scene, and to take the act to the next level.

“At first this was something we enjoyed doing, it was fun all the way around,” said Anders. “But if we were going to be serious about making a move we needed to change our focus and start doing more original music.”

Lean winter months provided plenty of time for songwriting and practice as the group prepared to record a new EP at Rock Garden Studio in Appleton, where Marc Golde helped produce the album. Set for release in June, the EP includes six Verona Grove originals, including the song “Huxtable” which you might just hear while watching television as Sparkadoodles, a gift shop in Appleton, is using it for their commercial soundtracks.

With a handful of gigs booked in the Fox Valley the next few weeks, Verona Grove looks to build momentum to take its music to the next level, Anders said.

“We’ve always been looking from the outside in, now we’re in the midst of it,” Anders said. “It’s really cool. There isn’t a sense of competition among bands — everybody helps each other out. We are all creating a buzz and that’s good for the entire area.”

Jeff Potts: (920) 426-6671 or jpotts@thenorthwestern.com.


- The Oshkosh Northwestern

CD Review: Verona Grove, “The Story Thought Over”
September 10th, 2008 Written by: Brian McConnell· No Comments

When the first track of Verona Grove’s, “The Story Thought Over” blasted out of my car speakers, I was quickly reminded of another review I recently wrote. Quickly, however, I realized that while the vocals were very Starting-Line, Homegrown, etc. etc. there was something far more interesting going on. The music was good, really good.

As the CD continued I realized just how off base my initial reaction was, “The Story Thought Over” is what a power pop album should be: at times loud, at times melodramatically slow and at all times insanely enjoyable.

Comprised of Tony Anders (vocals, guitar), Charlie Wilhelm (bass) and Josh Helm (drums) Verona Grove moved from Oshkosh, WI and wound up in the so-not-the-state-of-the-badger Los Angeles, CA. This transition proved to be the inspiration for much of the album.

“A lot of the songs are about a dream.” Anders stated, “Everyone’s got an idea of where they want to be someday and what they want to do. For me it was happening. We got this record deal, now we were in LA and I never could have dreamed that, but here it is. I think that’s what a lot of the writing focused on.”

Like dreams, the album moves in interesting directions. Each track constantly surprises; truly refreshing from a band within a genre that seems to frequently disappoint with the expected chords, bass lines and monosyllabic lyrics.

Not only is the entire album unpredictable in the best way, each song is a great track in its own right. Whether it’s the slow paced retrospective “Revolution,” the electronically-induced “Goodbye Surrender,” the somber “Chances” or the radio-ready “No Words to Say,” “The Story Thought Over” is one download-worthy song after the other.

Much of the cohesiveness and brilliance of “The Story Thought Over” can be attributed to producer Jamie Arentzen, guitarist of the rock band American Hi-Fi. The mix of Arentzen’s music experience and long-proven talent alongside the highly motivated best friends and band mates from Wisconsin turned into a brilliant collaborative effort. After two months in the studio, “The Story Thought Over” was finally born and what a handsome baby it turned out to be!

While I am certainly not the biggest fan of the power-pop/rock genre, Verona Grove has proven to me that there is something to this kind of music after all. When done well, really well, it breaks through the whining-pining-white-boy mold and becomes something exciting and exhilarating: good music.

Not quite ready to splurge on the whole CD? Download these tracks and get a taste of Verona Grove: “Revolution,” “Chances,” “Goodbye Surrender.” - LACITYZINE.com

Formed in a Fond du Lac high school way back around the turn of the century, the pop punk group Verona Grove self-released their first album in 2003. By then, the band had moved on to college at UW-Oshkosh, another step a journey that took an unexpected step a couple of year back Guitarist Tony Anders and bassist Charlie Wilhelm took a trip to Madison to record a single track at Smart Studios.

They soon found themselves moving to L.A. to take a full-time stab at being a rock band.

Smart engineer Justin Perkins shared this track with record labels, and by the spring of 2006, Verona Grove had signed with Pat's Record Company in West Hollywood. The trio subsequently moved west, and started recording with Jamie Arentzen of American Hi-Fi. They ended up creating the album The Story Though Over, which was released back at the end of August. The band is currently on tour supporting this release, and are swinging back through Madison this week.

I tracked down lead singer Tony Anders to get the lowdown on the band's recent success.

The Daily Page: So who the hell are you guys?
Anders: I'm Tony, and then there's Josh Helm on the drums and Charlie Wilhelm on bass and backup vocals. Charlie and I have been playing since high school, and we just filled our drummer spot with Josh. But it feels like the three of us have been together for a long time.

What the hell do you guys sound like?
We're pop rock. We want to take pop music as far as we can. The radio is cool with us -- we just want to get our music out there. You might compare us with the edgier stuff on the radio -- American Hi Fi back in the day, All American Rejects, bands like that.

Radio, huh?
You know, the hardest part about it is finding your own angle and doing your unique thing.

Tell me about this album you have out, The Story Thought Over
We recorded it out in L.A. with producer Jamie Arentzen from American Hi Fi. He engineered the whole process and someone else came in to mix it. I got my degree in recording at UW Oshkosh, but when it comes to my music, I'd rather have my hands off of it.

Talk about your Cinderella story. How'd you end up with that sweet deal?
Pat's Record Company brought us out there. We had recorded a tune at Smart Studios in Madison, and the engineer, Justin Perkins, asked if he could send it out. I followed up with Pat's about a month later, and the label people said they liked it and wanted to hear more. They came out to Oshkosh to watch a few shows, signed us, and sent us to L.A.

How did you like the West Coast?
It was cool. We were completely broke at the time, so what we could do was limited. But it was nice. It was what you'd expect. I think the Midwest is way cooler. I'd rather live in Chicago than L.A. People are more focused here. It's the Protestant work ethic and the weather, I think.

Would you consider that the highlight of your career thus far?
Probably, along with opening for the Plain White Tees and the Goo Goo Dolls. We also got to play two shows with Lifehouse. Now it's just a matter of making this a full time thing. We all still live with our parents, and we practice in my parents' basement.

Well, whatever works, I guess. Expecting a good show at the Loft?
It's hard getting a huge crowd in Madison -- there are too many places to play. But it should be outrageous. All Time Low is pretty famous, so they'll bring a lot of people in, too.

Verona Grove will be performing in Madison on Tuesday, November 6 when they take the stage at The Loft along with All Time Low, The Audition, and Valencia. The group will remain on the road through the rest of the year, going on a national tour with The Juliet Dagger and Shonen Knife in late November. - SANDY FRANSON-ISTHMUS-THE DAILY PAGE- MAIDSON, WI

If you ask Tony Anders where the name Verona Grove came from, he won't really be able to tell you. Since forming back in 2001, while the bandmates were still in high school, the group thought of a few random and humorous names. Once it looked like they had the promise to make it, though, Anders says they make the switch to a decidedly more serious-sounding name.
"(Verona Grove) just found a place and stuck. I should probably make up a story and go with it," Anders jokes. If that turns out to be the case, feel free to disregard the previous statements. The boys of Verona Grove call Fond du Lac, Wisc. home and in its current incarnation, the band consists of vocalist/guitarist Anders, bassist/vocalist Charlie Wilhelm and drummer Josh Helm, who joined after the band's original drummer dropped out last August. The band will be in town June 21 for MOBfest and will be performing at the Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.
"We're happy to be doing it," Anders says. "We'll get in front of the crowd and just perform."
MOBfest, in its 11th year, is a three-day music showcase/business seminar where bands get to play their stuff in front of A&R reps and record executives. Music groups of all kinds, from the new and na've to those who are slightly more established, are welcome to play in hopes of possibly making the big time. The boys of Verona Grove will be playing along side the likes of hometown indie act Probably Vampires and hardcore rockers A Birdsong Valentine, just to name a few.
But Verona Grove will be one of the few that won't be in search of a label; they got signed back in 2006. Back then, the group would play in Wisconsin at eight to 10 different venues consistently, performing covers and a few original songs.
Anders describes how after putting a decent amount of time and money into one song, the group thought it was good enough to send out as a demo. Sure enough, they sent it to Universal and a month later, the label came to them looking for more. After a wooing period, Pat's Record Company picked up Verona Grove. With that, they were shipped off to Los Angeles to begin the writing and recording process. The first fruits of their labor came in the form of a four track self-titled EP.

"It's kind of surreal going from Wisconsin to Los Angeles," Anders says. "It was weird but being able to play music, writing and goofing around was great. It worked out awesome."
The majority of the band's EP, including songs "Goodbye Surrender" and "Everything You Dreamed," are upbeat and catchy with a hint of edginess, drawing comparisons to the likes of Hellogoodbye and Motion City Soundtrack. Verona Grove also cites Jimmy Eat World and The Get Up Kids as their influences. When asked to describe their sound, Anders explains that they're "power pop with an alternative side", but that the terms "pop punk" and "emo" don't really apply to their music.
"It just isn't us," he says. "We listen to it, but I wouldn't put the emo label on us. If you ask me what emo is, I really couldn't tell you. Maybe Dashboard Confessional or Bright Eyes."
For their upcoming album, The Story Thought Over, Anders says their time in California refined their writing abilities. At least four songs were written while still in Wisconsin while the rest were penned during their stint in LA.
"They all have their own indirect meanings," Anders says. "But it all comes together to tell a story."
As for post-MOBfest, Anders says they're "cruising in a van and doing a small tour in the Midwest." This applied quite literally, as the faint sound of car horns could be heard throughout the interview. The group is also still in search of management.
"It's a battle, but we're going to work for it," Anders says. - DANI GARCIA-THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN-CHICAGO, IL

Deep in the heart, or alive in our daily life, we all have dreams. Verona Grove, a trio from Southeastern Wisconsin, achieved the dream of a lifetime by signing with a Los Angeles record label in 2006 to record their first album The Story Thought Over.

“That’s what the whole album is about; attaining your dream,” explains guitarist and lead vocalist Tony Anders. “The whole experience of being able to do that was incredible and it really influenced our music.”

But being in LA didn’t influence their Midwestern perspectives.

“It was funny,” explains bass player Charlie Wilhelm, “we had people from LA come to our normal spot (Oshkosh, WI) to see us play, and they would tell us - man, there are some hot girls in Oshkosh .”

“It’s weird and funny hearing that,” chimes in Anders, “coming from where we come from, you assume the most beautiful people are in LA.”

The trio (Josh Helm on drums, Tony Anders on bass, Charlie Wilhelm on guitar and lead vocals) started in 2001.

“Charlie and me,” says Anders, “we got together in high school back in our home town ( Fond Du Lac, WI ). Then we went to college at UW Oshkosh. That’s where we met Josh.”

“At the time I was in a rival band in the Oshkosh scene, but we were all friends,” points out Helm. “It wasn’t until these two were back from recording out West that I joined up.”

Helm isn’t responsible for the creativity of The Story Thought Over, but the energy and skill that he brings to the drums is an essential part of the Verona Grove equation.

While recording their debut dream child, Verona Grove ignored the “plastic” influences of LA and created a happy, inspirational catchy batch of songs. “Everything You Dreamed” is a self testimony of Verona Grove attaining their goal of landing a deal. The track rocks out and offers words of encouragement to listeners - “The time is now, a palm tree is like a four-leaf clover.”

“Revolution” is a heart-felt ballad about keeping focused on a dreams and never letting them die. The piano and guitar blend over this message and deliver a powerful sound.
The rest of the tracks blend in the same way making a cohesive “power pop” album.


Since the creation of Story Thought Over, Verona Grove has toured relentlessly to hit up as many people as possible with their music and positive message. So far, they've hit the peaks of playing at the prestigious Austin , Texas South By Southwest festival, and have shared the stage with powerhouse acts such as The Goo Goo Dolls.

Live, this trio is nothing short of a burst of energy and inspiration. The passion they have for music and the dream they are living comes out in every chord played and every hit of the drum. It is an act WORTH seeing, and I would STRONGLY recommend picking up The Story Thought Over if you like catchy pop rock that makes you tap your foot.

Find out more about the band and Verona Grove’s tour on their MySpace. It would be a mistake not to.

- COLLEGE NEWS

The members of power pop trio Verona Grove have just finished a couple shows in Los Angeles and are driving north to play a couple more in San Francisco. They're on the first leg of their lengthy U.S. tour, which, right now, is taking them all over the West Coast in support of this year's release "The Story Thought Over."

Meanwhile, back at their hometown of Fond du Lac, a snow and ice storm is turning major roads into slushy skid zones.

"My girlfriend lives there -- she says it's really bad," says frontman Tony Anders, hearing of the weather conditions back home. "I'm glad I'm not there," he adds with a laugh.

Last August Anders, bass player Charlie Wilhelm and drummer Josh Helm relocated from their Midwestern homes to L.A. at the request of their label, Pat's Record Company. A subsidiary under the Universal Records umbrella, the Hollywood-based label was once home to Appleton's now-defunct Number One Fan -- members of which have since re-grouped as the dusty rock foursome The Wildbirds.

Anders says the band's West Coast label attention is all thanks to one of Wisconsin's own in-demand studio engineers and prolific musicians, Justin Perkins of Madison's Smart Studios.

"God bless him, he sent a demo of "Small-Town Celebrity" to (Pat's) because he'd recorded Number One Fan, who was also on the label," says Anders. "We followed up with them and they were actually interested -- so it was one of those amazing things where it was like, not only do they answer their phone, but they actually want to talk to us."

The band spent seven months writing and recording the poppy, super slick "The Story Thought Over" in L.A. before returning home and launching the tour with Juliet Dagger and Shonen Knife.

"I think we could have just as easily done it in Wisconsin -- or anywhere in the Midwest -- but it's just how it fell into place. The label wanted us there to be close to them," says Anders. "But it wasn't like nothing in Wisconsin was good enough. Maybe on the next record we'll do it at home."

The band agrees that things are now moving, albeit at lightning speed, into place.

"Being at home is really unproductive," admits Anders -- except, perhaps, for the time he was bored enough to pen a Christmas song called "Guided By Lights" and make a video to boot, which you can watch here.

"You want to be on the road, doing shows and meeting people. The money is tight, but you make the most out of it, you figure out what you can and can't do and you have fun with it."

So maybe you've seen Anders and crew at Summerfest -- they've played at the U.S. Cellular Connections / Leinenkugel's / FM 102.1 stage the past few years. Then again, maybe you've caught a glimpse of them on one of their two recent segments on "E! Entertainment." Suddenly, it seems Verona Grove is all over the place. Still Anders keeps it in perspective.

"I would never consider us a big band. We've played some bigger shows where we played with Lifehouse and The Goo Goo Dolls and had two little segments on 'E! Entertainment.' But the next day, we're back to playing for 15 people, or even five people, so there's a long way to go." - JULIE LAWRENCE-ONMILWAUKEE.COM

Please tell MTV to wipe their feet at the door. Having seen Verona Grove banners all over this very website, one would be ambitious (in a rather pessimistic sense at that) to make the assumption that the group would be a made-for-TV power pop trio only one laughable music video prototype away from having their name on the chests of adolescent females all across the country. To be quite honest, I immediately discarded this band on first listen and, knowing well it was something I'd heard several times before, continued to listen only out of ethical obligation in correspondence with this review. If you haven't already picked up on the foreshadowing, I have had a subtle change of heart concerning Wisconsin's Verona Grove and their debut album The Story Thought Over.

Well versed in the art of separating trend-hopping fundraiser music from an actual attempt at transcending the blurred boundaries of one's chosen genre, I soon established that Verona Grove by no means do either. What they are able to do is simply outclass the vast portion of groups in the power pop genre; while they don't create anything that would inspire any kind of musical revelation or epiphanic perspective, they are simply very good at what they do. Enveloped in the shadows of such bands as Cartel, Fountains of Wayne, and Motion City Soundtrack, the band is able to produce solid (though on the repetitious side) single worthy tracks like "Everything You Dreamed" and "Goodbye Surrender," inject a little bite with tracks such as "I Haven't Got Much (But I'm Getting Somewhere)," and after it's almost over invoke a bit of hope in the eyes of the critical listeners with the album's last track, "Chances." The soft piano-fronted pop ballad takes on a much more mature sound and, in a small sense, sets aside the predictable chorus lines. As far as musicianship goes, the only real commendable aspect is the drumming, which I felt was leagues above any other instrumental component.

Whether I can recommend this album is very much dependant on the listener. If you're a fan of fun, slightly techno-influenced radio pop-rock, I would highly suggest you buy The Story Thought Over. However, on the other hand, if you're one of the AP members that pride themselves on intellectually potent music such as Thrice and Brand New, I would be much more hesitant to yield such promotions; in fact I'd strongly discourage the purchase. Even though I doubt Verona Grove's debut effort will make many more appearances in my musical rotation, I will go out on a limb and predict that this group will bust onto the scene and be the next big thing. I'm calling it - mark my words.
- ABSOLUTE PUNK

Please tell MTV to wipe their feet at the door. Having seen Verona Grove banners all over this very website, one would be ambitious (in a rather pessimistic sense at that) to make the assumption that the group would be a made-for-TV power pop trio only one laughable music video prototype away from having their name on the chests of adolescent females all across the country. To be quite honest, I immediately discarded this band on first listen and, knowing well it was something I'd heard several times before, continued to listen only out of ethical obligation in correspondence with this review. If you haven't already picked up on the foreshadowing, I have had a subtle change of heart concerning Wisconsin's Verona Grove and their debut album The Story Thought Over.

Well versed in the art of separating trend-hopping fundraiser music from an actual attempt at transcending the blurred boundaries of one's chosen genre, I soon established that Verona Grove by no means do either. What they are able to do is simply outclass the vast portion of groups in the power pop genre; while they don't create anything that would inspire any kind of musical revelation or epiphanic perspective, they are simply very good at what they do. Enveloped in the shadows of such bands as Cartel, Fountains of Wayne, and Motion City Soundtrack, the band is able to produce solid (though on the repetitious side) single worthy tracks like "Everything You Dreamed" and "Goodbye Surrender," inject a little bite with tracks such as "I Haven't Got Much (But I'm Getting Somewhere)," and after it's almost over invoke a bit of hope in the eyes of the critical listeners with the album's last track, "Chances." The soft piano-fronted pop ballad takes on a much more mature sound and, in a small sense, sets aside the predictable chorus lines. As far as musicianship goes, the only real commendable aspect is the drumming, which I felt was leagues above any other instrumental component.

Whether I can recommend this album is very much dependant on the listener. If you're a fan of fun, slightly techno-influenced radio pop-rock, I would highly suggest you buy The Story Thought Over. However, on the other hand, if you're one of the AP members that pride themselves on intellectually potent music such as Thrice and Brand New, I would be much more hesitant to yield such promotions; in fact I'd strongly discourage the purchase. Even though I doubt Verona Grove's debut effort will make many more appearances in my musical rotation, I will go out on a limb and predict that this group will bust onto the scene and be the next big thing. I'm calling it - mark my words.
- DAVID RACHAC-HOW WAS THE SHOW.COM