Longhorn hosts tour

4/9/2004

The indie spirit rolls into town tomorrow night when the Blossoming Media Tour, a multiple-band lineup, heads for the Longhorn Saloon.

The Toledo show will feature three main bands: Steel Train, the Berlin Project, and Dexter Danger, plus an array of up-and-coming "bloomers" including the Interns.

The show is being sponsored in part by Orange Peal Records, an independent label based in Fremont, Calif.

All the groups on the Blossoming Media Tour have developed strong Internet followings through listings on the MySpace.com Web site, known for introducing indie music to the masses. The site has more than 5,000 band profiles and over 1.2 million members.

The Berlin Project, of Pittsburgh, is led by 22-year-old singer-guitarist John Garrighan, who founded the band when he was 14. The group's full-length debut on Orange Peal, "The Things We Say," often draws comparisons to the music of Sum 41, but Garrighan said that while the mention is flattering, "I think the Berlin Project has more of a rock vibe and is less focused on the pop/punk sound.

"●'The Things We Say' is edgier because we still have the pop melodies and hooks, but the music is just more rock," Garrighan said.

Steel Train was founded in New York City in January, 2002, and took its name from the first song it played, a tune penned by Bob Marley. The five-man band finished recording its lastest disc, "Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun," in December.

Dexter Danger, from San Francisco, plays music that spans the spectrum from "emo" to punk to straight-up rock and roll. The four-person band performed on the Vans Warped Tour in 2002 and released its first disc for Orange Peal, "Written in Blood," in September.

The tour will also offer a variety of computer programs and applications that can be used for everything from listening to music to playing video games. The tour is also promoting YouthAIDS, a charity working in 70 nations to educate and protect youth about HIV and AIDS.

The Blossoming Media Tour, featuring Steel Train, the Berlin Project, and Dexter Danger, performs at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Longhorn Saloon, 946 Phillips Ave. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for seniors. Information: 419-478-5890.