By Joe Maniscalco
The last time Endwell found themselves in the borough of churches, they were at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, being lashed with howling winds and driving rain for the better part of the day. On January 19, Third Rail Studios – Bensonhurst’s continuing Mecca of Do It Yourself rock n’ roll located at 1549 63rd Street – brings the young Victory Records recording artists back for another round of Brooklyn hospitality. “I still consider us at the beginning,” Endwell guitarist Dan Puglisi says. “We’re building a steady following, and are just going to keep hammering at it.” The Queens quintet – whose members are barely out of their teens – confess to not knowing exactly what to expect from the denizens of Third Rail Studios, but they have reason to believe they have what it takes to win ‘em over. Their newly released “Homeland Insecurity” CD has already attracted the attention of not only Victory Records, but MTV Video of the Year Award-winner Shane Drake, who won last year’s VMA for Panic! At the Disco’s “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies.” In August, the much sought-after director behind other bands like Fallout Boy, Hawthorne Heights and Less Than Jake, as well as the upcoming film adaptation of Ramsey Dean’s novel “The CoolKids,” shot Endwell’s first music video “Single & Loving It” in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. “It was our first music video experience and it was a blast,” Puglisi says in spite of the drenching rain storm and the monotony of having to play a single song over and over again. “Videos are fun.” But it almost didn’t happen for the band. Three years ago, they were in New Jersey less than 90 minutes from home on their way to a record company showcase in Chicago, when a flatbed truck struck the van they were traveling in, nearly killing everyone inside. The force of the collision was so powerful it sent the van flying, flipping over several times and ejecting the band’s former lead singer out of the vehicle. “It opened our eyes about how dangerous being a touring band really is,” Puglisi says. “You definitely put your live on the line every time you go out there.” The rest of the band somehow managed to avoid major injury, but according to Puglisi, the serious head trauma their former lead singer suffered contributed to his friend’s ultimate decision to quit the road and go back to school. “It definitely was tough on us,” Puglisi says. Since then, Endwell has indeed pushed on, attracting fans to its hardcore mix of speed and melody that at times falls “somewhere in between singing and screaming,” according to Puglisi. Now it's a shame you've lost your touch and you can't control your lust. I was only a heartbeat away from forgiving you, the band sings on track “Single & Loving It.” “We get the best of both worlds,” Puglisi says. “All of our musical tastes are completely across the board. I’m a huge Beatles freak.” Expect Third Rail Studios, housed in an old laundry factory, between 15th and 16th Streets, to up the speed metal ante on January 19 even more with fellow Victory Records label-mates Emmure and another band called My Bitter End. “We’re looking to be the heaviest, most emotionally moving band out there,” says Emmure guitarist Jesse Ketive. While proud of their sonic assault, Ketive doesn’t think that should scare off potential newcomers to the hardcore scene. “We really enjoy writing the heaviest music possible and playing it to others,” he says. “Yet, at the same time this band is very friendly and approachable.” The thing that sets his band mates apart, according to Ketive, is the “finesse” in which they approach everything they do, and the way that comes across to audiences. “I want our fans to have a true sense of who we are, so when we go up onstage, we’re having a lot of fun playing the hardest music we can, so people can enjoy it, too,” he says. Puglisi takes a somewhat more modest approach to his band’s place in music. “We’re not there to revolutionize the scene,” he says. “Right now we’re just having fun with it. We’re making enough money to put food in our stomachs, so we’re good.” Like all rock shows at Third Rail, anyone with the $10 entry fee will be admitted inside, but smoking and alcohol consumption are strictly prohibited. “We’re pumped,” Puglisi says. “We played a show in the Bronx not too long ago and it was an awesome show. We’re also excited about playing with other bands.” For his part Ketive says that Brooklyn fans should expect “brutal rock that’s still easy to understand and connect to.” “We pride ourselves on creating very genuine music. We always made music that way and we always will. The only difference now is what we do will be done on a larger scale.” Third Rail Studios is located at 1549 63rd Street. The all-ages show starts at 7 p.m. For more information, log onto www.thirdrailny.com or call 718-232-7774.
