Kansas City Live

Expectations exceeded on every level........ 

MERIDIANWEST headlined Kansas City Live’s new venue located in the
heart of the Power and Light District in downtown KC. Joining them were
over 3 thousand extremely attentive and appreciative fans that night.

“This was easily one of my favorite shows to date.......there is something
about an open air venue that lights us up......... we will be back to KC Live
in the near future that is for sure!”, says David.

The Guys had several comments from the venue staff and sound
team stating that they were the most enjoyable professional band
they have had to date. “Our fans are very important to us, but to get
complements from a professional crew of soundmen that it was one
of there favorite shows, was such a huge compliment” says David.
Put MERIDIANWEST on a big stage with big sound and hold on tight,
they will explode with such a staggering musical force, you will think
there are six of them on stage.......

Photo Credit . Max Mellenbruch . renderplex.com

Blue October July 4th...

Blue October has invited us to join them on July 4th at the WhiteWater Amphitheater. Blue October has been on break after their last tour for quite awhile and are just as excited as we are to showcase some new music.

stay tuned for photos and some fancy blogging from this event.....

HOB May 30th......You wont want to miss this show!

NCAA "Pontiac Garage" Final Four March Madness 2008

Hello all...... we have been busier than ever getting ready for this summer. We have tons of new surprises coming your way this summer and fall!!!! 

Everything about the Pontiac Garage show was great.... the crowd was fantastic and the crew in San Antonio were more than welcoming. We joined Puddle of Mudd and Kid Rock to bring in the big game that evening. It was overwhelming to see how many of you guys traveled down to see us in San Antonio, we thank you all so very much for your support and can't wait to come back and play some of the new material..... see you all very soon.

Stay tuned....

 

THE ROAD TO SUNDANCE……………………………From A to Z

To fully talk about what we all saw and experienced during our drive from Austin to Park City would take a novel. So I am going to provide you with a checklist for the trip. Enjoy! ~Mark

Clock in over thirty hours of driving time: check
Drive through a major snowstorm between 3am and 6am: check
Weave through mountains with certain death around every corner: check
Successfully dodge 87 highway de-sensitized deer: check
See the most beautiful National Park in the world (Zion) illuminated by a gigantic full moon: check
Watch the sun rise: check
Arrive in Salt Lake City so late/early that we had our continental breakfast before
we went to sleep: check
Make the beautiful drive from Salt Lake City to Park City: check
Have tons of fun and get closer as a band: check


One of the coolest experiences of our SUNDANCE experience was actually the day before the big concert on Main Street. We got invited by the local television station, Park City TV to come and play 3 of our songs “live to tape” and then do a short interview. As soon as we got to the studio everyone was extremely warm and welcoming and made us feel completely at home. As we finished up our first song it was apparent that they weren’t used to bands that had energy like us – because we were all over the stage.

Most of the crew and staff made their way to the front as soon as they heard the exact opposite of their usual singer-song writer guests. An extra camera attached to a large sweeping boom lift was brought in. I’d like to believe it was because two cameras just weren’t enough to capture all the rock that was happening on that tiny stage. Afterwards the host, Ori Hoffer (who is super cool by the way), sat us down for a very laid back interview in which we got a chance to tell all of Park City who we were. As we left everyone of the crew and staff got a signed CD and I think we were just as excited to give them as they were to get them. For me it was definitely one of the highlights of the week – we hope to make another appearance at Park City TV the next time we visit the village of Park City. Special shout out to all of our new friends at Park City TV – Ori, Todd, JR, Catherine, Mickey, Jenn!!! ~Ryan
When we walked into the small broadcast room of KPCW, the first thing we saw was three mics and three chairs setup. At first glance the mics seemed intimidating. We have never done a radio interview before, and the mics made clear that every “uhh” and “like” were going to be broadcasted throughout the airwaves to thousands of listeners. Like all moments in our career the interview seemed to pass by at light speed. All I remember is a blurry collage of the three tunes he played on air, Revolution, Static, and Burn, and our comments about our history and music. I think the most memorable moment was when the interviewer, Randy Barton, switched over from his natural speaking voice to his “radio voice”. It took everything in us not to crack up during the first line of questioning. After it was over we all felt like it was a huge success. Mwest finally took a trip into radio land! ~Mark
MUSIC ON MAIN

We had the amazing opportunity to headline “Music on Main” at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. First of all we’ve all grown accustomed to the mild climate in Austin and were a bit shell shocked to say the least when on the day of the show it was 1 (one) degree outside and snowing harder than I’ve seen in years. We carefully loaded our equipment on stage and continued to watch the snow get higher and the temperature get lower for the next few hours. Even with the edition of on stage heating it was a real concern how all of our hands and feet (David) would hold up. So about 2 hours before the show we got to hang out in one of the nicer green rooms (they’re never green by the way) that we’ve had to date.

And then before we knew it we were huddled up with our manager and publicist for our pep talk that we usually do before a big show as we get the call from the guys on stage. Our walk to the stage was pretty memorable as we walked by a crowd that had more than tripled in size since the first two bands and wasn’t standing in the freezing cold to be let down. So around 9pm we took the stage in front of large crowd and did what we do best; played our hearts out. We opened up with two of our new songs and immediately had the crowd hooked. By the end of the 3rd song we hit a stride where earlier anxieties of frozen fingers and toes went out the window and was replaced with the excitement of fans that were jumping up and down and more enthusiastic than could be expected for the conditions. Even Robert Redford himself was spotted in the crowd enjoying the show and taking in some MWEST tunes.
We had some amazing visuals and lights that seemed to solidify a great stage performance. Of course in the world of MERIDIANWEST with every big show something has to go wrong. And by the second to last song Mark was having some technical issues with his guitar -- but because of the warmth of the crowd they were very patient while we sorted everything out and went on to close the show with an electric performance of Gone with a sliver of U2’s Bullet to Blue Sky. Every single person at the show went home with a free copy of MERIDIANWEST LIVE thanks to our dear friend Brian Blackman. The experience of playing at Sundance was an unforgettable one that undoubtedly will contribute in shaping the rest of our career.

Special thanks to the Sundance Institute, Maxwell Morrill, Kelly Green and Max Joseph. On Friday night we were invited to play an acoustic set at the STAR Bar -- the infamous Park City "live" music venue on Main Street. The STAR Bar is the location for SUNDANCE's official "Music Cafe" during the festival. Our good buddy, Maxwell Morrill, invited us to take part in the evening of music. We were able to play with some other great bands, like Ruby Release, Oliver Future and the Roman Numerals. The crowd was really cool and responsive too!!

THE ROAD HOME……………………From Z to A

Here is the checklist for the way home. Enjoy!

Clock in over thirty hours of driving time… again: check
Drive through a major snowstorm… again: check
Drive down icy declines without ending up on the side of the highway: check
Count all the semi trucks (24) laying on their side or upside down: check
Drop Manager and Publicist off in Denver to catch a plane because the drive was driving them crazy: check
Watch the sun rise… again: check
Make the entire trip without stopping to sleep: check
Make a pit stop at David’s parents’ house in Oklahoma City for a home cooked meal: check
Roll into Austin completely exhausted and disorientated: check
Have tons of fun and become closer as a band: check

~Mark

House of Blues

Photo Credit: Will Bolton

The show last Friday at The House of Blues was awesome. Our friend Kristin Leigh opened the show and did a wonderful job. For those of you guys that don’t know her you should definitely check her out live. After Kristin finished her beautiful set, we took the stage for the middle slot of the night. I thought we had a fantastic show, and our performances were pretty dead on. All three of us had a lot of fun on stage. It was a pleasure to play for such an energetic and receptive audience. Since we’ve been a band, we’ve longed to play in concert halls like The House of Blues. The reason is that the audiences are there for us and that concept alone heightens the show. Sure, some might have other intentions as well, like falling in love with the girl across the room, but ultimately they are there for the music. This is one of many jumps a band must safely maneuver in order to continue on. To will your self out of bars and into concert halls is no small feat. It’s essentially switching from background noise to the reason why people leave their homes. I’m proud that we have made the jump. The only down side of the show for me was that I busted my knee open when I was being a little too crazy on a particular guitar solo. Ah well… I guess that’s rock n’ roll. Odis closed the night with their fun and energetic set. They were great guys with a great sound. We look forward to future shows with them. Thanks to everyone that made last Friday a special night. ~Mark

Every now and then you come across people in your life that can really put things in perspective. Someone who has faced and overcome events in their life that make you realize what you have and what is truly important. On Wednesday we got a chance to play with a true musician and a great soul. We met Mr. Saxophone at our ME! Live premiere where he was recording a Christmas special. We quickly learned that he wasn’t just another musician trying to make it here in Austin. He’d already had a lifetime of experiences and an impressive resume including playing at Live Aid, assisting Bruce Springsteen and the E street Band, BB King and even the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But recently he lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. He was forced to find work in Austin and was blessed with another saxophone from ME! Television. From the minute we met him we knew he was not only an amazing musician but a great spirit. We told him that we’d be honored if he played with us at Lucky Lounge in the following weeks. So, on a very special Wednesday night Mr. Saxophone taught us a thing or two about perseverance, musicianship and playing from your soul. We had a blast letting Mr. Saxophone display over 30 years of experience and dedication to his craft in front of the fans of Lucky Lounge. We felt honored to be able to give something back to someone who had lost so much. We were also very lucky to have our friend Candy on stage for several songs to belt out some soulful background vocals – she is amazing!! Special thanks to Candy and Mr. Saxophone for making this a magical musical adventure!!

House of Blues

MERIDIANWEST at Antones

Parish Show Review

By alistdavid

as seen on Austin360.com

Some great acts — Kristin Leigh, Jonathan Clay and headliner Meridian West — came together Thursday night at The Parish. Kristin Leigh warmed up the crowd. She’s a poet/songwriter with a great voice. Her latest offering is the “Kristen Leigh Project,” featuring songs that are a solid blend of pop with some Texas songwriter mystique mixed in. She has lots of potential, so keep an eye — and ear — open for her in the future. It’s only a matter of time till she signs a deal. Jonathan Clay is well-known nationally for his work on MTV’s “The Real World,” which helps attract listeners to live shows. The crowd was not disappointed with his set featuring ballads and great rock vocals.

The evening finished up with Austin’s own MeridianWest. How come these guys aren’t with a big label? Until that happens, this is one of the great, accessible Austin rock bands you should see this band while ticket prices are still reasonable.

MWEST "Live" at the PARISH Ballroom

As I vocally warmed up with a cheap keyboard that I have had since I was 14, I heard the crowd cheering from outside the green room. At that moment I realized that in the two years we have been a band we have never had a show like this. Yeah, we have packed out some local bars in Austin, but never have we been the headliner at an actual music venue. The great light show and a massive screen that played videos synced up to our songs only added to the grandness of this show. I could tell that it was a defining moment in our career. It was a small taste of the type of shows we will be playing next year.

When David, Ryan, and I stepped on the stage, I felt like my entire body became numb. The show seemed to go by like the flashes of memories a movie character sees before they die. And that is exactly how a show like this goes. It is born. It is beautiful. Then it passes. I am honored to have shared this show with such a great audience. They lifted us up to a level we can only reach with their grace. It was also an honor to share the stage with my band mates, my friends, Ryan and David. I won’t ever forget that night.

~Mark

MERIDIANWEST

MERIDIANWEST in SPIN Magazine

Check out MERIDIANWEST in the December Issue of SPIN Magazine. MWEST appeared at the Belvedere Lounge for the ACL Festival hosted by SPIN Magazine. We were asked to play an acoustic set at the opening day of the lounge that was set up at the Hotel San Jose.

ME LIVE

Last night we celebrated the television premiere of our hour long performance on ME Live! A performance of an “in studio” show that we did back in June. We really have a lot of respect for the ME TV staff -- for their dedication and hard work to help launch the music careers of emerging artists from all over the world and for providing great programming.

It is super cool to be able to turn on the television and see music videos again. A truly instrumental part of the landscape of music. And thanks to all of our friends and fans that came out to show support.