Taking over lead vocals for an established band was a daunting task for Danny Rinaldi. But joining a close-knit band such as Bedlight for Blue Eyes helped ease the nerves and butterflies.
"When the last lead singer left it was a huge blow to the band," Rinaldi said by phone from New Jersey, "and I was taken aback when they asked me to be the singer. I mean, I was a fan of the band before. I was the kid in the audience who was singing all their songs. And all of a sudden I'm suppose to sing those songs for real. It was scary."
The band's trust and support allayed his fears, however. "In fact, when we were making the new CD, it was a great experience. This is the kind of band that you could give criticism to. I mean we would bounce ideas off each other and if someone didn't like it, they would say so and not get the cold shoulder. I was like, hey, this is a band where we can actually say what we think."
It was that kind of nurturing that went into making the CD "Waste My Time." Bedlight for Blue Eyes — with Rinaldi, drummer Itchy Bishburg, bassist James Granuzzo, new guitarist Dan Taylor and founding guitarist Derek Weber — hid away in a basement to write song after song. "We were writing songs all the time. We were at it for something like four days. And we'd be up until 4 a.m. just writing songs and writing riffs."
In addition to the new CD, the band has been touring all over the place, something that was new to Rinaldi. "It's funny because I haven't been too far away from home for most of my life. All of a sudden I'm going cross-country with the band — which has become my family. And some of my best friends are kids I've met at gigs and the bands that we have toured with."
Despite constant touring, the band finds ways to work up new songs. "Derek is the riff-master," said Rinaldi. "He's always playing stuff. We have an eight-track recorder that goes everywhere with us. And when something pops into our heads, we record it so we don't forget it. And then later we'll go back and listen to it and work with it until it becomes a song."
If you go ...
What: Mayday Parade, Bedlight for Blue Eyes, Driver Side Impact, Sick City
Where: Country Club Theater, 3930 Washington Blvd., Ogden
When: Tonight, 6 p.m.
How much: $8
Phone: 801-627-6433
E-mail: scott@desnews.com