Vocalist Chris Cleveland of Stars Go Dim belts out a song from their newest album ,“Love Gone Mad,” Nov. 16 at the Granada Theatre. Stars Go Dim sold out at the Granada in past shows and record most of their songs themselves.
Jennifer Pendarvis/ The Bulletin
Fans of pop rock outfit Stars Go Dim packed the Granada Theatre Nov. 16. But the performance also featured the debut of local band Thick & The Foolish, who opened the show.
The band features lead vocalist Tim Mohn, keyboard player Matt Kosinski, backup vocalists Brandi Smith and PJ Stephenson, bassist Kelby Kimberlin, guitarist Jeff Young and drummer Doug Stormont. Mohn said he and Kosinski had wanted to start a musical group for some time, “something that is both kind of dark and sexy at the same time.”
“We formed about four months ago,” Kimberlin said. “This sound is something different for us, something to take us out of our comfort zone.”
Mohn said the newly formed septet draws influence from acts such as The Afghan Whigs, Michael Jackson and Fury In The Slaughterhouse.
“We wanted to play something that was different and challenged our listeners,” Kosinski said.
Though the band’s debut performance at the Granada was well-received, the members joked about the band’s inexperience beforehand.
“This is our first show, and we have no idea what we are doing,” Mohn said.
Stars Go Dim features frontman Chris Cleveland, who also switches between playing piano and guitar during performances, guitarist Joey Avalos, bassist Kyle Williams and drummer Josh “Black Panda” Roach.
The Oklahoma-based pop rock quartet has shared the stage with Top 40 bands such as The Roots, Paramore, Switchfoot, The All-American Rejects, Daughtry and The Fray. Cleveland said the band is influenced by the bands they’ve gotten to play with, as well as acts such as Need To Breathe and Gavin DeGraw.
The quartet released their debut album, “Love Gone Mad,” in August 2009, about two years after the band’s inception. They also released an EP titled “Between Here and Now” last year. Cleveland said both releases included several tracks the band recorded at his home studio in Tulsa, Okla.
“We have been playing together for a long time,” Avalos said. “We have been working on new music almost constantly ever since.”
The band’s first show at the Granada last year sold out.
“We are happy to play in Emporia and we love the people here,” Cleveland said. “We have already started writing and recording for our next album. Be on the lookout for new stuff soon.”