Val Emmich
Harry's Roadhouse, Asbury Park, NJ - January 30, 2004

This review is long overdue, but worth the writing. Read on to hear more about Val Emmich, a New Jersey native and now Epic Recording artist.

Harry's Roadhouse is the hidden gem of Asbury Park. And when I heard Val Emmich was adorning the hip bar venue, I decided Dan and I had to see him at the cool bar.

I don't have the album yet, but I've heard great things. That night, I heard even more. Emmich has a Radiohead quality about him (think "The Bends" days...circa 1996). The music is mostly groggy, dark stuff, but the lyrics are elaborately emotional - and they're not all about happy romance, which is refreshing in today's "guy with guitar" world.

His first song "Privacy Attracts a Crowd" set the tone for a night of heavy emo rock. He's got a great band with a lot of volume to them, and an electronically-charged sound. What makes him different from some of the harder alt-rock bands are his introspective, highly emotional lyrics - and his voice which perfectly conveys them.

"Don't be here/Just get out/Busy body idiots/Always have to ruin it," he sang.

He also played "Shocked," a song that portrays anger, and does so without seeming too Nirvana-ish. That's the charm of Emmich's tunes...he can get into some really dark feelings without seeming "too" angry. But, the darkness he sings of allows listeners to express their rage as they listen. And even though I'm a pretty happy gal, I was down with getting my inner demons out through the tunes.

Another great song we heard was (I believe) called "This Is Too Soon," a sweet romantic ballad with Emmich's alternative backdrop of charging guitars.

"I know I don't deserve your trust/But you know I need it now," he sang in "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," a slower-paced song about seeking forgiveness.

All of his songs contain a hearty portion of classic rock-n-roll backed up by modern day electric guitars. This is the stuff that rock-n-roll is made of - and Emmich creates it in true form.

Once I get the CD, expect a raving review. Even though Dan and I weren't familiar with the music coming into the concert, we still took in an amazing live show and enjoyed rockin' out with this emerging artist.

Emmich is currently working with Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, Something Corporate, Finch) on his new album. We wish him the best and encourage you to check out www.valemmich.com.

Reviewed by Kristen Fischer
DiscoveringArtists.com