When the Music’s Over Part II
Growing Up Doesn’t mean Giving Up on the Dream: What L.I. Musicians Do When Stardom IS No Longer An Option

By April Jimenez

YOUNG BLOOD

Local music guru Rick Eberle remembers reading Rolling Stone when he was 8, while other kids were reading comic books and passing notes; he wrote his first song in fifth grade, and put together two homemade music videos to go with it. In 10th grade, Eberle’s original band placed third in his high school battle of the bands, at Merrick’s Calhoun High, losing to legendary hardcore band Vision of Disorder. Along with his sister, Tara, Eberle went on to form Iridesense in 1993, and they have since opened for Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Edwin McCain and Fountains of Wayne, among others. Iridesense’s songs have appeared on MTV’s Real World and Road Rules and on Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 and Drake & Josh. Last year, the band signed to local label Paradiddle Records. Eberle admits that he expected to be a "huge multimillion-dollar rock star" by now, but sometimes, life gets in the way. Eberle has now taken a pretty comfortable seat on the promotions and marketing side of things with his company, PopCore Entertainment. He mostly works from home, booking bands for clubs like LI’s Crazy Donkey and Mulcahy’s Pub, and Manhattan’s Knitting Factory. He handles the PR for local bands The Madison Project, Paging Grace and Tauk. He also does some straight public relations, ranging from environmental to political clients.

"Being on this side of the business was always a plan if I didn’t make it as a musician myself," says Eberle. "I have been pursuing both for a very long time. Now I am thrilled to be able to help other young blood get their names out there and make some noise."

That said, Eberle claims he will never give up his dreams of rock stardom, even if it means altering those dreams a little from the days of high school talent shows. These days, his biggest inspiration-both on and off the stage-is his 3-year-old son, Robert. Having a child of his own has made Eberle think twice before considering a six-month tour or an all-night party.

"Being a parent makes everything else you do more important; you have a responsibility to someone else besides yourself-you have to really think before you make life-altering decisions," says Eberle. He admits that when his wife got pregnant, he knew he had to adjust his path in life, and he now spends days at his desk in his home office, doubling on daddy duty. This past Saturday, during a band rehearsal at Eberle’s home, little Robert grabbed the microphone and did his rendition of Iridesense’s song "Gasoline."

"I’d never force him into becoming a musician," says Eberle. "But something tells me I couldn’t stop him from becoming one if I tried."

http://canvasli.com/awaken/home-grown/home-grown-page-1.htm

From Huntington to Syosset to Levittown, Long Island has been a breeding ground for generations of famed musicians such as Billy Joel, the late Harry Chapin, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett and Dee Snider of the rock band Twisted Sister. Maybe it’s something in the water, but this ineffable local phenomena is just as strong as ever, and today’s Long Island-based bands and musicians are poised to take their place among their famous musical predecessors.

At the glitzy inaugural induction ceremony of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in October 2006, Hicksville, N.Y. native Billy Joel noted that Long Island was a “clash of cultures,” and an “island of extremes,” housing everyone from Albert Einstein to Joey Buttafuoco. The same can be said of its music scene, which boasts an equally varied range of genres, stretching from death metal and jazz-pop to grunge and glam-rock.

Studio Space
It’s easy for Long Island’s music scene to be overlooked because of its close proximity to Manhattan, where concerts are a dime a dozen and bands can be as generic and fleeting as yellow taxis. However, it’s this lack of anonymity in Long Island’s music scene that prevents its musicians from getting lost in the shuffle; and instead enables them to develop a local and loyal fan base. Long Island radio stations WBAB and WLIR, who used to play Joan Jett’s music at a time when most major labels rejected her, still continue to give unsigned local artists significant airtime.

Nobody’s benefited from this kind of exposure more than the self-proclaimed “pop-core pioneers” of Iridesense, a brother and sister fronted band in the vein of No Doubt and K’s Choice, that has gained respectful following from fans and local musicians alike for the past 13 years." (Listen to Iridesense’s Love or Hate)

“We used to play with all the same bands. We got to know each other and formed a camaraderie, and we’re also happy to give advice to other bands who may be starting out—and that’s what the Long Island scene is about,” says lead vocalist Tara Eberle, whose earnest belts are accented by her brother Rick Eberle and band mate Rob Viccari’s strong guitar riffs.

Unlike most Manhattanites, the Eberles, who hail from a musical family, had the luxury of a basement in their family home where they could practice—a key ingredient in the Long Island musical mix, according to comments by Billy Joel. Another reason for Iridesense’s success is that they’ve remained together for so long, and have “stuck it out,” as Tara says, adding that, “we’ve also stayed true to our music, and won’t compromise on our dream, despite the current trend and interest in Emo music,” a subgenre of hardcore punk music that’s associated with open displays of strong emotion.

http://www.newsday.com/features/printedition/ny-d5022399dec21,0,7672397.column

Features

looks like Santa has smiled on Rick Eberle, the former Downtowner and current Donkeyite. His long-running band Iridesense has signed a deal (finally!) with local label Paradiddle Records. If you remember Paradiddle’s tribute album "Bob Dylan Uncovered," that was Iridesense covering "One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)." The folks at Paradiddle liked it so much they’ve agreed to release an album of Iridesense originals due in the spring, according to Eberle. Check out paradiddlerecords .com to hear Iridesence’s cover of "Do They Know It’s Christmas."

Jan. 15, 2002

Iridesense

KMH) What does the name Iridesense mean?  How did the band come about?

IR) In the dictionary "iridecence" we spell it iridesense, means the interplay of lustrous colors that produces a rainbow. I chose this name because of that beautiful image. Our name "iridesense" is also a interplay but, of your senses: sight, sound, and feel. That’s also why we spell it differently, if you break it down it’s I-Ride-Sense. Our music grabs hold of every one of your senses, it’s the ultimate experience.

KMH) Are you all original members?  If not, who came in when?

IR) Rick, Rob, Elsa, and I started the band back in 1993. I guess you could consider us the original members. We had other drummers but no one really clicked until we met Rich. Rich joined in 1994-95 and has been with us ever since. Elsa is no longer in the band but she used to sing backup and play percussion, she actually on our first cd "Cool Dream Tomorrow".

KMH) What inspires the band’s music?

IR) Life, everyday experiences, conversations, dreams, and inner thoughts. Our songs express so much about us and we just love playing music together.

KMH) What type of music do you play?  Who is your audience?

IR) We try to describe are music by coming up with our own creations like eclectic/electric rock or popcore, but the best and simpliest way to describe our music is rock’n’roll (with a pop twist). Our audience is any age group because our fans range from 8-80 years old, and I’m not kidding. But if I had to narrow it down I’d probably say from 13-30 years old.

KMH) What goes through your mind the hour before you go on stage?

IR) We try to stay focused but have fun, and get into a good vibe with each other. We chat with different frieds who came to see us. We all get prepared by tuning our instruments (we don’t have roadies yet) and I always warm up my voice by doing vocal exercises.

KMH) With four albums out, are you planning on releasing a fifth?  If so, is there an expected release date?

IR) We will be recording some new material in the upcoming months, which we will be available for our fans, as a song EP. As far as a full lengh cd, I don’t know we shall see.

KMH) What types of venues do you enjoy playing at?

IR) We love playing in NYC!! Especially at venues like The Bitter End, Arlene Grocery, and The Mercury Lounge. We also like playing at coffee shops acoustically, so people can hear our songs in a different way. We love to travel and there’s alot of great places out of state. We’ve played in Boston, Philadelphia, ew  Orleans, Virginia, and we’re going to Kentucky this Spring!!

KMH) How many times a week does the band practice? Are there separate sessions for songwriting as opposed to "getting tight?"

IR) We practice 3 times a week. Two days are usually spent getting the set tight and working out the kinks. Then one day we usually write, and arrange new songs. We all collaborate on our new songs, which ones we like and which ones need work. The ideas are always flowing, we all give our input. The basic core ofthe song is done before we bring it to practice. Rick and I are the primary songwriters so we both write the music and lyrics on our own.

KMH) How did you all gain your personal preference on which brands of instruments you use?

IR) We’ve all been playing for years so it’s a matter of knowing what sound you like and trying different instruments out. I used to play a Fender Jazz Bass and now I play a Sterling Ernie Ball Music Man and I like it alot better. Rich plays Yamaha drums and Sabian cymbals. Rick plays a Gibson Les Paul guitar and a hollow body Epiphone. Rob plays a Fender Telecaster and a Gibson Les Paul.

KMH) Please add anything else here.

IR) "Remember don’t forget be who you are, reach out your hand and grab hold of your star"-Tara Eberle We’d love for you to check out our website at http://www.iridesense.com/