Looking to Get Back On Top
Chavez leads Adema through a tight set at the Roxy

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>> Adema's Mark Chavez rocked the Roxy. >>

>> Hollywood, CA >> It's rare that you get to see a band like Adema, who have had a couple of hits, play a fantastic show at an intimate venue like the Roxy.  There was a relaxed atmosphere about the fans and the band prior to the show that made it seem all the more personal.  The mood was somewhat surprising, considering Adema is a band with something to prove.   They’ve had some success, but in today’s shark-infested musical landscape, the question is, “Can you do it again?”

If their fans in attendance at this show have any say, the future looks good for Adema.  This Roxy show was one of a few club dates that Adema is doing before they embark on a co-headlining tour with Powerman 5000, and the setting allowed them to really cut loose and test the new material.  Adema started the set with a handful of new songs from their new album, Unstable.  It was immediately apparent that the Ademaniacs in the crowd loved the new material. 

Four songs into the set they played their first single, the title track, from to the new record, to a clearly pumped-up crowd.  It was incredible to see the mass of energy in the relatively tiny venue.  Singer Mark Chavez kept the audience's passion flowing as they played "Do What You Want" and "Trust" from their gold-certified 2001 self-titled debut.  Chavez and Company ended the set with aggressive versions of their two big hits, "Giving In" and "The Way You Like It," leaving their fans spent and sweaty.

>> Mark and guitarist Tim Fluckey show the fans Adema are back. >>

Ademaniacs can check them out on their tour with Powerman 5000, which will see the bands playing much bigger venues and both attempting to regain some past glory.

Just as the bands headed out together, Adema bassist Dave DeRoo called in to talk about the new record.  Here's what he had to say:

VOX: Unstable has just come out this week [August 19th, 2003]; what was the level of anticipation like leading up to the release?
Dave DeRoo: I think it’s like, you put all your heart and soul into something for a period like we do when you’re working on a record, then you’re sort of done with it for a while.  You just reach a point where you just stop, you know?  Then, as the release date approaches and you know what comes with it, the anticipation builds and you start to feel that excitement again.  We’ve all been nervous wrecks the last few weeks, waiting for the record to hit and get back out on tour.

VOX: It was almost two years to the day between album releases.  Why the long wait between records?
Dave: I guess we were not sick of the old stuff yet. [Laughs] Basically, we spent a year and a half out on the road supporting the first record, playing the same stuff.    We didn’t have much downtime.

>> Guitarist Mike Ransom is an old-school rocker. >>

Really, we kept getting offers for good tours and good guarantees, which kept up out for a year and a half.  It was really rewarding for us, and we felt like we were just getting better and better as a band, so we figured let’s stay out on the road.  We were only home for like, 3 and a half weeks in two years.

With this record, we were home for 30 days or so, then started writing, which took about six weeks, then it took six weeks to record, then another two weeks to mix and prepare the songs.  By then, we were feeling like it was time to get back out on the road.

VOX: Most bands say that the second record is the most difficult, because on the first record you’re playing songs you’ve had for a long time, whereas on the second, you’re writing specifically for the record.   Was Unstable a harder record to record than the first album?
Dave: In a lot of ways, I think this record was easier for us because we had become better musicians and had grown more together as a band.  When you’re out playing every day for a year and a half, you’re bound to get as musicians…if not, you might as well hang it up.  The time out together, all crammed into a bus like we were, brought us a lot closer.  Not only did it strengthen the ties emotionally, but also creatively.

I realize that most bands wait their whole lives for that first record, and I’m not saying we weren’t that way, but I think it help that we did the first record in about the same amount of time as this one.  I think it works better for us, and I would rather do it in that time frame – whole musical genres come and go and change in a year.  If you take too long on a record, it shows…you’re behind the times.

>> Tim lets the packed Roxy have it. >>

VOX: How has the band changed, personally and professionally, over the last two years?
Dave: We’ve all grown a lot, individually and as a band, like I said.  You learn a lot about each other when you’re basically with the same people all day every day.   You definitely learn how to push each other’s buttons.  Basically, you’re living in a tin can on wheels.  We had the crew on the bus with us, too, even after we could afford a second rig.  We decided to keep the group together, all ten of us, and make it work.  You definitely learn to be less selfish about things and, like I said, we grew tighter as people and as a band.

VOX: The songs on Unstable are vastly different from the first record.  Was there a conscious attempt to broaden out and do some different things?
Dave: I don’t think it was a conscious decision…it was kind of an unspoken thing, but it was intentional.  For all of us, our favorite records are the ones you can listen to, with all the way through or in part, and really enjoy completely.  In order for a record to be like that, it can’t be the same thing from start to finish, and it can’t be the same as every other record that band has done.

When we started the writing process, very one came in with lots of songs and loads of ideas, and we were like, “let’s push the envelope a little.”   We were focused on putting out the best record we possible could.  We know that there’s stuff on here that may have fans going, “What’s up?”   These songs show the growth that we’ve went through.

>> Bassist Dave DeRoo. >>

VOX: You’ve guys have been back out doing shows and have one with Powerman 5000 and Type O Negative.  How’s the tour going and how did this show happen?
Dave: We’re [Adema and Powerman 5000] out with Spineshank and Manmade God, who are all a bunch of great guys.  We’ve been having a great time with these guys.

Type O Negative has been out with Lacuna Coil, and we found out we were going to be in the area on the same day, so we figured why compete with each other?   Let’s do the show together.  It seemed to make sense and would be great for the fans, rather than playing at different places on the same night, and management and all that worked it out.

We’ve been out now for, what, three months already and the record is just out, so we’re just getting warmed up for what’s ahead.  We’re about back to our “A” game and feeling really good.  We’ve go this tour finishing up, then we head to Europe – we’ve got a festival we’re doing with Linkin Park, Staind and Alien Ant Farm.  Then we’ll head back to the states and head out with Godsmack for a couple of months.

VOX: Have you played with either Powerman or Spineshank before?  Did you know each other prior to the tour?
Dave: No, I’d never met them before, but they’re great guys.

VOX: You’ve had some time to fine-tune the live show – what can we expect this time around?

>> "Big Meat" >>

Dave: It’s…the pacing of the show is so much better.   It’s different now that we have more time to play – you get different times depending on if you’re opening or headlining.  Obviously, we’ve got more music to play now, which helps us in pacing things.  There’s lots of head-banging, but we’ve got some other stuff, now, too. 

We’ve all gotten better at working the crowd and really giving the fans the full Adema experience. 

VOX: What does the tattoo on the side of your head mean?
Dave: [Laughs] It means “Big Meat.”  I got it in Kansas City.  It’s my nickname, and I was hung over one morning in Kansas City and decided to do it.  I couldn’t just have “Big Meat” tattooed on the side of head, so it was done in Kanji.  It sure helps when we go to the sushi bars.  The sushi chefs get a big kick out of it and it makes for a nice evening at the sushi bar.

Show review and photos by Vince Jimenez, exclusive to VOXonline.com