Eve 6 was late on Saturday, Sept. 27 for its performance at the Big Ass Show at the Utah State Fairgrounds. Drummer Tony Fagenson jokingly said that the reason for the band’s late appearance was due to lead singer Max Collins’ obsession with his curly red, afro-like hair. “Dude, every day when we are trying to go somewhere, Max is behind the mirror. He won’t walk out of there until it is just perfect. We had to stop in Vegas so he could work on his ’do.”

Following rounds of laughter, Collins interjected and gave the real, less interesting explanation, “The real reason is that we had bus issues,” he said.

Though the band was more than an hour late, fans were unexpectedly patient—and overly eager to see Eve 6 perform. Once the band did arrive, its members were unable to set up the stage and use their own equipment. Instead, they borrowed equipment from fellow Big Ass Show performer Yellowcard. The guys didn’t seem to mind using someone else’s equipment even though they experienced continuous problems with the guitar amp throughout the performance.

Despite their apparent bad luck, the band members still managed to give a great performance. Joking about their late arrival, they interacted with fans enough to compensate for the long wait.

Perhaps the coolest part of their performance was when Collins interjected the chorus of the late Johnny Cash’s standard, “Ring of Fire,” into one of his own songs. The tribute was outstanding, broken down into a punk-rock style that was sure to have made Cash smile from up above. The songs were full of energy despite the many problems experienced by the band prior to and throughout the performance. Sadly for Eve 6 fans, it all seemed entirely too short.

Collins magnified an image of cool which seemed to contrast the relentless heat. His bushy hair and ’70s-style jeans and cowboy shirt were mixed with disco sunglasses and Converse shoes, making one wonder just what kind of look he was going for. The dress style of the band members fits in with their musical style, which is often hard to categorize into one musical genre.

Ranging from punk to pop to alternative, the band has been together for more than six years and is currently promoting the release of its current album, It’s All in Your Head. The disc is a revelation of the band’s growth, one that introduces fans to a more mature group of guys.

Following the completion of the tour for their second album, Horrorscope, the guys took a break that resulted in a two-year wait for the release of It’s All In Your Head. The break was an opportunity for the guys to go their separate ways for awhile and take the time to regroup and discover themselves spiritually.

After the break, they were ready to start the process for their current album, which according to Collins began with them “realizing that we weren’t going to continue the process. With Horrorscope we came off the road and went straight into the studio. With this it was like, ‘OK, we made a conscious decision to take time and let the songs sort of happen’. Kind of like we did with the first record, without having a self-imposed deadline. We took time to write—to live and write.”

In order to produce a killer record, Collins said that he had to write songs that possessed both meaning and an air of difference. He revealed that motivation behind his lyrics stem from “an old relationship, kind of growing up in general, observing life around me and a new relationship.” The varying themes behind his lyrics make for a CD that is compiled with a number of songs that in some ways drastically differ from one another. All of the band members are quite pleased with their musical growth, evidenced by the album. Many critics have complimented Eve 6 regarding this maturity in their music and the band is excited that people are recognizing their changes. Guitarist Jon Siebels said, “I think we just let go of some strangleholds on ourselves. We decided that anything goes if it’s right for the song. That’s why the record jumps all around in different styles, different sonic textures. We just let it go.”

The band’s conscious decision to free itself from any sort of restraints resulted in three guys who, according to Collins, describe themselves as “bitchin’, killer, fabulous and not so good. An OK, sub-over-par, sub-just-a-tiny-bit-over-par. This record is sort of a descent into an ascension.”

Following their Big Ass Show performance, the members of Eve 6 will be taking a break until November, when they will begin touring with Good Charlotte until January, possibly heading to Europe. That is, according to Siebels, “if we happen to show up—if we cure our late problem.”
autumn@red-mag.com