In an upright and locked position

Fresh out of a holding pattern, local rockers Theory of Flight are poised to gain a lot more altitude

Everclear headlined Nov. 7 at Hard Rock Café’s Strip stage, but it wasn’t the most interesting thing to happen there that night. The band that opened for the 15-year-old Portland, Ore. act — local rock sextet Theory of Flight — was. True, there was nothing absolutely groundbreaking about TOF’s tight, well-rehearsed set, even if it was refreshing to see a Vegas-based effort put such unbridled zeal into a performance. But the spirit was there in wide-eyed frontman Beau Hodges’ bellowing mic-clenching and in guitarist Vince Casas’ heroic leads, as well as in the rest of the group’s easy complementing of one another’s impeccably professional stage presences. By set-closer “Like You Do,” with its minimal, thumping mid-song interlude (still it only went a tight, perfectly marketable three-and-a-half minutes), there were hands in the air and converts in the crowd.

Everclear went later, making its own much bigger fan base cozy for a while, but even so, a band in decline can’t easily match the raw appeal of one on the ascent. If the name of this newer band and the title of its just-released album, Within Reach, didn’t make it clear these guys are after something grander than local stages and opening sets, a sweaty post-show interview in the green room did. You know those bands who, when asked about their beginnings, talk about how no one ever expected anything other than to get together and jam and have some fun? Theory of Flight isn’t that band.

“It took us a while,” says primary songwriter Casas, describing the gauntlet of personnel shifts — the hirings, firings, dropouts and happy accidents — TOF endured from its first 2008 incarnation to where it is now. “But once you’ve got something started that’s going well, you keep going. It’s been like, ‘Let’s be selective, take our time, make sure these people are the ones we want.’ [Eventually], everyone fell into place as far as their wants and dreams.”

The now-stable lineup, in addition to Casas and Hodges: Tyler Williams on drums, Stephen Goodrum on rhythm guitar, John Colombo on keys, Joey McMahon on bass. Most of these guys have been friends in some capacity for nearly a decade, but good friendship, sweet as it is, doesn’t necessarily mean good business, as Hodges reminds on the heels of Casas’ brief history.

“Personality is a big part of it,” he says. “We really care about one another. Where one person has a weakness, the others bring a strength … not just from a musical standpoint, but with the inner workings of our business. We’ve self-managed for so long, and now we don’t have to do it anymore. That’s why this is going so well … going really fast, and after less than a year with this current membership. It’s just blowing up.”

You know how twelve-steppers first admit they have a problem and then put their faith in a higher power? Theory of Flight is that band.

The problem, in this case, was limited time, energy and expertise. Even though a thick thread of business savvy and pro-musician precedent runs through the group (Goodrum played a truckload of tour dates over five years with his old band, Sanctus Real, while Vince, Joey and Tyler all have at least some higher business education under their belts), creativity was suffering, they say, from too much time spent with marketing and other entrepreneurial evils. (”Waking up and worrying,” says Hodges. “‘Oh man, I gotta make sure the bulletins are going out on MySpace and the website’s updated’”).

That website, www.theoryofflightmusic.com, is a sleek thing to behold now, thanks to media content manager Michael Gaskell of Vegas-based MG Studio. Clearly organized tabs, bios, merchandise links, a “What’s Said” box of randomized press clips — self-consistency for God’s sake — all make it so. Gaskell, one of several higher powers sought and retained by TOF, was hired around the same time the band signed on with L.A.-based Luck Media & Marketing. Publicist Steve Levesque had been told about the upstarts by UE3 Promotions’ Jennifer Lyneis, who was impressed with this next-big-thing package she’d seen perform. So he caught the first show he could. It was in a church.

“I figured it would be kind of awkward, like those things often are,” says Levesque. “But [Theory of Flight] played it like an arena show. Produced the whole thing themselves … big sound system, lights … I was extremely impressed. After the show, 500 kids and parents lined up at the merchandise table, so I had to wait to talk to them, but that’s what I saw … the talent, drive and openness to go the distance.”

The Lyneis connection also led to an alliance with engineer/producer/mixer Mark Needham (The Killers, Bloc Party, Louis XIV, Stevie Nicks — ah, the rewards of good networking), who ended up mixing Within Reach up to his own slick specs after Casas had finished producing it.

Oh yeah … the final pillar Manager Micah McFarlane of Encino, Calif.-based Monarch Entertainment Group. This is the guy who saw a show six months ago, had the same reaction as the other pillars and approached the band. Now he’s the guy bent on getting Within Reach in the right national and international hands, getting his clients real radio play beginning in early 2010 and properly conditioning them for a touring lifestyle next year that anyone who’s done it knows can’t be taken lightly.

“Touring can be suicide for a lot of bands,” warns guitarist Goodrum. “There’s more prep than just getting shows … mental, emotional, time with family … until you’ve done it, you don’t know what it costs, and it costs a lot.”

Manager McFarlane echoes the sentiment, but isn’t worried.

“You think they’re tight now, wait ’til you see them after playing for six months straight,” he laughs. “Of course, it all comes down to the songs, and they’re really, really good songwriters. I believe that, I’m behind them, and now I stand on the mountaintop and tell people about them.”

David Surratt, dsurratt@lvcitylife.com

www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2009/11/12/music/fear_and_lounging/iq_32384902.txt

 THANKS EVERYONE FOR JUMPING ON EVERCLEAR’S MYSPACE AND SHOWING THE THEORY OF FLIGHT LOVE!!!!

Everclear has a brand new album out! Don’tt miss a chance to see us play with this great band at The HARD ROCK CAFE on the strip..

We Play @ 9:00 pm

$20 cover at the Door

21 and Up

Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas
3771 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV. 89109

www.myspace.com/everclear
Thanks Everyone
Theory Of Flight