|
Local band strives to offer up more than
hip hop, instrumentals
by Nicole Burrell
 |
| T. Weiland on bass
and vocalists Jared Thompson and Tyson Snyder kick
off Dialogue’s show at the Abbey Theatre last
Saturday./Photo by Ben Eng |
Energy surges through the crowd. It’s Friday night
and all eyes are on the stage at The Summit where the
musicians of Dialogue are preparing to shake things up.
The crowd stands shoulder to shoulder, budging maximum
capacity, as “T” Weiland nods his head to
the beat of his bass, Joe Burrell jams on the drums, and
Brandon Herrera warms his fingers on the friction of his
guitar. At center stage, Tyson Snyder and Jared Thompson
set the beat through their poetic freestyle lyrics: “Sound
waves pierce the air, and it never stops, just Dialogue
with dot, dot, dot.” The audience roars as Dialogue
kicks off the show with its song, “Armed Hostilities,”
a crowd favorite.
The young band develops its music from a combination
of genres, from hip-hop to punk to rock to funk. Meshing
these musical elements and various philosophies on life,
the band derived its motto: hip-hop with instruments and
a purpose.
“We each have different influences, backgrounds
and personalities,” says Snyder. “However,
we do share very similar political beliefs, moral values
and a mutual love for music. Taking this into consideration,
I think it leaves a lot of room for diversity as far as
our sound is concerned.”
 |
| T. Weiland lays down bass notes
on Saturday./Photo by Ben Eng |
Even though the band members hail from various locales,
(Burrell, 19, is from Longmont; Weiland, 21, is from Tucson,
Ariz.; and Herrera, 24, Snyder, 22, and Thompson, 22,
are from Farmington), Dialogue was born in Durango. Band
members started jamming together less than a year ago.
“We had no idea what to expect,” Snyder says.
“We’d get together, drink a few beers and
what we were feeling that particular day is what our sound
was. We liked what we were making so much we just kind
of figured that other people would, too.”
As a result, the band took advantage of every performance
opportunity that crossed its path, playing gymnasiums,
empty bars, house parties and friends’ garages.
The band then moved on to perform more than a dozen shows
at bars and events in Durango. It also has performed with
other acts including local bands Suitcase, The Frank Trio,
Drunken Immortals and Flash Monkey, as well as national
hip-hop artists Bizzy Bone, from Bone Thugs ’N Harmony,
and Starr Cullars, bassist, from P-Funk. The momentum
has picked up during the past three months, with Dialogue
recording its first album.
In its short existence, Dialogue has managed to make
an impression on Durango audiences. Jesse Martinez, a
student and bar hopper, comments, “They definitely
have gotten the 4 attention and support of many Durango
listeners. I have watched them mature as a band, and they
have improved so much compared to their first show.”
Burrell, Dialogue’s drummer, said the band has
enjoyed a good local following. “Our biggest shows
were definitely on Halloween and New Year’s Eve
at Storyville,” he said. “The turn-out and
support was unbelievable.”
Lead singer Snyder adds that without this support, the
band would not be where it is now. “The amount of
people that have come to our shows never ceases to amaze
me; this past year has been crazy,” he said. “We
have accomplished a lot with the band and grown as individuals,
but we know so much of this would not have been possible
without our support systems.”
Another element to Dialogue’s sound is the message
that emerges from its lyrics. “We get together,
play instruments, write lyrics and let what we make speak
for itself. It is what it is, and we are what we are,”
writes the band on its website, www.dialoguemusic.com.
They go on to explain, “Dialogue’s purpose
is to spread love, get a little back, provoke thought,
make dope music, have fun, create change and connect with
people.”
Dialogue’s lyrics evolved from Snyder and Thompson’s
poetry of the past few years. “We obviously wouldn’t
be doing this if we didn’t think that we had something
to say,” says Snyder. “Our lyrics address
serious issues, but we try to do it in a way that is still
fun to listen to. We consider ourselves a positive and
conscious band that struggles with contradictions just
like everyone else.”A0
 |
Guitarist Brandon Herrera raises
his
glass at the Abbey. The hip hop band,
which started less than a year ago,
also draws on influences of punk,
funk and rock./Photo by Ben Eng |
The musicians say they are attempting to raise awareness
and open minds lyrically. “If you’ve heard
our songs, you’ll notice that the content touches
on various issues and ranges from legalizing hemp to disliking
your job,” said Snyder. The band also addresses
issues like worldwide violence, the impacts of corporate
ownership and the questionable motives of the U.S. government.
A common occurrence at a Dialogue show is Thompson’s
freestyle solo, “A Day in the Life of George W 85”
Thompson said the piece attempts to interpret certain
thoughts that run through Bush’s mind as he tries
to rationalize his decisions as president. “What
was that? An acid flash back from my Ivy League days,
when I had a C- average, because my dad was head of the
CIA.”
Snyder (Thompson’s childhood friend and the other
half of the vocalist duo) describes Thompson’s freestyle
lyrics as a translation of his personal views: “This
young man was born under the big blues skies of Montana.
Like many, he considers Bob Marley the prophet of the
20th century and Bill O’Reilly to be completely
full of (expletive).”
Snyder has been known to evoke an emotional response
from the audience. In his spoken word solo, “I Am,”
his lyrics reflect his sensitivity toward the human race
by speaking for people who are “oppressed, depressed
and consumed by stress.” Snyder goes on to express
his concerns that “the United States government
is slowly being taken over by boring, overly conservative,
pale, rich, Christian fundamentalist aliens.”
The rock, punk and funk influences in Dialogue’s
music come mostly from Burrell, Weiland and Herrera. Inspired
by bands like Rage Against the Machine, Metallica and
Sublime, these three supply instrumentals to support the
lyrics of Snyder and Thompson. The band agrees that, without
these contributions, the music would not have the same
sound, tone or impact as it does now. Weiland also notes
that politicians also contribute to the band, albeit unknowingly.
“I give big ups to the politicians for giving me
something to forever make fun of,” he says.
Even though humorous undertones run throughout the band’s
songs, the audience sees the issues Dialogue addresses
as serious and real. Snyder says, “That’s
the way it is supposed to be. We are not caught up in
keeping it real, hard, overly positive/negative, politically
correct or whatever else.”
He adds, “We keep it honest and close to our hearts,
and we think that’s the way it needs to be.”
|
