Pop-rock group Greenwheel is quickly becoming rock ‘n’ roll’s hottest ticket in town.
Thanks in part to a certain blue and red web-slinger, Greenwheel’s runaway hit “Shelter” quickly climbed to the top of the charts and turned a band from the little town of St. Charles, Mo. into full-blown rock stars.
The song can be found on both the Spider Man Soundtrack and the band’s break-through debut Soma Holiday.
Greenwheel recently embarked on a national tour in support of their debut.
On Feb. 3, the group performed at Philly’s own Pontiac Grille with supporting
acts Oddzar, Stutter and recently signed Revis.
Before Greenwheel took to the stage, Revis revved up the crowd with cuts from their up-coming album Places For Breathing.
Delving into the album’s first single, “Caught in the Rain,” Revis bombarded the Grille with industrial-strength guitar riffs and snarling vocals.
The single will also be featured on the up-coming Daredevil Soundtrack. Regarding the band’s newfound fame, guitarist Robert Davis said, “It’s been nothing but work and happiness.”
Following Revis’ raucous performance, Greenwheel treated a packed house to a blistering set of guitar romps, drizzled with intricate harmonies and sweeping choruses.
Opuses like “Breathe” showcased singer Ryan Jordan’s soul-baring vocals and scorching wail while guitarists Andrew Dwiggins and Marc Wanninger hammered away with Goliath-esque might on tracks like “Drowning Man,” “Strong” and “Sustain You.”
As the concert drew to a close, Jordan thanked the roaring crowd and reminded them that, “No matter what, we’re still Greenwheel from the block.”
Forming in late 1998, Greenwheel honed their skills playing at local venues in St. Charles, a suburb of St. Louis.
A brief encounter between Dwiggins and the group Stir at an office party would get the Greenwheel machine rolling.
In a recent interview, Dwiggins gave much credit to the guys of Stir for helping them meet all the right people in such an exclusive industry.
“They just kind of gave me hope to just go for it,” Dwiggins said.
After gaining a local following, the band produced and recorded a self-titled demo, which wound up in the hands of producer Malcolm Springer (Full Devil Jacket, Liquid Gang and Spike 1000).
Impressed, Springer and the group recorded a four-track demo.
After playing a few clubs in New York City, Greenwheel caught the attention of Island Records.
Island signed the bright-eyed bandmates and whisked them away to Nashville to record their debut album.
Released in June 2002, Soma Holiday serves up a platter stuffed with flavorful pop-rock treats cooked to perfection.
Critics were struck by the group’s knack for crafting introspective, radio-friendly rock gems.
In a time when garage rock rules the roost, Greenwheel’s unique brand of music stands out from the endless sea of cloned bands dominating the airwaves.
“We want people to remember us as a band that does what’s creative and tasteful for the music,” Dwiggins said.
“We want each record to sound more and more like us and less and less like other bands.”
While on tour, the band is writing material for their next album.
Like parents caring for a newborn, the group members are taking their time composing material for the new album.
“It’s very much in the embryo stage,” Dwiggins said.
“We’re just gonna kind of go in there and close our eyes and feel what the song is trying to tell us and go from there.”
Dustin Schoof can be reached at schoofy@att.net
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