BRICK BY BRICK

THE BOYS FROM TROY ROAD TRIP TO NYC
Brick by Brick Play Their First Black ‘n Blue Bowl
By Jason Walsh

Road trips are an essential part of being in a D.I.Y. band. You load the gear, fill up the tank, check the map, and hit the road. In the case of Troy’s Brick by Brick, for the Black ‘n Blue Bowl in Brooklyn, they chartered a bus and filled in with thirty-something of their friends, family, and fans from upstate.

“Just getting out of our hometown, playing anywhere else, that’s fun in itself,” said Guitarist Mike Valente. “Road trips, again, that’s a second level of fun. Playing a killer show like this, it’s great.”

This was Brick by Brick’s first time playing the B ‘n B Bowl, and for frontman Rich Roberts, it was an incredible honor.

“For us to be able to play this was a fucking dream come true for me,” said Roberts. “I’m only 27. I grew up listening to these bands. For me to share the same stage is fucking unreal.”

Bassist Sean Green has been in the crowd for many of these shows. To be on stage alongside some of his childhood influences was a once in a lifetime experience.

“I’ve been coming the past three years and to play this is amazing,” said Green. “You just look around and you see everybody. It’s just amazing.”

Growing up in the hardcore scene, fans can be overwhelmed at a young age by some of the shows they get the opportunity to see. When they then decide to start their own bands, these experiences become a direct influence on what they create. For Drummer Rory O’ Brien, this came full circle.

“I feel great about the whole thing,” said O’ Brien. “One of my first shows was back in 1988. It was Sick of it All and Agnostic Front in Saratoga Winters. I met those guys and I was twelve years old, y’know. This is like a lifelong dream.”

Brick by Brick has been around since 2004 and call themselves “a straight forward, no holds barred, street hardcore assault machine in which even the breakdowns have breakdowns.” They have released two records, “Wings of Angels” and “Pull the Trigger,” on Spare Change Records, a primarily death metal label out of Connecticut. They are currently working on their third release.

“We just started writing,” Valente said. “We got six or seven songs written already. Probably going to go in the studio around fall and release something for 2009.”

Valente explained that there is no pressure on the third release and because of that, the band has the opportunity to concentrate on the songwriting.

“We’re going to take our time, a little bit,” Valente said. “We have more time coming in the studio this time, rather than going ‘hey, we’re going to record.’ This time we’re actually going to sit down, take our time, relax, not stress about the whole thing and have fun with it. That’s what it’s about.”

One of the biggest obstacles for independent bands is the high price of studio time. Roberts is about to get married and when asked ‘why not build a home studio in his dining room’ he replied that it could be a problem with his domestic harmony.

“I wish I could,” he said. “I don’t think my wife would appreciate it. My daughter wouldn’t have anywhere to play either.”