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Still Pending

Still Pending is an American rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon in 2005. The band comprises three young musicians, Reed Gulick-Stutz (guitar and vocals), Grant Ellman (drums and vocals), and Andrew Turel (bass guitar).

Band history

Formation of the band

A promotional poster from a January, 2008 performance at the Crystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon). Photo credit:David Ellman

Still Pending was formed by a group of classmates in the fall of 2005. During a performance at a school assembly, having not yet decided on a name for the group, the band was introduced by another student who stated, "the band's name is still pending." During a short discussion amongst the band members after their performance, they spontaneously decided to call the band Still Pending.

First big break

Shortly thereafter, the band got its first break as the on-stage band in the Oregon Children's Theatre rock musical production, Alexander, Who is Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going to Move.

It all came about by chance. When he was casting the play, Stan Foote, Artistic Director, and new Music Director Darcy White were prepared to go with more conventional musical accompaniment.[1]

"You probably would have seen one person, a drummer or a bass, working with Darcy," says Foote. Then young actor Derek Gulick-Stutz showed up to audition with his kid brother, Reed, in tow. "Reed was there, hat on backwards, walks in with his amp, plugs in," Foote says. "Off the cuff, I said, 'Too bad you don’t have a band.' Reed said, 'We do.'"[2]

Once Foote saw the whole band, he was convinced. "I thought, 'Kids will dig this.' This is what I would want to see if I was a kid. We found the band by Derek auditioning."[3]

Still Pending received some media attention from Portland newspapers during the 42-performance run of the play.

Website launch

Also during this time, the band launched its official website, www.stillpending.com. The website was immediately popular amongst the young audiences of the play. Soon the band began to receive booking requests for local music events around the Portland area.

Video appearance

After an outdoor performance in the early summer of 2006, a friend of sports DVD producer, Rod Parmenter of Hood River, Oregon, approached the band about a DVD project of Parmenter's called, Kids who Rip. Parmenter was just about to wrap up shooting for a new, boxed DVD set to be released in the fall of 2006. The DVD would feature young kids participating in extreme sports such as snowboarding, motocross, and wakeboarding. The band contacted Mr. Parmenter and he decided to include Still Pending in the DVD.[4]

(Left/right) Ian Rogers, Grant Ellman, Reed Gulick-Stutz at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, January 2007. Credit: David Ellman, used with permission

First CD

In September of 2006, the band released its first EP-length CD entitled, Innocent Days. The CD is comprised entirely of original material. On the CD, the band showcases its diverse and eclectic songwriting and musical style. All three musicians take part in crafting the music, experimenting with different styles of rock. The songs feature two-part harmonies by Reed and Grant with bass-lines by Andrew.[5]

Music industry exposure

In January of 2007, The International Music Products Association NAMM, selected Still Pending to promote their "Wanna Play?" initiative.[6] The band is featured on the celebrity endorsers page of NAMM's website along with other musical celebrities including Jim Messina and Michelle Branch. Still Pending will also be used in other promotional efforts in NAMM's campaign to highlight the benefits of creating music to Americans. On April 19, 2007 Still Pending was interviewed on Radio Disney in support of the Wanna Play? initiative. The interview was aired on Radio Disney in Portland, Oregon on April 22, 2007.

National Exposure

In the fall of 2006, Still Pending entered into a national talent search conducted by the Cartoon Network for its Props TV show.[7]. The band was selected from a national pool of thousands of talented kids between the ages of six and sixteen to be in a group of 16 finalists. This group was video-taped and will appear on the Cartoon Network website between April 16, 2007 and May 21, 2007. The public will be allowed to vote for their favorites beginning May 7, 2007 and the top six participants appeared in the Cartoon Network television production called Props, in September of 2007.[8] "Still Pending was undeniably the “Props” audience’s favorite, receiving more than 250,000 on-line votes. It was only fitting that Cartoon Network enlisted Paul Palmer, producer of the multi-platinum High School Musical soundtrack, and his producing team of Antonina Armato and Tim James, to produce one of the band’s songs at his studio in LA. Paul and his team have also worked with Green Day, Mariah Carey and the Sick Puppies. As an extra treat, Hawthorne Heights takes time off of their tour to invite Still Pending to visit their tour bus and receive valuable advice and encouragement."[9]

Industry Sponsorships

In March of 2007, Grant Ellman, Still Pending's drummer, became an official endorser of the Sabian Cymbal Company. In April of 2007, Grant also became an official endorser for the Mapex Drum Company for their drums and hardware.[10] In April of 2007, Ian Rogers, then bassist for Still Pending, became endorsed by Ampeg.

Band Membership Changes

In August of 2007, Ian Rogers was replaced by Andrew Turel on bass.[11]

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. ^ * Bartels, Eric (2006-04-25). "Young band builds its rock résumé on stage". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2006-02-13.
  2. ^ * Bartels, Eric (2006-04-25). "Young band builds its rock résumé on stage". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2006-02-13.
  3. ^ * Bartels, Eric (2006-04-25). "Young band builds its rock résumé on stage". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2006-02-13.
  4. ^ Kids Who Rip music listing
  5. ^ * Bolger, Cori (2007-05-10). "Still Pending". The Lake Oswego Review. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  6. ^ Wanna Play? initiative homepage
  7. ^ Cartoon Network Props homepage
  8. ^ * Bolger, Cori (2007-05-10). "Still Pending". The Lake Oswego Review. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  9. ^ * "Turner/Cartoon Network News Release" (Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)). Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. a Time Warner Company. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  10. ^ * "Rock Rock Rock and Roll High School Special (Mastan Music Hour Episode 22 - Part I)" (podcast). Mastan Music Hour. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  11. ^ * * "Mastan Music Hour Episode 37 Featuring Still Pending (Parts 1 and 2)" (podcast). Mastan Music Hour. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  • Bolger, Cori (2006-06-22). "Rockin' Lakefest". The Lake Oswego Review.
  • Bolger, Cori (2007-05-10). "Still Pending". The Lake Oswego Review. Retrieved 2007-05-12.

Official

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