Who fans Inward Eye open for Who in Winnipeg

[Brian Cady]

>From Jam!Showbiz at:
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/I/Inward_Eye/2006/10/02/1935201.html

Winnipeg band opening for The Who
Who opening slot gig of a lifetime for locals
By DAVID SCHMEICHEL -- Winnipeg Sun

To crib a lyric from their musical idols (and soon-to-be stagemates, barring some unforeseen disaster), those Inward Eye kids are alright.

The Winnipeg trio -- brothers David, Kyle and Anders Erickson -- recently landed what could prove to be the gig of their short lifetimes, opening for The Who (OK, what's left of The Who) when the Britrock icons hit MTS Centre tomorrow.

The pairing is an apt one for two reasons: Firstly, the Ericksons have been fans of The Who since their teens (admittedly, not that long ago), and secondly, they garnered frequent comparisons to the legendary quartet when they burst on to the scene a few years back.

"They're my idols -- I love what they've done and how they've paved the way for other bands," says David. "I'd always heard their music when I was growing up but I guess when I really connected to them was when I heard Tommy. There was just so much charisma. It sounded like what rock 'n' roll was all about." 
The brothers first caught the attention of industry insiders back in 2003, following a wildly successful performance at Canadian Music Week. The buzz was such that they soon found themselves playing three consecutive nights of showcases in New York, with label heads like Clive Davis (RCA) and Jimmy Iovine (Interscope) vying to offer them contracts.

"It's high energy, but even more than that, they have this magical chemistry as brothers," says manager Glen Willows (late of Harlequin) of the group's live act. "Each of them is exciting in his own way."  
 
Of course, it helps that the brothers have clearly been schooled in the history of rock, eagerly absorbing the lessons laid down by a string of influences, from The Kinks to The Jam and The Clash.

"When I first talked to them, I couldn't believe it -- they knew more about '60s rock 'n' roll than I did," Willows says. "That's one thing the labels liked but, at the same time, they're not just a retro band ... Their live show is more where the influence shows. It's more the sense of those '60s going out and every single guy in the band puts on a show, as opposed to the whole band staring at their shoes for a full set." 
David says his band was first approached by The Who camp earlier this year at the South By Southwest conference in Texas. They were initially asked to open for the band at a festival in the U.K. but couldn't make it, so the slot -- somewhat coincidentally -- went to another optics-related Winnipeg act, The Waking Eyes.

Luckily, the British promoter passed their names on to a Canadian promoter, so when The Who started looking for openers for the Canuck tour, Inward Eye found themselves back in the running. 
"When I got the call that we were going to be opening for The Who, I couldn't believe it -- I just kept pacing around my apartment because I didn't know what else to do," says David. "But it's something we just have to do. It's great exposure ... and we like to think of ourselves as professionals. When there's a job to do, we rise to the occasion."

The band have yet to release an album but has spent the last few months writing and working on demos. After the third show with The Who (they're also opening in Calgary and Edmonton), they'll be off to San Diego to start laying down tracks with producer Arnold Lanni, with an eye on releasing the album via Davis's own label J Records.

"We're treating this very carefully, because we want to put our best work out there first," David says. "We've got youth on our side ... but at the same time we still have to get out there and play like we mean it each and every time." 

 
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com