NEWRY — At a CD release party in Bethel in December, teen power band Midnite Haze debuted its first album, “No One Knows.”
Drummer Devin Vail, 17, his brother, Ryan, 14, guitarist and lead vocalist, and bass player David Pilgrim, 14, made more than $500 in album and merchandise sales at the Funky Red Barn, manager David Bartlett said Wednesday.
“They did quite well,” said Bartlett, who is also the Vails’ grandfather.
“There was a fair amount of people who came out — not as much as we would have liked — but the Funky Red Barn was half full, which was good,” Bartlett said.
The teens performed most of their songs at the party.
Bartlett said Midnite Haze is currently competing in OFF-RAMP, a six-month competition among Maine high school bands, in which the boys are ranked third among 10 bands.
The music industry-based challenge will benefit alternative-music education in Maine schools. For the contest, the bands must write their own lyrics and music and record a song titled “I Scream At Walls” to capture the youth experience of facing challenges, adversity and emotional trials.
Bartlett said the teens have already done that and are at the stage in which they make a documentary of themselves.
The trio will participate again in the Maine Academy of Modern Music’s band competition in April 2011, in which they placed fifth in April 2010.
Midnite Haze has also been asked to perform with some Lake Region-area bands, but Bartlett said he didn’t know when they would find the time between practicing and performing OFF-RAMP tasks and playing school sports.
“Their grades are still good, and they’re into sports now,” Bartlett said. “The two 14-year-olds are on the middle school basketball team and the 17-year-old, who is looking for a job, plays junior varsity and varsity basketball.”
Midnite Haze was formed in July 2009 when Pilgrim and Ryan Vail broke away from a fifth-grade band at Telstar Middle School. The band’s name is based on their appreciation of Jimi Hendrix’s music.
They play hard rock and metal and were influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Iron Maiden.
The trio has headlined benefits for autism, cancer and families in need, performed at parties, pubs and bars, and opened for older rockers like Rumford metal band Monsta.
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