Something Corporate may not have been the first to bridge the gap between the time-honored worlds of Emo and Pop-Punk — credit Weezer with that — but they may be the first band of their ilk to claim Elton John as a primary influence and bang out their tunes of teenage angst on a piano.
Something Corporate will join the Juliana Theory tonight for A.S. Programming’s pre-WinterFest show at RIMAC.
Combining nasally vocal whines with crunchy three-chord hooks, the five-piece emerged from the fertile Orange County pop-punk scene in 2001 with the Drive-Thru Records release of the EP “”Audioboxer.”” Featured on the EP was a self-proclaimed “”bitter anthem”” titled (in the parlance of a 12-year-old instant messenger) “”iF yoU C Jordan,”” which in no time won Something Corporate radio rotation, a TRL-ready video and an eventual record deal with MCA.
The band made its major-label debut last year with “”Leaving Through The Window””, a full-length album with songs ranging from Ben Folds Five-inspired piano balladry (“”Globes and Maps””) to archetypal SoCal power chord-dom (“”Hurricane”” “”Good News”” and “”Fall””).
At the heart of Something Corporate is 18-year-old lead singer and pianist Andrew McMahon, who penned most of the material for “”Leaving Through The Window.””
Inspired by the youthful angst of ’70s-era Elton John as well as contemporary crooners Jimmy Eat World and Jets to Brazil, McMahon’s songs center around love, relationships and other high school themes.
While the band draws its genre’s fair share of prepubescent renown, Something Corporate’s instrumentation, namely McMahon’s use of the piano, sets the band apart from its pop-punk peers. However, McMahon’s distinctive vocals contribute more to the Something Corporate sound than anything else.
McMahon formed Something Corporate with guitarists Josh Partington and William Tell, bassist Clutch and drummer Brian Ireland fresh out of high school. After paying their dues in the local circuit, the band won opening slots with acts such as Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra.
After a stint on last year’s Warped Tour and an international tour supporting fellow pop-punkers New Found Glory, the band kicked off an international tour of its own last month with the Juliana Theory.
Tonight’s concert is free to UCSD students with a valid ID card. General admission for staff, faculty and non-affiliates is $10. Vendetta Red and Steel Train are scheduled to open the show.
