Bands to Watch: Johnny Football

Just because a band called Johnny Football plays a hardcore vs. indie rock show Saturday at Forward Hall, don't think of it as a competition.

This show has no scoreboard, says Jay Burrows, a guitarist with Johnny Football. Lately, he sees music fans dividing into camps, with some devoted to hardcore while others prefer indie rock or emo. He hopes Saturday's show brings them all together.

"We figured it's one big scene, anyway," Burrows said. "We're trying to get everybody to be happy at the show and hear some new songs."

So nobody will sack anyone or pull a tee away, like Lucy does to Charlie Brown.

"It's just a concept for fun, an excuse for hardcore fans to come to an indie show, and indie fans to go to a hardcore show," Burrows said. "It's a good chance for people to see all different kinds of music and some of the best bands in Erie, all at the same time."

Johnny Football bridges both worlds. Burrows used to play hardcore in Crown Me King, but his current band is poppier with rushing melodies and emotional vocals and lyrics from the emo school of rock.

"Back in the day, I loved hardcore, and I always loved underground alternative, like old Smashing Pumpkins," Burrows said. "Then, what basically happened is emo came around, and Texas Is the Reason came out, and that changed the way I looked at playing guitar and having fun with it. Emo, I guess, is a bridge for punk rock, too. More melodic punk-rock bands came out, like Screaming Weasel."

Burrows talked about Johnny Football:

HOMETOWN
Harborcreek.

BAND MEMBERS
Steve Donner, vocals, guitar; Jay Burrows, guitar; Sam Donahue, bass; Jeff Burick, drums.

THE INSPIRATION
"We started out about two years ago, just me and Steve Donner," says Burrows.

"It was originally just a studio project. Then we decided to start playing out because people asked us to play out. We got a band together, then broke up briefly, then got back together with this lineup."

Burrows formerly played in Crown Me King, while Donner was a member of Midnight Jacks.

THE SOUND
Melodic indie, emo-influenced rock.

INFLUENCES
Lemonheads, Texas Is the Reason, Screeching Weasel, Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Wesley Willis.

BAND-NAME EXPLANATION
It's irony. They're not sports nuts. "Steve loves the Giants, but we just picked Johnny Football," Burrows said. "It's sort of that we were the people who got made fun of in high school. Now we don't get made fun of because we play music. It's funny how that works."

THEORY ON GUITAR LESSONS
Thumbs down for Burrows: "I tried to be a music major in college but I started hating guitar," he said. So he taught himself, instead. "The advantage of doing it that way is you learn your own style; someone isn't telling you how to play," he said. "There are like 50 ways to play a guitar chord. Also, the advantage is, you get the creativity out of your head, rather than playing other people's songs."

FIRST CONCERT Y0U EVER SAW
"I saw the Beach Boys with my Dad at the Warner Theatre," Burrows said. "I was like 7 years old, so it was great."

LAST GOOD CONCERT YOU SAW
"I'd have to say Radiohead in Toronto," Burrows said. "My band will hate me for saying that. I'm the only Radiohead fan in the band."

DESERT-ISLAND DISCS
"Siamese Dream" by Smashing Pumpkins, "Wish" by the Cure, "Second Stage Turbine Blade" by Coheed & Cambria, "My Brain Hurts" by Screeching Weasel.

WHAT'S IN YOUR CD PLAYER NOW?
Knifefight the World, Black Rose Diary.

CDS
Johnny Football's demo CD, which includes their cover of the Cure's "Friday I'm in Love," is available at their shows.

WEB SITES Get more info here

UPCOMING GIGS
Hardcore vs. indie show with Problem Solver Revolver, Black Rose Diary, Built Upon Frustration, Anne Gohra, Knightfight the World, William B. Alkwieczerk Saturday at 5 p.m. at Forward Hall; April 8 at Penn State Behrend; April 16 with Pegasus Unicorn at Forward Hall; April 22 with Black Rose Diary and Pegasus Unicorn at the Hangout in Edinboro.