Biography
Although many rock acts formed after the baby boomer era draw occasional inspiration from earlier decades, Silvertide stands apart as a Philadelphia quintet whose entire approach remains rooted in the hard rock of the 1970s and 1980s. Their riff-heavy, blues-inflected material shows no traces of post-grunge or alternative leanings, drawing instead from Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, the Faces, Guns N' Roses, the Who, and the Rolling Stones. Notably, none of the musicians had yet been born when Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980.
The group came together in January 2001 in the working-class northeast section of Philadelphia. Originally known as Vertigo, the lineup consisted of vocalist Walt Lafty, lead guitarist Nick Perri, rhythm guitarist Mark Melchiorre (who also handles banjo and the Indian sitar), and drummer Kevin Frank, whose style reflects a strong admiration for the Who's Keith Moon. Bassist Brian Weaver joined soon afterward, completing the five-piece. After months of basement rehearsals, the teenagers began playing clubs around the city while most members were still attending high school and below voting age.
Within their own school environment, the musicians felt out of step with prevailing tastes. While classmates gravitated toward Korn, Limp Bizkit, Eminem, and Jay-Z or toward Britney Spears, *NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys, Silvertide members favored the Rolling Stones, the Who, Peter Frampton, Jimi Hendrix, and the Faces. Lafty in particular drew vocal cues from Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose, and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, despite being younger than Tyler's daughter Liv Tyler.
By the close of 2001, however, the band had generated considerable local attention on the Philadelphia club circuit and was invited to open for Aerosmith during one of the headliners' area appearances. That exposure helped secure a contract with Clive Davis' J Records, which issued the debut EP American Excess in 2002. The following summer the group traveled to Los Angeles to record its first full-length album with producer Oliver Leiber, whose prior credits include work with Paula Abdul and The Corrs. After supporting Tantric and Showdown on a spring tour, Silvertide released Show & Tell in early June 2004.
The group came together in January 2001 in the working-class northeast section of Philadelphia. Originally known as Vertigo, the lineup consisted of vocalist Walt Lafty, lead guitarist Nick Perri, rhythm guitarist Mark Melchiorre (who also handles banjo and the Indian sitar), and drummer Kevin Frank, whose style reflects a strong admiration for the Who's Keith Moon. Bassist Brian Weaver joined soon afterward, completing the five-piece. After months of basement rehearsals, the teenagers began playing clubs around the city while most members were still attending high school and below voting age.
Within their own school environment, the musicians felt out of step with prevailing tastes. While classmates gravitated toward Korn, Limp Bizkit, Eminem, and Jay-Z or toward Britney Spears, *NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys, Silvertide members favored the Rolling Stones, the Who, Peter Frampton, Jimi Hendrix, and the Faces. Lafty in particular drew vocal cues from Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose, and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, despite being younger than Tyler's daughter Liv Tyler.
By the close of 2001, however, the band had generated considerable local attention on the Philadelphia club circuit and was invited to open for Aerosmith during one of the headliners' area appearances. That exposure helped secure a contract with Clive Davis' J Records, which issued the debut EP American Excess in 2002. The following summer the group traveled to Los Angeles to record its first full-length album with producer Oliver Leiber, whose prior credits include work with Paula Abdul and The Corrs. After supporting Tantric and Showdown on a spring tour, Silvertide released Show & Tell in early June 2004.
Albums
