Authority Zero | The Beachside Resident

Kimberly Stone

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11v6 AuthorityZero1 Authority Zero

Authority Zero
By Kimberly Stone

www.beachinmommies.com

The extremely diverse punk band Authority Zero claim Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Sublime as prime influences, but the Mesa, Arizona quartet’s broader influence on contemporary music is all their own. With strains of Spanish and Portuguese music in their infectious songs, Authority Zero have been rocking the casbah since 1994. Their intense stage presence and ambitious tour schedule have made the band known and respected worldwide.

With Jason DeVore on lead vocals, Zach Vogel on guitar, Jim Wilcox on drums, and Jeremy Wood on bass, Authority Zero have produced three studio albums and one live album released through three labels. Their live show and energy on stage quickly drew comparisons to that of Rage Against the Machine, and the local independent record chain Zia Records caught on, when in 2001, the label issued the band’s debut EP, Patches In Time. Within months, the now classic recording became one of Zia’s best-selling releases.

With the band’s quick success, Lava Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, signed Authority Zero in 2002 for the release of their iconic debut full-length, A Passage In Time. That same year, the band took to the road for tours with Sum 41, NOFX, Alkaline Trio, Punk-O-Rama, and the Warped Tour. As word continued to spread about the group’s captivating live show, Authority Zero released their sophomore effort, Andiamo, in 2004. The album embraced more ska and reggae influences and paired them with Latin-flavored rhythms to create one of their most culturally diverse record to date.

Their latest, Stories of Survival, relates not only their own stories, but also many of the ones that currently preoccupy the world at large. “The album title was a no brainer,” says DeVore, “as it encompasses everything this record stands for. This record has so much to do with survival, not only as a band, but as an individual living in a crazy world.” Survival is also the first release for Viking Funeral, an imprint label founded by Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge, Ken Seaton of Hardline Entertainment, and Suburban Noize Records.

Authority Zero are currently on tour in Japan, but will bring their original sound to Sports Page via Deuterman Productions.com on Friday, January 14, with supporting acts Lionize from Brooklyn, Chicago’s Flatfoot 56, and local acts United Divided and Ovni Sound System.

Catch Authority Zero on January 14 at Sports Page (220 A1A; Satellite Beach; 777-7243). For ticket information, call Deuterman Productions at (321) 508-5141, or visit www.deutermanproductions.com. Check out Authority Zero online at: www.authorityzero.com