Revive the Rose keeps it loud and proud
Welland band’s game plan: Keep city’s rock and roll spirit alive
Welland’s Revive the Rose took root four years ago with a simple game plan: Keep the city’s rock and roll spirit alive.
For singer Andy Colonico, bands like Street Pharmacy and Attack in Black anchored a scene that inspired plenty of local rock bands.
“I actually caught the end of the big Welland music scene that was once a thing,” he says. “Honestly, I was inspired by the music that came from that era.
“I was kind of bummed, like ‘Why is this not a thing anymore?’ That was half the inspiration behind the name Revive the Rose. That was the basic reasoning behind that name, but it’s definitely blossomed into a bigger meaning than that now.”
These days, Colonico sees the rose as any “unrealistic dream” that you water and hope springs up. And for the past year, Revive the Rose has carried the Welland flag proud, getting their singles “Moxie” and “Nine to Five” on Spotify and local hard rock station HTZ-FM, building a loyal local following, and last week releasing a polished video for their latest tune “Bad Blood” with another Welland rocker, Serena Pryne of The Mandevilles.
The video called for Pryne and Niagara bassist Waylon Glintz to play a couple whose relationship is splintering, eventually blowing up over cellphone texts.
“I kind of needed that rock and roll look, and she’s the most rock and roll chick I know,” he says.
On the flipside, it required the two friends to look angry at each other for ten hours of filming. Which wasn’t always easy.
“It’s so funny, because she looks so angry and she’s the happiest person I know.”
As the band gears up for a busy 2019 — including a possible opening gig for a veteran Canadian band he can’t announce yet — Colonico is proud to build up another Welland rock scene, which includes bands like Otherwives and Bridge 13.
“We kind of have a strong force coming from Welland again,” he says. “Welland is a very meat and potatoes kind of town, and I think rock is just part of the culture here.”
But in addition to the local music scene, Colonico has another itch to scratch — stand-up comedy. On Dec. 20, he’ll take the stage at Showtime Comedy & Entertainment in St. Catharines for amateur night. His friends have been nudging him to do it for years.
“Obviously, I’m not screaming at the crowd this time as much,” he says. “I just have a weird brain and decided to put it to work, finally.”