Meeting your favorite rock band is always exciting: getting their autographs, take a few pics, and then, rocking out to them with your fist in the air makes life a little sweeter. Yet sometimes reporting these concerts can take you somewhere unexpected … like the inside of a car, where I met with the band for this interview, “TRAPT.”
TRAPT is an American rock band that formed in Los Gatos, Calif. in 1995, best known for their 2002 single “Headstrong.” The group consists of lead vocalist Chris Taylor Brown, bassist Peter “Pete” Charell, drummer Brendan Hengle, and guitarist Ty Fury. The members of TRAPT met in high school in the mid-90s and have produced six albums. Their newest album, “DNA,” dropped August 19, 2016.
Gallup Sun: (Stepping out of my car) Hey guys, how’s it going?
Chris: Sup brother ...so we finally get to meet huh (laughing). Glad to meet ya brotha.
Sun: Right! Hey, guys just make yourself comfortable and we’ll get going to the meet/greet.
Sun: (As we begin to drive off, I have their new album “DNA” cranking on the stereo) Dude this album really cranks. How long did it take you guys to do it and where at?
Peter: We always do our albums in Orange Grove, California, in this cool little studio and it took a while. Man can you put it on track 3 “It’s Over.”
The guys start to talk about this song and where they could have done better, where the riff changes and how someone messed up (they start laughing). All I kept thinking was, “Wow TRAPT is inside my ride and we’re listening to their new album and these guys are totally critiquing it!”
Sun: Man I can’t even tell “he” messed up there (laughing). That song kicks. I also really like the acoustic version of “Human”.
Chris: Really? Thanks man it’s always good to hear stuff like that, it really helps us out.
Sun: So what would you say has kept this band going for the past twenty years?
Chris: Honestly, it’s gotta be the fans. They have stuck with us this long and it has been great, especially this tour with our new album out.
The band had recently just come off the, “Make America Rock Again” tour and has played with Saliva, Saving Abel, Tantric, and Drowning Pool.
Sun: (Pulling up to the meet/greet) What’s coming up for you guys for what’s left of the year?
Brendan: Dang dude is it always this cold here, it’s fricken freezing. We’re used to that Southern California weather.
Sun: It’s gonna even get colder man, I totally miss the weather there and of course the beach. (This, of course, leads into numerous conversations about California in which the band exits the car for the meet and greet.)
I like to personally thank Joe Zecca-Owner of American Bar, for allowing the band to have their meet/greet there. Once inside, a fan greets Chris and buys him a shot. Together they take a pic and slam the shots.
Ty: How long has this bar been here? It’s way nostalgic and very cool.
Sun: For quite some time, so what’s in store for the band Ty?
Ty: We have a couple more dates on this trip and then taking a small break and then start up again for the New Year.
Sun: How was it on the Crue Fest?
Ty: It was definitely an experience and rocking with all those bands were great. We’ve played with some of them before but the Fest was just totally outrageous.
After hanging out for a bit, Peter suggests we head back to the venue, to which doesn’t happen. Next door to American Bar is Quintana’s Music/Indian Jewelry, where the band checks out the guitars and drums and meets more fans. Watching these guys checking out the instruments you can tell that these guys definitely love what they do.
Sun: (Finally back in the car and now heading to Taco Bell because Chris is starving according to him). It was cool to hear the classic TRAPT sound in this album and not like others who seem to change with the times.
Chris: That’s what makes TRAPT, we want to stand out and give the fans nothing but the best at every show ... hey make sure no onions no green sauce, and no rice in my burritos (he tells me.)
This band can tear it up with the munchies!
Sun: What made you guys decide on Gallup?
Chris: You know as well as I do we have trying to play here and choosing small towns like this helps us reach our fans who sometimes can’t get to the bigger places. Plus it’s always cool to hit other places.
Sun: (Now finally … this time back to the venue) Guys this has been so cool and I want to thank you for doing this.
Chris: Hey brotha thank for having us here and for cruising us around and we wanna thank Gallup for having Trapt.
The concert kicked off to a room filled with screaming Trapt fans as they perform songs from their new album/past albums and of course, “Headstrong.” Special thanks again to Joe Zecca & gang/American Bar, Vernon Garcia & Misty Lasiloo for feeding the band, Donnie Eriacho/Faceless.
By Dee Velasco
For the Sun
