STANHOPE, NJ—Every once in a while there are local bands that manage to stand out from the rest and grab the attention of their fans on several accounts. While most groups at this level try their hardest to make it big in the industry, Bombay made it crystal clear that they do what they do in order to have fun rather than become famous. Recently, I was granted the opportunity to see what all the buzz was about by watching them perform at the historic Stanhope House.
The band consists of three members: Chris Flynn on bass, Nick Petrillo on drums, and Jeff Wasserburger on guitar. All of the dynamics of these gentlemen musically were uncanny and their influences were clearly displayed. After finishing all of the necessary sound checks and usual remedies that take place at gigs, the boys began their set, holding nothing back as they always do.
Nothing too fancy with effects was present when it came to Bombay, which gave them more of an organic sound. Flynn used a small amount of pedals that seemed to bring out the power behind the chords he would occasionally throw into the mix. A carefully constructed crunch of bass nicely complemented Wasserburger’s distorted, hardcore guitar tone. As the stringed instruments did their parts, Petrillo played along with them in a quiet, simple manner, done with what sounded like nothing short of emotion and good times.
Although it was not the largest of crowds that they played in front of, it was apparent that they couldn’t care less. For a band that has yet to travel far away from home, Bombay showed a lot of promise in the places they could potentially go with their music. The set performed at the Stanhope House was flawless in how the sound was, along with what the sound was.
After having a short discussion with Wasserburger outside, I was reassured that Bombay holds no emphasis on getting paid or having thousands of eyes on them at each show. “We just want to have fun and to play our music. I don’t give a fuck about how rich I get,” he told me right before they hit the stage. Sure enough, what was said to me was backed up by the sight of the band’s skillful playing.
I left that night with enough time on the drive home to reflect upon what seeing Bombay at the Stanhope House really meant to me. Aside from the obvious notion that they kicked ass and rocked hard, a few other key aspects managed to creep their way into my mind. The most valuable was the reasoning behind the music, making their songs all the more friendly. Even if I hadn’t had the chance to speak with the band before or after their set, this idea would’ve been made clear for me through seeing their performance live and in the flesh.
