written on April 12, 2010
photos/blog layout by Amanda Vontobel visit her Youtube for videos
Pass the word around, Antigone Rising is back and better than ever. Two years have now passed since the biggest shake up in their band threatened to put Antigone to rest for good. But Henderson sisters Kristen and Cathy, and drummer Dena Tauriello are back with new additions to both the band and their personal lives. Longtime friend of the band Nini Camps has signed on as new lead singer. Kristen and Nini have more in common than just being friends in the industry, they are both new mommies. Kristen and her partner both gave birth to a son and daughter in February 2009, while Nini and her partner welcomed a baby boy in December 2009. But before all of that, there seemed to be a period of uncertainty for the future of the band. It was at this time Nini would visit with Kristen and they started to craft some songs together. Then when a few major gigs came up opening for Joan Jett and The Bangles, Nini filled in as lead singer and things clicked into place. I don’t think any of them could have planned it to happen this way, it just did. To me, those are the happenings that lead to the best possible outcomes. When something is right, it will make itself known and fall into place.
Nini adds a refreshing vocal style that easily fits the band’s sound and blends sweetly with the Henderson harmonies. She is also a seasoned songwriter, having written songs for various TV/movie soundtracks. And if that isn’t enough, Nini is damn great on the strings too, most notably on slide guitar. When she and Cathy trade guitar solos on songs like Slide and their cover of Can’t Let Go, you can feel the energy surge through you.
Kristen has taken very well to her new role as bass player. Not that it’s any surprise that she can lay down the rhythm, she was originally the drummer back in the day. In fact Kristen and Dena share a beat for beat jam session with Kristen on the cajón, which I can only assume is another nod to Nini’s addition to the band, sharing her Cuban-American heritage. Kristen has said on stage that she loves playing bass even more with Dena backing her up on the drums.
There are many new songs in AR’s set these days and I’m finding it hard to pick a favorite. As of this writing, I will go with Photograph and Borrowed Time. Photograph is a feel good, roll the windows down summer song with a positive message about living life to the fullest. Borrowed Time was inspired by the birth of the babies combined with some notable celebrity deaths. The song is a bittersweet reminder of how very little time we have here. “Make the most of it” are certainly wise words for all of us to heed.
So in these last two years, a lot has happened for the ladies of Antigone Rising. They’ve gone in various directions, only to find themselves back together again. This time though, it seems different. It feels different. Why? I believe it’s because it is different. Go see Antigone Rising now and you will see a band playing their hearts out for the love of the game. It comes through in what you hear in the songs, what you see on the stage, and what you feel from the whole experience. They truly are, making the most of it.
Visit antigonerising.com for news, tour dates, links to Myspace, Facebook, Youtube & Twitter, and Kristen’s hilarious “Hangin With Hendo” blog!
