Wake The Sun: Rock Stars in the Making

Wake The Sun live by Sarah Hess

Chicago – Music journalists often find their inboxes overflowing with press releases, invitations, and a plethora of new music. Sifting through those emails can be tedious and time consuming, but every so often that afternoon dig finds a diamond in the rough. This happened to me recently when I stumbled upon a little gem titled “Wicked Souls,” by New York band Wake The Sun. The single, off their soon-to-be released self-titled debut EP, had me like, “Holy rock and roll Batman!”

“Wicked Souls” also had me dying to see this newly formed band play live. Luckily, the rockers rolled into Chicago for the start of St. Paddy’s Day weekend, as part of their first national tour. The guys started their vivacious set off with “Cold Blood.” Wake The Sun kept the dimly lit Red Line Tap full of loud, passionate rock, waking the dive’s regulars from their beer haze and bringing them to their feet. They left their cushioned bar stools behind to dance, clap, and holler, “You rock!”

Watching these five guys on stage, you’d never know they’d only been playing together for less than a year. College buddies Dillon Mealey (guitar and vocals) and Jeff Alvarado (bass) had previously played in bands together, but it was in 2014 when they set out to start something new. They found drummer Jon Brick on YouTube and invited him to join them. Soon after the trio recruited keyboardist John Creighton and guitarist Tommy Perrotta to bring their blues-infused rock to life. For being less than a year old, Wake The Sun sounds remarkably polished.

Wake The Sun performed all the songs off their EP (due out March 24) and a handful of new tracks including “Desert Song” and “False Prophets,” which they performed live on radio earlier in the day on WXRX. At times they sounded a bit like Kings of Leon and The Black Keys, while at other times hints of metal, blues, soul, and 70s rock bled through. However, the guys still manage to make their rock fresh thanks to their individual personalities that shine through in the music and on stage. Creighton jams on his keys as if he’s playing guitar in a metal band. (Wouldn’t be surprised if he busts out a keytar at some point!) Brick energetically pounds his drums while cracking smiles and bouncing around, revved up like a deuce. Perrotta wailed on guitar and coolly nailed his high octave backing vocals. Alvarado and Mealey played off each other like only close friends could, but Mealey knew when to step center stage, put on his frontman boots, and work the room like a rock star in the making.

Wake The Sun prove that rock is far from dead. I expect to see more from these rockers in the future. The future is bright and sunny for Wake the Sun!

Wake The Sun is finishing up the 2015 Wicked Souls Tour. Keep a look out for news of their national tour this fall by following Wake The Sun on facebook and twitter. You can also pre-order Wake The Sun on iTunes.

Photos of Wake The Sun by Sarah Hess

Sarah Hess

Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
Sarah Hess

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