HAWAIIAN EXPRESS Piebald makes its first appearance in Hawaii at 6:30 tonight at Pink Cadillac. Opening the performance will be The Lonely Kings, Bronson and Lose Money. Tomorrow's show will be opened by Hutchinson, Teradactyl and Welfair.

Piebald poised
to play Hawaii

The post-punk band has a
new album out that could move
them to the head of the line

---

By Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.com

Travis Shettel of Piebald is too smart a lyricist to be totally emo.

In fact, he says he's sick of that word that covers any kind of post-punk, loud but melodic, angst-filled music.

Well, Piebald may sound emo, but Shettel doesn't SING emo. The titles of the Boston group's last two albums are indicative of the wordplay Shettel fancies: "If It Weren't for Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains For Us All" and "We Are the Only Friends We Have."

The latter album could put Piebald on the cusp of rock stardom, along the same lines of Saves the Day and Jimmy Eat World. "We Are ..." has a great dynamic sound due to Shettel's clear, appealing, intelligent voice, with a touch of sarcasm, no doubt helped by producer Paul Q. Kolderie, who's worked with The Pixies, Hole and Radiohead.

HAWAIIAN EXPRESS Piebald got its name from a book one of the bandmates was reading back in high school.

Shettle said that even after eight years of being together, Piebald is playing its whole rock journey by ear. Speaking by phone from Somerville, Mass., the 20s-ish Shettel seems nonplused about his writing and the band's direction.

"I don't know any real way of songwriting," he admits. "It just kind of happens, where I put together a bunch of phrases that, while not making any real sense in and of themselves, when put together tells some kind of story."

Two prime examples on the new album are "Fear and Loathing on Cape Cod" and "Sex Sells and (Unfortunately) I'm Buying."

"Is there any master plan to what we're doing?" he asks. "Are you kidding?"

But this much we know. The band's name, describing something motley, came out of a book bandmate Aaron Stuart was reading in high school, and Piebald is successful enough for it to be a full-time job.

PIEBALD Where: Pink Cadillac,478 Ena Road When: 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. today, and 9:30 p.m. tomorrow Admission: $10 today, $7 tomorrow. Both are all-ages shows. Info: www.808shows.com Note: Santa Cruz, Calif. band The Lonely Kings and local bands Bronson and Lose Money will open tonight. Local bands Hutchinson, Teradactyl and Welfair will open tomorrow's show.

The money earned on the group's last tour was enough to pay the rent on the "room" Shettel and Andrew Bonner share. (Jon Sullivan is the fourth band member.)

"Andy and I live in the same room," Shettel said. "Pathetic but true."

He hopes that Honolulu's underground rock fans will take the always-touring band to heart on its first visit here.

"Because we're always touring a lot, the new album has been doing well. We've done the festival thing and opened for bands Saves the Day and Jimmy Eat World. And if there's one thing we've learned from both of those bands -- and I know this is going to sound lame but it's true -- is that I'm happy to see how the love and truth of their music and hard work has paid off for them.

"We live by the words in our song 'The Monkey Versus The Robot': 'We got a job to do and this is it ... We have the best job ever.'

"We're psyched! I appreciate my life, because not only is this my work, but it's what I want to do."

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