The Hollow News

Great Live Pics from David Patino

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:45:00 GMT

We had a blast opening for Eve 6 at Starland Ballroom last friday! Thank you to everyone who came out to see us. We had a great response from the crowd and hopefully made some new fans. Our good friend and photographer David Patino was there to capture some incredible photos from our performance. David is super talented and such an awesome guy. We love the photos so much, we decided to re-design the look of our website around them ;-).

You can check out some of the photos in our gallery section on David's blog here:
http://blog.davidpatino.com

To get in touch with David Patino:
973.998.7330 | dp@davidpatino.com | www.davidpatino.com

The Hollow Opening for Eve 6 / Starland Ballroom, NJ

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:50:00 GMT

Come check out The Hollow opening for 90s rock superstars Eve 6!
Purchase tickets in advance directly here from our website for a discounted rate here:
only $20 (+$1.99 shipping/handling)

Please note: Tickets will begin shipping on Friday April 13th

Friday, May 11th
Doors open 7:00PM
Eve 6
with The Audition • Breathing Blue • The Hollow
An all-ages to enter • 21 to drink event.
http://www.starlandballroom.com/

Please Join the Official Facebook Event and share with your friends:
http://www.facebook.com/events/284723394935285/

Directions:
http://www.starlandballroom.com/?p=directions

Starland Ballroom
570 Jernee Mill Road, Sayreville, NJ 08872

DOWNLOAD FREE TRACK TO VOTE FOR THE HOLLOW!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:00 GMT

It's that time of year again! We made it into the final global round last year and almost won. We really, really want to play Hard Rock Rising this year and need your help! All you have to do is download our FREE track (Run Away) from the Hard Rock Cafe NY Facebook Page and that counts as a vote. Votes give us a chance battle it out LIVE at Hard Rock Cafe Times Square NY for the next round! Voting ends February 5th... so what are you waiting for?

Here's a couple easy steps to make this thing simple:

1. Go here: http://www.facebook.com/hardrockcafenewyork
2. Under the Hard Rock Rising Graphic, you'll see a dropdown menu.
Click on that to sort by "Downloads"... (We should be in the top five bands)
3. Hit the download button!

Votes are counted in real time. However, the page needs to refresh before your vote will show up. Try refreshing the page.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AGAIN!

JANUARY 2012 SHOWS: Mercury Lounge (NYC) + Sherman Theatre

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:00:00 GMT

Come check out The Hollow's return to NYC's famous Mercury Lounge. This is a great venue and a big show... so spread the word and get some friends to join you as we rock out our set with some old favorites and a few brand-new, never-heard-before tunes. See you there!

Venue Information:
Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston St.
New York, NY 10002
http://mercuryloungenyc.com
(212) 260-4700

DETAILS:
- Friday, January 6, 2012
- Doors: 7:30 pm
- Set time: 8:00pm
- Tickets $10
- This event is 21 and over

Join Event on Facebook and invite your friends:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/103677833084597/?notif_t=event_invite

Come check out The Hollow at Sherman Theatre's Rock and Ink festival—featuring 3 days of great live music and great tattoo art/artists. All tickets sold through band in advance for $12. Tickets are good for the full weekend. All ages. More info to follow.

BUY TICKETS HERE

SHERMAN THEATER (Rock and Ink Festival)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
4:00pm
$12 (3 day pass)
All ages

Sherman Theater
524 Main Street
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
570-420-2808
http://www.shermantheater.com

The Hollow to Co-Headline Rocky Horror at Sherman Theatre!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:51:42 GMT

The Hollow is co-headlining this year's ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW MOVIE & PRE-PARTY
at The Sherman Theatre. Check out details below:

Saturday, October 29 (Halloween Weekend)

The Sherman Theater presents

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW MOVIE & PRE-PARTY

Date: Saturday, October 29th
Show Time: 10pm, Movie at MIDNIGHT!
Seating: General Admission seating
Ticket Prices: $12
(buy tix in advance on this site... this WILL SELL OUT!!!:
http://www.shermantheater.com/index.cfm?siteid=83&itemcategory=25144&priorId=0&ProductId=29143)

Join us on Halloween weekend with the highly-anticipated return of the annual Rocky Horror Picture Show screening and pre-party. Rocky will be back at the Sherman for one night only and will be performed traditionally with film projection and live cast participation. This imaginative and racy rock & roll musical is one of the first and only real audience participation films.

Pre-party activities begin at 10 p.m. and include live musical entertainment from The Hollow and other several bands, along with costume contests, drink specials, and prize giveaways!

If you have never been to a live Rocky Horror performance before, come with an open mind, a group of friends, and an expectation to have a blast! Costumes are encouraged, participation is appreciated, and personality is required!

SHERMAN THEATER
524 Main Street
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
570.420.2808
http://www.shermantheater.com

The Hollow: Jersey Breakouts

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:25:00 GMT

Check out the full-page article on The Hollow in the July 20th issue of Aquarian Weekly: by John Fortunato http://www.theaquarian.com/2011/07/20/interview-with-the-hollow-jersey-breakouts/ In a universe filled with underachieving slackers, one of New Jersey’s best straight-ahead rock bands continues to gain recognition and widen their audience while each individual maintains a separate professional career outside the music industry. Taking their moniker from an early ‘90s Morristown hangout where kids bought dime bags (and million dollar homes now reside), The Hollow have been making waves with an energetic self-titled full-length debutsince February. Originally from Mendham, lead guitarist Brian Wilson met bassist Steve Babula in ‘96 while attending high school, playing in formative bands along the way. Around 2000, he befriended singer James Vilade while delivering kegs at Raritan Liquors’ beer cooler. Drummer Kevin Barry joined the troupe thereafter and the Meathooks, a ‘jam band’ forerunner of The Hollow, were formed. Playing festivals and getting airplay gave the Meathooks local exposure, but it’d be a few contests that’d make their newfangled rockedged project, The Hollow, serious national contenders. With a new image and sound, The Hollow took a 10-band Clash For The Cash battle at Sherman Theatre in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, winning an opening slot at the event. They then submitted entries for a Live Nation/Hard Rock Times Square competition, where the jolting Jerseyites were selected as Tri-State finalists and then treated like royalty. “We had a killer Green Room, private caterer and bar staff,” Wilson shares. “It was thrilling. We won the Battle of the Bands in Times Square. Then, the winning DVD was sent to judges and we ended up one of 40 international bands chosen to get a chance at playing Hard Rock Calling 2011 in London’s Hyde Park (headlined by Bon Jovi, Kings Of Leon and the Killers). We finished second in the U.S. in online voting to a Biloxi, Mississippi band, Rosco Bandana. But we held our heads high since it was a great experience.” Though Wilson is upset his foursome is not heading to England, further attention was provided by The Today Show, large-marketed New York City radio stations WPLJ and WRXP, plus Jersey’s finest rock radio outlet, WDHA. Little Steven (of Bruce Springsteen’s band and satellite radio’s Underground Garage Show) said The Hollow had “a certain blues and folk sound, combining to create something new,” comparing them to ‘60s psychedelic group Love, in an offhanded statement. They went on to open for ‘70s legends such as Marshall Tucker Band and, recently, Blue Oyster Cult, doing smaller gigs at many New York and Jersey venues. Wilson’s childhood influences may’ve been classic rockers (Santana, Allman Brothers, Yardbirds, Cream), but as a teen he went on to discover Guns ‘N’ Roses’ hard rock masterpiece Appetite For Destruction on cassette tape, hiding it from his mother due to the strong language. Though his dad collected vintage guitars and at one time performed in tributary Rolling Stones crew, The Bouncing Pebbles, Wilson played drums through high school, taking in hard rock heroes AC/DC, Metallica and Mötley Crüe. But as he studied guitar during college, Wilson became a jam band enthusiast. As a self-proclaimed Phish head, he admires the Grateful Dead and their ensuing ilk (Umphrey’s McGee/ String Cheese Incident). “I still like guitar shredders like Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani. Our bassist, Steve, loves Radiohead. And Kevin, the drummer, likes ‘80s stuff. In a way, we’re polar opposites,” Wilson says. An eclectic unit utilizing the basic guitar, bass, drums formula, The Hollow conjure many sub-genres, including metal, funk, punk and soul, delivering the goods in a totally accessible, wholly consistent and completely reliable manner. In fact, the shimmering emotional hardcore reflection, “Move On Past,” recalls D.C. post-punk icons Fugazi and Minor Threat, two iconic ‘80s trailblazers defining the now prominent DIY ethic. But Wilson admits, “I’m the only guy in the band who knows Minor Threat. They had a cool punk vibe. However, “Move On Past” is more influenced by 311 or Perpetual Groove. The chorus is heavier and we almost used its name as our album title. But even if it’s our best written song, it didn’t distinctly represent our style and I thought it’d be an inaccurate description.” Combining arena rock dramatics with a grungy, power-driven metallic shimmer, “Take You There,” an enthusiastic, escapist rallying cry, drafted in an Antiqua hotel room next to an open bar, perfectly exemplifies the blue-skied exuberance of its reflective exotic auspices. “That’s a sleeper tune we rearranged many times and finally got it down,” Wilson discloses. “We were reluctant to release it as a single because its verse, interlude and short stop are not formulaic enough for airplay. Yet we got the highest rating by the Hard Rock judges with that song.” Much like Wilson, singing partner James Vilade’s early guiding light was his father. Though relating better to the Grateful Dead and jam bands, his old man got him into music with a vast array of classic contemporary recordings, especially by R&B artists. The hirsute bard also remembers when his guitar-teaching uncle gave him lessons at age seven and how he subsequently got smitten with the Beach Boys and Springsteen. Now making his home in Randolph, Vilade likes to keep his lyrical intrigue above the surface, never masking emotions with complicated scripts, twisted rhetoric or triplicate meanings. “I try to keep songs broad for a larger audience,” Vilade claims. “Songs should be relatable, dealing with personal experiences and feelings I’ve always had and things I’ve gone through. They’re not written specifically. I’m a big believer in having fun. Most songs escape to where I’ve enjoyed myself.” But just like one of his Dead mentors, Jerry Garcia used to cringe when he’d hear his voice on tape, Vilade had to get over the slightly debilitating stigma to become an impressive frontman with expressive vocals delivered in a very forthrightly penetrative fashion. “Garcia’s voice was very sweet and mellow and flowed with the music. My voice tends to get higher than most singers when we play live,” Vilade divulges. “I’m also a big Jane’s Addiction fan. Perry Farrell had a specific sound and unique voice. And Robert Plant’s fun to listen to in his different incarnations.” One of Vilade’s best originals, “Ms. Behavior,” seems reminiscent of postgrunge plunderers Candlebox or Silverchair. Then again, its heavier moments are reminiscent of even more popular underground-initiated slammers he grew up with in the ‘90s, such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tool and Rage Against The Machine. “We don’t strive for a specific sound; we let it flow organically,” informs Vilade. “Brain and Steve are classically trained musicians who could write simple songs or make difficult ones. I do the more basic songs and everyone throws in their two cents. It’s a straightforward sound that’s more visceral in concert. Sometimes we all sit together and write a song. Other times, someone comes up with two or three parts and I’ll come and do melodies.” Vilade was also main composer for anthemic, call-and-response screamer “Let It Burn,” a raucous number that’d fit alongside head-banging ‘80s denizens Def Leppard and the Scorpions. Charging forward with tremendous aggression, it soon became a live staple that gets the crowd whipped into a rollicking frenzy. “As an emerging band, sometimes you play to 25 people. So you’ve got to keep them interested,” Vilade concludes. “Every person and song matters. Keep it upbeat. If you kick ass, they’ll tell friends and burn CDs. We just purchased wireless equipment so now we could be free to jump around onstage and put on a show. There’s more of an edge to it.” Download PDF of Article Here

New Review from Dangerdog Music: 4.0/5.0

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:25:00 GMT

The Hollow: The Hollow
Modern Melodic Hard Rock
4.0/5.0

Independent/Self-promotion
by Craig Hartranft, 07.11.2011

Hailing from Morristown New Jersey, The Hollow's September 2010 debut came to me nearly two months ago. Though I don't normally review material this old, The Hollow's self-promoted first work is entertaining and definitely worth exploring.

While modern American rock bands are busy mimicking heavy post-grunge tendencies and advacing hardcore overtones, The Hollow revisits basic melodic hard rock. Likely akin to mid-Nineties rock than the Eighties, The Hollow has a penchant for composing solid songs with strong melodies and infectious hooks.

The Hollow is best when those strong melodic characteristics are front and foremost. Notably, the album starts well with those very things on Run Away and Open Your Eyes. Both offer a heavier, more modern, motif but never at the expense of tight melody and strong vocal arrangements. (James Vilade is an excellent vocal talent).

But for real accessibility and innovation, the best songs are Move on Past, a lighter tune with a pop vibe, which can get heavy later on; Ms. Behavior, a catchy rock song with friendly melodic and lyrical hooks; and, Just Go Away, with a toe-tapping, near funk, rock groove and excellent guitar solo. And speaking of fret work, Brian Wilson is no slouch, offering sterling performances throughout. (Dig the work on Ms Behavior and Feel So Alone.)

Perhaps the mundane comes only when The Hollow simply does modern heavy rock as on No Way to Live, Let It Burn, or Rule the World. Fine songs, yes, but more or less derivative of current trends. Yet this also provides a conundrum with the last number Feel So Alone. The longest song, it smacks of modern post-grunge hard rock, but is saved by its subtle groove and Wilson's inspired guitar solo at the end.

The Hollow is not your typical modern American rock band. They neither mimic current trends or try to be so scarf-wearing indie to coddle to the hipster crowd. Ultimately, their debut is solid and entertaining modern melodic hard rock. They get it, and that's good. Very recommended.

http://dangerdog.com/2011-music-reviews/the-hollow-review.php

2011 Pocono Racefest with Blue Oyster Cult

Wed, 18 May 2011 01:05:00 GMT

Come check out The Hollow at this year's Pocono Racefest in Stroudsburg, PA with Blue Oyster Cult. This incredible festival is FREE and features 3 stages of awesome music for you to enjoy throughout the day.

Saturday, June 11th
The Hollow takes 7th Street & Main Street Stage at 2:30pm

524 Main Street
Stroudsburg , PA 18360

About Racefest:
The Sherman Theater creates, produces, and manages the annual Pocono Raceway Festival on the Saturday prior to the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season at Pocono Raceway. This free music and racing event brings in over 20,000 fans to Main Street in Stroudsburg.

On June 11th, 2011, The Sherman Theater will take over the town for this day-long festival for the whole family to enjoy. The day's festivities will include over a dozen bands on multiple stages, food and memorabilia vendors, and festival headliner: classic rockers Blue Oyster Cult!

Click here for directions and more info:
http://www.shermantheater.com/inner.cfm?itemCategory=41740&siteid=83&priorId=35983&pid=35983

Thank You!

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:46:24 GMT

Hi Everyone, we just found out that we did not win the Hard Rock Battle of the Bands. Thank you all so much for your support and kindness. This whole experience has really ramped up our exposure and has really motivated us as a band. THE GOOD NEWS IS…We have gigs supporting Molly Hatchet in May and opening for Blue Oyster Cult in June. Stay tuned for details!

Morristown-based band The Hollow hopes to play in London

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:21:24 GMT

Brian Wilson and his bandmates who comprise The Hollow hope the eyes and ears of 70,000 spectators will watch their every move and hear every note they play onstage in England.

Wilson, a 30-year-old Mendham resident and The Hollow's guitarist, wants fans to help him, singer James Vilade, bassist Steve Babula and drummer Kevin Barry travel from their base in Morristown to London to play on the same Hyde Park stage that will feature Bon Jovi and Kings of Leon.

"It's actually an international battle of the bands — there were hundreds of entries," Wilson said during a recent phone interview.

"If we get this, it's going to change a lot of stuff," he said of what winning the whole shebang could have on the band's career.

"We don't do a lot of contests," Wilson said. "We're kind of a band who marginally tours the Northeast — New York City, Philly, those markets."

The Hollow — described on its website as a soulful, modern rock band — is one of 40 bands left standing in the Hard Rock Battle of the Bands 2011. Those 40 bands are now divided into four, 10-band regions, and the top online vote-getter in each region will perform overseas during the festival from June 24-26.

Earlier this year the band submitted an album of its work and two CD singles — "Run Away" and "Take You There" — directly to the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.

The judges chose The Hollow and three other groups to take to the Hard Rock stage in New York and play for roughly 800 people, and whoever won would advance to the next round.

The Hollow and the other bands create their own music and don't work as cover bands. That didn't stop the contest organizers from throwing a musical wrench into the works.

"By the way, you're disqualified if you don't cover one Bon Jovi song," Wilson said. "If you listen to our music, we don't sound like Bon Jovi."

So the band performed "Have a Nice Day" — one of Bon Jovi's newer works — and ended up winning.

The band's performance was filmed and submitted to another panel of judges — including Steve Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fame — and was one of 68 entries.

The Hollow made the cut to the final 40, and there they stand until online voting ends Monday and a winning total is tallied.

Should The Hollow be one of the four regional winners, they'll have one more online-voting hurdle to leap to make it to the music festival's main stage and open for a headlining act. Even if they don't win that vote, they'll still play the festival's second stage.

HOW TO VOTE:

Follow this link to vote for The Hollow to advance to Hard Rock Calling 2011 in June:
www.hardrockbattleofbands.com/TheHollow/

Matt Manochio: 973-428-6627; mmanochio@njpressmedia.com

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20110422/NJNEWS/104220309/Morristown-based-band-Hollow-hopes-play-London?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

The Hollow on Fox 5 News

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:29:08 GMT

Check out Steven Van Zandt on Fox 5 News talking about the Hard Rock battle of the bands. There's a very short clip of The Hollow at 1:40.

MYFOXNY.COM - Hard Rock is celebrating 40 years with a global battle of the bands. On Thursday, legendary singer and guitarist Steven Van Zandt joins Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly 'on the couch' for a special preview of the rockin' event.

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/steven-van-zandt-20110421

The Hollow custom Guitar Picks

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:40:00 GMT

The Hollow is now proudly endorsed by InTune Guitar Picks and we recently received our custom designed picks. They look amazing and they feel great! Thanks InTune!

InTune Guitar Picks
InTune Guitar Picks specializes in custom printed guitar picks. They offer a wide variety of shapes, thicknesses, colors and materials. Their custom guitar picks are manufactured and printed in house to provide a high quality product with extremely detailed and durable printing.

http://intunegp.com/Home.html

Help Send Morristown-Based Band to London

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 04:10:00 GMT

Help send The Hollow to London!

Hundreds of bands entered Hard Rock's Battle Of The Bands at Hard Rock Cafes all over the world. The Hollow (a soulful modern rock band from NJ), reigned as winner after beating out countless other bands in the tri-state region in the Hard Rock Cafe NYC Times Square competition. The judges (which includes Little Steven of the legendary E. Street Band and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy) narrowed down the field to 40 bands. Now, it's up to you to vote!

Online voting began on April 12, 2011 here: http://www.hardrockbattleofbands.com/TheHollow/.

The Hollow is competing for a chance to play at Hard Rock Calling in London! They're battling for a spot on the same bill as Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks and many more to be announced. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play this incredible music festival in London's Hyde Park.

Vote Here:
http://www.hardrockbattleofbands.com/TheHollow/

Read more about The Hollow by checking out Liz Alterman's recent profile on the band.

Morris County band advances in Hard Rock Cafe's Battle of the Bands competition

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:45:00 GMT

Tucked beneath an abandoned manufacturing plant, behind a gym and off Route 46 in Rockaway Borough, four friends fiddle with their instruments in a tiny practice space with mediocre acoustics.

The quartet has paid $50 to rent the room for two hours one Monday night, shortly after getting off work. They check the amps and mikes and run through a set, ignoring a passable rendition of "Sweet Child O’ Mine" that bleeds through the walls from the adjacent — and supposedly soundproof — room. The four just play their original music a bit louder.

This is the The Hollow, a Morris County band trying to follow in the venerable tradition of Jersey groups that begin in local pubs and go on to fill famous arenas.

And they just got one step closer.

Band members James Vilade, Brian Wilson, Stephen Babula and Kevin Barry were informed Tuesday they are one of 40 groups to survive the third round of judging in Hard Rock Cafe’s Battle of the Bands competition. The winning band will open for Bon Jovi in London’s Hyde Park in June.

Now, their fate is in your hands. Online voters will send four from the 40 to Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, a massive music festival. Voters will then choose one of those four to open for Bon Jovi.

"It would mean the world to us," said Wilson, The Hollow’s lead guitarist. "It would validate the 15 or 16 years we’ve put into music. We’ve been climbing the ladder and we’re starting to get some endorsement deals, and the phones are starting to ring, but I feel this would totally push us to the next level."

Recognition is the currency in which blossoming bands trade — and a gig like Hyde Park could provide invaluable cachet. The three bands that do not open for Bon Jovi will still perform before tens of thousands, and they’ll be on the bill with Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks.

"We’d be happy just playing in the parking lot," joked Babula, the bassist.

The band is influenced by an eclectic group of musicians, ranging from The Police to Buckethead, though you won’t hear much Sting or Praxis on their self-titled debut album, much of which can be heard on their website www.thehollowband.com.

What you will hear is a sound reminiscent of 1990s alternative rock — a soulful mix of Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam with a bit of U2 thrown in.

"They had an interesting sort of connection for me to a group called Love," said Steven Van Zandt, speaking of the 1960s Los Angeles rock band. "A certain blues and a folk sound, combining to create something new. A certain vibe where the music becomes universal, but it’s also very personal."

Van Zandt, "Little Steven" of E Street Band fame, along with Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and representatives from Live Nation, Hard Rock and Absolute Radio, whittled the list down to 40 from 68 bands in the contest’s third round.

But it wasn’t easy to get to that point. The Hollow first submitted two songs to the Hard Rock competition. Once those were deemed acceptable, the band was pitted against three others in a battle of the bands at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. It was one of 68 regional competitions taking place around the world. Those performances were recorded and sent to judges.

The Hollow’s journey is far more familiar than their music: four married guys in their 30s, struggling not to make it big, but to make it at all.

"You always hear about a band paying their dues and playing these small clubs, and it is tough, and it is a real job even though a lot of people don’t see it that way," said Vilade, the lead singer. "But it’s been fun. It has shaped us as musicians and made us more humble. We’ve been that ‘nobody band.’ We’ve played for no money."

Humble beginnings at local clubs are not all these Hard Rock hopefuls share with Bon Jovi. The Hollow’s only single to receive regular radio play is "Run Away." Bon Jovi broke through with "Runaway," winning a contest in the early 1980s on WAPP, a now-defunct New York radio station.

"It would be funny to fly all the way to London to open for another band from Jersey," mused Vilade.

It would also be an enormous opportunity, Van Zandt said.

"That’s all you can want as a band, is to be exposed, to be heard," he said. "Then people decide for themselves."

Voting at www.hardrockbattleofbands.com/thehollow ends April 25.

MEET THE BAND:

The Hollow, a four-member band from Morris County, hopes to follow other New Jersey groups who went from playing pubs to filling arenas. The band found out Tuesday it’s among 40 groups vying to open for Bon Jovi in London in June. Band members are:

Stephen Babula
Bass player
Age: 30
Hometown: Towaco
Current residence: Rockaway Township
Occupation: Art director, Cinquino and Co., Woodland Park

Kevin Barry
Drummer
Age: 38
Hometown: Morristown
Current residence: Bernardsville
Occupation: Branch vice president of Coldwell Banker, Metuchen

James Vilade
Singer, rhythm guitarist, front man
Age: 31
Hometown: Bernardsville
Current residence: Randolph
Occupation: Salesman for Hunterdon Brewing Co., Phillipsburg

Brian Wilson
Lead guitar, electric guitar
Age: 30
Hometown: Mendham
Current residence: Succasunna
Occupation: Commercial real estate broker, Resource Realty of northern New Jersey, Parsippany; guitar instructor

- By Dan Goldberg

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/morris_county_band_progresses.html

Why shouldn't a New Jersey band travel to London to open for another Jersey band? Morristown's The Hollow are in the running to do just that. The band was selected from thousands to participate in a battle of the bands at Hard Rock in New York City and came out victorious. From there they entered a field of 68 winners in the Hard Rock Battle of the Bands contest and on Tuesday, found out they had made it to the final 40. Bands from all around the world are divided into four regions, with the winner of each gaining a stage spot at the Hard Rock Calling festival at Hyde Park in London. The overall winner will play on the same main stage as Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart and yes, Bon Jovi. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2011/04/jersey_band_the_hollow_in_the_1.html

The Hollow performs their song Run Away
Morristown's The Hollow performs their single "Run Away" at a practice space in Rockaway. The song is one of two submitted that gained them entry into the Hard Rock Battle of the Bands contest. The winner of the contest earns a main stage spot at Hard Rock Calling in London. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2011/04/the_hollow_performs_their_song.html

The Hollow performs their song Take You There
Morristown's The Hollow performs their single "Take You There" at a practice space in Rockaway. The song is one of two submitted that gained them entry into the Hard Rock Battle of the Bands contest. The winner of the contest earns a main stage spot at Hard Rock Calling in London. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2011/04/jersey_band_the_hollow_in_the.html

The Hollow in Final Round of Hard Rock Battle!!!!!

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:05:00 GMT

Help send The Hollow to London!

Hundreds of bands entered Hard Rock's Battle Of The Bands at Hard Rock Cafes all over the world. The Hollow reigned as winner after beating out countless other bands in the tri-state region in the Hard Rock Cafe NYC Times Square competition. The judges (which includes Little Steven of the legendary E Street Band and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy) narrowed down the field to 40 bands. Now, it's up to you to vote! Online voting is here: http://www.hardrockbattleofbands.com/thehollow. The Hollow is competing for a chance to play at Hard Rock Calling in London! They're battling for a spot on the same bill as Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks and many more to be announced. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play this incredible music festival in London's Hyde Park.

Vote Here:
http://www.hardrockbattleofbands.com/TheHollow/

Photoshoot with David Patino

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:30:00 GMT

The Hollow recently did a photoshoot with good friend and photographer David Patino. We dropped by his place in Morristown to participate in his personal photography project called The Bedroom Project... and then David was kind enough to snap a few more photos of us because he's just that cool of a guy. Please support David and his work.

Check out these links to see some of David's incredible photography and learn more about The Bedroom Project:

http://www.davidpatino.com
http://www.davidpatino.com/blog/
http://www.thebedroomproject.com/blog/
Help Dave with some funding for The Bedroom Project here.

The Hollow to Play Waterloo Village Music Festival

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:35:00 GMT

BYRAM TOWNSHIP -- Waterloo Village is coming alive again through the efforts of the Friends of Waterloo Village, which will present the Waterloo Music Festival Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15.

Headlining on Saturday night at 7 p.m. is the Chapin Family. Tom, Steve and Jen and their bands will delight the audience with their incredible musical talent and their wonderful songs and stories. This multi talented, Grammy award winning family will delight you with their warmth, easy style and friendly manner.

Molly Hatchet is in the headline spot for Sunday at 4 p.m.. In a rare New Jersey appearance, this legendary band will rock the place with their world famous music and style, which is described as having its beginnings early 1970s. Back then this form of music was emerging as a mixture of blues, country, gospel and the English invasion of rock and roll that later was to be coined the phrase "Southern Rock." The music was filled with style and emotion and with bands in the forefront such as the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and a band from Jacksonville, Fla. called Molly Hatchet.

The event will feature live music all day long. Some of the other festival bands are Citizens Band Radio, The Hollow, Bill Griese, Street Hassle, Indian Princess, Only Living Boy, Luke Liddy, Mike Esposito, Lelica and BD Lenz, Small Town Sheiks, Sebastian Rivera and Chris Hughs from “Rock for Character”, Sarah Donner, Kelly Carvin, Crista Orefice, Eyeswan, and more.

The festival will include food vendors, beer and wine, business and craft vendors and more. The gates open 11 a.m. each day.

The Waterloo Music Festival is an event sponsored by the Friends of Waterloo Village in collaboration with the Spirit of the Arts Foundation for the purpose of raising funds for the restoration and revitalization of Waterloo Village, a National Historic Site situated on the Morris Canal in Byram Township.

Ticket information is available at WaterlooMusicFestival.com.
Reserved seating is available for both days. Reserve your tickets now. For further information, call Sandy at 973-875-2068.

The Hollow will be playing the Main Stage on Saturday, May 14th at 4:15pm
Please click here for tickets and show information.

http://waterloomusicfestival.com/
http://www.nj.com/warrenreporter/index.ssf/2011/03/waterloo_village_to_come_alive.html

The Hollow deliver a good old-fashioned dose of rock 'n roll

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:45:00 GMT

Sometimes it’s good to just hear a good old dose of rock ‘n roll without a thousand bells and whistles. The Hollow can be counted on for exactly this, as their self-titled debut packs enough soul, rock and electricity into their 11 tracks to power a small city. If you’re looking for a rocking good time, then look no further: The Hollow are at your service.

James Vilade sings/speaks/shouts his way through each of the tracks with the confidence of a seasoned veteran, Steve Babula lays down some solid bass lines (especially on the rollicking “Ms. Behavior”), Kevin Barry thunders away on the drums (check out is frenetic work on “Rule the World”) throughout and Brian Wilson provides one nasty guitar lick and solo after another (too many songs to mention here). Some of the edges on their songs are rough, but that’s in true rock ‘n roll fashion, so it’s all good.

“Ms. Behavior” is a highlight as the bands rocks out with abandon. “Let It Burn” is another driving rock number filled with excellent drumming and Vilade’s aggressive vocals. In the midst of the raucous noise that fills this album however, is a beautiful, brief ballad called “In Between” where the band croons “Ooo-ooo-ooo” for about a minute as an acoustic guitar combines with some orchestral sounds to create a lush track that is one of the album’s best. “Just Go Away” is another good one because it takes a more funky, jam band approach and makes for another nice change of pace on this record (plus it doesn’t hurt that some of the solos on this track sound like something Joe Satriani would cook up).

The Hollow are a band with considerable promise. They don’t just belt out the crunchy rock tracks one after another, but instead they infuse their music with a lot of soul, variety and precision. They also don’t just play the same three chords over and over either, instead choosing to mix in time changes on several songs to change up the dynamics. It’s because they are so well-rounded as musicians that this band has a chance to go somewhere, and The Hollow is a great starting point for the band.

By Brian Palmer

http://stereosubversion.com/reviews/the-hollow-the-hollow

Hard Rock Contest Proves to be a 'Hollow' Victory

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Morristown-based rockers The Hollow won regional Hard Rock Cafe battle of the bands; may compete in London. By Liz Alterman When members of the modern rock band The Hollow decided to compete for a chance to open for Bon Jovi at the 2011 Hard Rock Calling festival in London's Hyde Park, they never expected to make it as far as they have. The band, who has been playing together for the past four years, won the regional battle of the bands at the Times Square Hard Rock Cafe on March 12, moving one step closer to performing on the main stage for the 50,000-70,ooo-person crowd. Steve Babula, the band's 30-year-old bassist, said the group heard about the contest on 95.5 WPLJ just one week before the deadline. "They were asking bands to send in their CD," Babula said. "We felt it was a longshot but we went through the whole submission process—everything from completing application forms to making sure everybody has passports in case we win. "We had to submit two of our original songs and after we submitted everything, we heard from them a week later," he said. "Out of hundreds, they picked us and all four bands competed last week." The four-member band had just under three weeks to get its act together. Preparing for the show included learning one Bon Jovi song—a battle of the bands requirement. Selecting a song was a challenge for the band whose singer, James Vilade, is a Grateful Dead fan and drummer, Kevin Barry, enjoys heavy metal. "We picked one of the newer songs, called 'Have a Nice Day' from 2005," Babula said. "We were trying to be strategic about it. We figured everyone else would pick the classics and we wanted to differentiate ourselves. It fit better with our style. We wanted to play up our strengths." The Hollow's strategy paid off and they are now one of 16 bands from the East Coast region who will be judged by industry insiders. "They video-taped our performance and a panel of industry judges will decide which bands go to London," the rocker-by-night-art-director-by-day said. "Two will be from the U.S. and two will be from other parts of the world. "It's been a blast," Babula said. "We went in so excited just to be there and not even thinking that we'd make it past that round but we did and now we're even more excited to get to the next round." But Babula said they can't take all the credit for how far they've gotten and a big "thank you" goes out to the band's loyal fans. "Part of the judging at the event was that they gaged the crowd reaction," he said. "We put on a good live show that gets people moving. Every time we come up with a song we ask, 'Is this gonna get people out of their seats?' We want them to feel the energy we're putting out. "We tried to get as many people as we could to come out and see us," Babula said. "We had such a great crowd and that really pushed us over the edge a little bit and we're super grateful for that." Coming up with the music is a collaborative effort for the band who released a self-titled album, which they wrote, recorded and produced in Babula's own recording studio. The band also filmed the video for the album's single "Run Away" in Morristown. "I've been teaching myself the ropes for a long time and taking classes," the self-made producer said. "I kind of got to use the band as my own guinea pig for my learning experience on the engineering side. What was great about it is it was free, we didn't have to pay anybody by the hour. We could spend a long time writing and recording." Should they make it to the three-day festival, which also includes Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart, The Hollow is not daunted by the idea of opening for the New Jersey-born rock icon or the thought of the immense crowd. Though they've played a variety of smaller-venues around the tri-state area, the group had a glimpse of the big time when they opened for the Marshall Tucker Band to a sell-out crowd at the Starland Ballroom, in Sayreville, Middlesex County. "There's a big difference from playing a small club for 50 of our friends," Babula said. "Once we got a taste of the bigger venues, that's where we'd like to get." The band members, who are all in their early 30s, began playing in their teens. "We've all been doing it most of our lives," said Babula. "It's just something we never stopped doing and now we can't stop. It's (winning the regionals) encouraging because we put a lot of work into it and we're finally starting to see a lot of reaction to it. We do it cause we love it. We just have it in us and we want to do it and, hopefully, we'll get to the next level. Not giving up is a big part of it. "At this point we're just your average guys who've taken music seriously and pushing the band thing as far as we can and hoping something breaks," he said. The Hollow takes its name from a section of town the bandmates remember their parents warning them about while growing up. "Our drummer came up with it years ago," Babula said. "There was a section of Morristown that was not supposed to be such a great area and his parents used to say 'Don't go near the Hollow!' Well, we're bringing back The Hollow one way or another. We just thought, 'It was a catchy name. We're from here. Let's go with it.'" For more information about the band and their upcoming shows, visit http://www.thehollowband.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/#!/thehollowband Morristown Patch (click here to view article)

The Hollow Wins NYC Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands!

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:05:00 GMT

We are SUPER EXCITED to announce we won the NYC regional finals for the Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands!!! We are now moving on to the next round of judging for the region. Four Bands total will make it to London this summer to play the Hard Rock Calling festival... stay tuned for more details and THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support us... we couldn't have won with you!