Commends

Although they’ve only been together for a little less than five months, the members of Commends are no strangers to the Northern Virginia music scene.  All the guys have been in other popular local bands before this one; you might know vocalist Anton and bassist “Kansas” from their previous band Evayllia, or guitarists Greg and Carlos from The Summit Burns, or even drummer Ernie from Jema.  Even if you’re just now picking up on the magic that is Commends, it’s pretty obvious that these guys know what they’re doing.  Commends has a unique stylistic recipe - one part melodic riffs, one part soothing ambience and one part hardcore.

While their inspirations and influences vary somewhat significantly, they all “consider [themselves] pretty big ‘music-heads’ and draw inspiration from the music they jam out to.”  They are booking and playing as many local shows as possible right now and although they may sometimes be disappointed by a venue – they’re there to rock and have a good time, whether it’s for 400 people or 4.  However, they have played one show which they consider their favorite so far – The Isaac Shane Fest in Baltimore (well, at least until they play a Syke show).

So while it’s totally obvious that Commends has, and will continue to, take the local HXC scene by storm (they already have more than 20,000 friends on Myspace – hot damn!) you might be wondering what’s in store for them in the near future?  According to the band, “We have some time booked during spring break to record our debut EP with the awesome Taylor Larson (Sky Eats Airplane, Periphery).  So we’re all pumped on that.  But, until then, we’re just going to reel in as many shows as possible and after the EP comes out, hopefully pursue a tour to support it!”

In the meantime, make sure to check out the Commends Myspace and keep your eyes and ears open for a potential Syke/Commends show VERY SOON!

Band Members and some Random Fun Facts:
Greg Chipkin (guitar) – somewhat of a self-proclaimed jerk.
Carlos Dibari (guitar) – really really bad at math.
Anton Kellner (vocals) – has minimalist OCD.
Ernie Slenkovich (drums) – likes to drink Dr. Pepper.
Chris “Kansas” Kanz (bass) – is a semi-pro snowboarder.