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Smooth moves for Vespertine Movement
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John Kennelly, left, Owen McCusker, Zach Wilson, Mike “Guzzi” Guzman make up Vespertine Movement.
The naming of Catonsville band Vespertine Movement isn’t exactly an exciting tale.
“We had been playing together for a while and we didn’t exactly have a name,” said vocalist/guitarist John Kennelly. “So Zach and I played around with a dictionary and landed on the word 'vespertine,' which means 'to occur in the evening.’ ”
Creative name or no, the rock-infused jam band Vespertine Movement — which also includes vocalist/guitarist Michael “Guzzi” Guzman, drummer Zach Wilson and bassist Owen McCusker — has had one whirlwind of a ride since coming together a year ago.
The band members, who have been friends since high school, started jamming together at the 8x10’s Open Mic Nights and were asked to come back for the venue’s Five Bands for Five Bucks after impressing the staff. Following those performances, promoted mostly through Facebook and MySpace, VM has landed gigs at Recher Theatre in Towson, the Red House Tavern in Canton and most recently, Sonar in Fells Point.
“It’s definitely been worth every minute,” McCusker said. “I love these guys even after the tough and hectic times. We’ve learned to grow together.”
While they occasionally do covers, most of Vespertine Movement’s material is original; an effort they say is completely collaborative. “Usually one of us will bring one element to the table. Like some lyrics or maybe a riff,” Guzman said. “Then we kind of jam around with it.”
The song “Captain Creevers” is a crowd favorite. “It combines four of our most unique playing styles. For me, it’s bluesy, for Owen it’s funky, for Zach it’s flashy, and for Guzzi it’s just weird and eerie,” Kennelly said.
All four members work and attend college — Wilson and Kennelly at Towson, Guzman at College Park and McCusker at UMBC — but manage to keep the band a priority.
“I still balance school, leisure, and work; but being in Vespertine Movement gets me through. It drives me to get through the week knowing that we will get to jam during the weekend,” Wilson said.
ecampbell@baltimoreexaminer.com
