Don’t expect contortionists or heavy-duty makeup ala Panic at the Disco when you go to the show by The Higher.
But the band, which hails from Panic’s home town of Las Vegas, has more than a few extras to roll out during their latest show, said Jason Centeno, a founding member and the band’s bass player.
“We’ve really mixed all our ideas together and it’s turned out really well,” said Centeno of the band’s latest music. “It’s still rock, it’s still our sound, but it’s better.”
That’s saying something, considering that the band had a shake-up of sorts when founding member Tom Oakes left in February. While that sort of move can set some bands adrift, Centeno said it made The Higher even better than before.
The band’s breakthrough came in 2002 when it played under its former name, “September Star,” and beat out other bands in a VH1 contest for video recording time. The band went on to release two full-length CDs and completed its first-ever UK tour this year, supporting Eliot Minor.
“It’s Only Natural,” the band’s next CD, is slated to come out March 24, and Centeno promises it’s a “bit more fast and furious” than the band’s other albums. Other highlights include some jazzy bass lines and solid choruses. The band played a bit of its new music on The Warped Tour and during other dates, and it was met with kudos from fans, he said. Although Centeno doesn’t mention Oakes, he does praise the new lineup for the tighter, faster sound.
“We have the same idea of what we want our band to sound like, but now we work with it like we want to do,” Centeno said. “Before, there was a tug of war over whose song was better, heads were colliding. Now we’re all about good songwriting and good songs.”
IF YOU GO
Performer: Just Surrender, The Higher, The Morning Of, Some Like It Hot
Where: Fletchers, 701 S. Bond St., Baltimore
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24
Details: $10; www.missiontix.com
