By Alan K. Stout Weekender Editor
astout@theweekender.com

When drummer Rob Hampton, formerly of the Poptart Monkeys, recently asked bassist Ronnie Williams to join his new band, Rise Phoenix Rise, it didn’t take much convincing. Williams - a NEPA music veteran who has played with acts such as Midnight Rain, Bad Hair Day and Shoot The Moon – says all he had to do was hear the voice of lead singer “Gibson” and a few of the band’s songs and he was ready to sign up for the gig.

“He said ‘I have this phenomenal singer from Tennessee, and I want to put this band together and make it a great project,’ ” says Williams, calling from Arkansas while on tour with the group. “When I heard Gibson’s voice, I said ‘It doesn’t sound like anybody else that’s out there.’ The original stuff that they had already done also sounded really good, and I thought it had a lot of promise. I didn’t even really think twice about it. I just jumped right on it. It’s a great, fun band.”

Rise Phoenix Rise was formed in December of 2006. In addition to Williams, “Gibson” and Hampton, the band features “Jarrod” on rhythm guitar and “Bishop” on lead guitar. The group plans to enter the recording studio in April and record its first CD. Some of the tracks, such as “Boxing Josh,” “Dante Maria,” “Kenny Says Ho” and “Mr. Creem Jeans” are up now up on the group’s MySpace page in demo form.

Williams describes the band as “modern-rock,” though the music also carries a punk/pop flare.

“Bishop’s really into old Metallica, metal, and guitar solos,” he says. “He’s a rocking guitar player. Rob’s pretty much into Blink 182 and that type of stuff, and everybody else has different ideas, and they just blend really well together. I think it’s going to create a whole new sound.”

In addition to originals, the band also offers covers of songs by Fallout Boy, Panic At The Disco, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance and Presidents of The United States of America.

“We do pretty much everything, but we try to focus more on the modern stuff, because it’s more of what the original stuff sounds like” says Williams. “We try to stay in that same vein.”

Rise Phoenix Rise has been on the road in recent weeks and still has stops in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana on its schedule. The tour, says Williams, has been a blast.

“We just did 16 days in Key West,” says Williams. “It was supposed to be 14, but they ended up asking us to stay for two more days. We’ve gotten nothing but great compliments from everybody. It’s just been great. These are great guys. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to tour with.”

Any funny tales from the road?

“In Key West, every night we played, there was a wet t-shirt contest,” says Williams. “That was some pretty crazy stuff. ‘Real Wild Girls’ was also there the whole time we were there, which is kind of like a ‘Girls Gone Wild.’ They were down there for spring break. That was probably the craziest thing – stuff like that, every single night.”

And memorable musical moments?

“When we started out, we were limited with our rehearsals, so we just had to pretty much force ourselves to pull it together,” he says. “And we did. After the third night, we realized that if this group of guys can pull this together so quick and easily, it only goes to show what we can do. Everybody’s really good musicians, great vocalists … I seriously think this is it. I think this is the band that’s going to go all the way.”

On Friday, March 30, Williams will come home to his NEPA roots for a show at Brew’s Brothers in Pittston.

“I hope I can get everybody to come out and see why I got involved with this project,” says Williams. “It’s different than anything I have ever done. I can’t wait for people to see what I’m capable of doing when I have the right people surrounding me …

“I’m homesick, too,” he adds with a chuckle. “I really can’t wait to get back.” w

go:

Who: Rise Phoenix Rise

Where: Brews Brothers,

1705 River Street, Pittston

When: Friday, March 30 at 10:30 p.m.

Info: 883.0444

Web: www.myspace.com/rprmusic