HINDER “INDESTRUCTIBLE” IN YORKTON!!!!

HINDER – an Oklahoma City powerhouse full of hardrock heat, risqué rhythm, & tantalizing stage swagger who have cemented their trademark throughout the mainstream charts since a 2001 inception. A band for which the girls scream, & the young men dare to personify…living a true-life story of what rock‘n’roll imagery is based on. Thirteen radio singles, eight of them hitting the “TOP 20”…a triple-platinum DEBUT album…worldwide commercial success – so what are they doing in Yorkton, Saskatchewan on a hot, muggy Monday night…a small farming city that can barely burst a population of 20,000? The answer is simple, & all comes down to ONE MAN…who’s pushing the envelope of a music scene that’s been parked well within a rut for quite some time. He sees opportunity for acts to play SOLD OUT shows, which is far more flattering than playing half-empty arenas…& let’s face it, the “LIVE MUSIC ROAD” has been heading down a dire path for the last decade. He also gives local talent a chance to not only impress the prairie minions who love them, but also the mentor rockers that they admire…& this man’s name is Skilly Sciliberto – the owner of “Indestructible Entertainment”.

It was two months in the making, & many residents didn’t believe that he could pull it off, Hinder being the graduated success that they are. Never underestimate a young, enthusiastic entrepreneur that has worked with a multitude of bands (600+) & has a strong rapport amongst the rockers for always “getting the job done”. There’s still the nerve-racking possibility that the tour entourage could show up & the venue not be suitable to their needs, or THOUSANDS of extra dollars having to be sunk into gear just to meet a mega-act’s standards. But, everything went off without a hitch…timely, concise, organized…“BIG ROCK GRANDEUR” with intimate, smalltown hospitality. Sponsored by FOX FM & Booster Juice, along with a number of other local business supporters, the show was well-advertised in advance & helped to bring in some of the largest numbers during Hinder’s western Canadian dates. When questioned what the priority skill is that every promoter should have – Sciliberto tells me, “Marketing…& it’s not something everybody does right.” With no formal education in this background, the down-to-earth music lover shows that homework serves a purpose & getting to know the fan demographic is crucial for any ounce of success. “You can’t just book in acts that YOU like…or you’re done!” he says. His internal radar is constantly scanning the worldwide charts, as well as independent bands that are making waves in the underground pool. Openers for this particular event were ground-breaking “VERSUS THE NOTHING” – sprouting roots from Vancouver, BC…with a novice rock act from Saskatoon (Wild Uprising) who had recently celebrated some local competition victories.

If it’s not enough that his booking reaches into Brandon & Portage La Prairie (Manitoba), plus Chatham (Ontario) & numerous places in between, Skilly also writes for the Yorkton paper & hosts/produces a weekly entertainment show called “Sound Off” on ACCESS 7. Monday’s performance (for all three acts) was captured on live video & would be aired on an upcoming community episode, which leads to just how ROBUST the line-up was. Wild Uprising played a newcomer stage game, streaming through a half-hour of unknowns & covering Doucette’s “Mama Let Him Play”…the girls mooning over a well-ripped, shirtless Brendon Lenkart. They definitely have a vision for their rock‘n’roll journey & bleed some grinding Slash-esque guitarwork to heighten their beginner aesthetics. VERSUS THE NOTHING revved into overdrive, immediately upon entering the arena, surprising onlookers who didn’t know much about them or just how ENERGETIC their presence could be. In a frenzy of beachballs firing between stage & audience, like an over-worked pinball machine, stood a five-man piece who want REACTION…& know just how to GET IT – marking painkiller screams, prismatic melody, & enough intense ambition to make every high-selling rock band nervous. VTN had played a showcase in Yorkton, earlier in July, summoning a ruthless set of diehards to line the front of the stage…& (might I add) with JUST CAUSE. Supporting a new EP “Black Gloves”, the BC group showed tight dexterity through a veracious alternative pursuit – frontman, Ross Archibald, hurdling into the pit three-quarters through the set…proving that he is more than just a vocal SONIC BOOM.

As eardrums settled from the thwack of VTN, smoke & a red “illuminated” glow began to circle the stage, & five dark silhouettes emerged for what would be the ultimate “BAD BOY” experience. HINDER’S sound teeters on the brink of Aerosmith meets Motley Crue, with southern-blues infusion, power-chorded anthems, & cliché overtones belting the ultimate “party vibe”. Austin Winkler tore open with sinful grins & passionate, raspy flares leading the band through a barrage of pounding singles from new album, ALL AMERICAN NIGHTMARE. Leaning more towards crunchy, cut-throat rock…Winkler & his team impressed – bringing MORE HEAT to the stage than was already sweltering the building…boasting shrewd solos & never-ending blasts from founding drummer, Cody Hanson. Use Me, All American Nightmare, Better Than Me, What Ya Gonna Do, Hey Ho, Lips of an Angel, & Room 21 were ALL on the quality setlist…along with a shrill closeout of Put That Record On & Get Stoned. The glam-rock excursion soared into the night with scintillating execution & cocky exhibition, which could (for future’s sake) steer a little further away from the likes of Buckcherry. But if Hinder are attempting to REVIVE the splendor of rock‘n’roll, they definitely deliver a rich formula contrived from snippets of lifelong influence & an honest drive for doing what they love.

There are promises of more great shows for Yorkton & the surrounding area…Sciliberto assures me of that, “It’s really only just begun for us…& although Hinder wasn’t a complete sell-out, I’m still very pleased with the results. We were close. I think the band was pleased too, & that’s very important for a promoter…& for the future of booking larger acts in the area.” A recent partnership between Indestructible Entertainment & Shameless Promotions (collaboratively named SIN Agency) will now allow both entities to merge their experience & expand horizons into radio-tracking, music publicity, even artist management while forging highly-recognized acts with THE BEST of the unknowns. In an over-saturated market, it’s challenging to keep ANY BAND touring as much as they’d like…especially as more groups (including major label ones) are having to steer towards smaller club events. It leaves less room for the striving independent (that can’t make the bigger draw) & is not entirely fair in Sciliberto’s eyes, “Smaller acts need somewhere to play too, & we intend on providing this service as best we can…hopefully giving them even better opportunities along the way.” For now, the stage lights come down & Hinder heads back to Oklahoma…while Canada waits for more “Indestructible Entertainment” to hit their scene.