Charlotte Sun-Herald
July 23, 2004
By Dana Helstrom

Photo by Dana Helstrom

Shades of Gray is more than just a local band. They are stars in the making and easily one of the most popular alternative rock bands in Charlotte County.

Their unique style of music intertwined with their excellent sense of humor always makes for a good show.

With airplay on 99.3 WJBX's (99x) local band time on Sunday nights, and playing many of the hottest spots in the Southwest Florida area - including Gotham Hall in Fort Myers, Strikers Billiards in Bonita Springs, opening for the Nelsons at the Boom Boom Room in Port Charlotte, and just recently gracing the stage at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa - this band has been turning heads for a while.

Jason Brownie, lead singer, admits the band is still a ways away from the level of success they dream of reaching, but is happy with how far they have come.

"Once you get to the point where you can do this and make a living, that is when you know you've accomplished something," Brownie said. "Right now we are on the right track, but we are still far from where we want to be."

Seth, host of 99x's "Local X" has indentified the band's talent, and has spoken many fond words about Shades of Gray on the air.

"Shades of Gray bring elements to their music that seem to have escaped most artists as of late," Seth said. "With exceptional songwriting, catchy hooks, emotional lyrics, and a true understanding of today's music, they are sure to be a driving force in the future of rock. You know it's great music when I have songs written by an unsigned local band stuck in my head for days on end," continued Seth.

The band has been hard in the studio getting their new CD ready for release. Their previous CD, featuring the song "Last Man Standing," was a success with listeners, and the band predicts nothing less for it's future.

"The new EP is much more fun and upbeat than the last," Brownie said. "Also, I think we have grown quite a bit as musicians and songwriters. We've recently hired a manager/booking agent. Her name is Jaime Ogden. This will take a lot of the stress off the band and we can concentrate on writing new songs and playing shows while she handles all of our promotions." Shades of Gray's music appeals to an audience of all ages. From teenagers and college students to senior citizens; Shades of Gray finds a way to get them all to tap their feet and have a good time. There is no such thing as a typical fan, music lovers of all types find them to be a good listen.

The best part about playing to fans like these is, "the feeling you get when your audience is singing along word-for-word the lyrics to the songs you have written," Brownie said.

Melon's Bar & Grill, located at 3626 Tamimi Trail in Port Charlotte, will be featuring Shades of Gray tonight and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. They will also be opening for The Rembrandts on August 21 at the Boom Boom Room in Port Charlotte at 7 p.m. Tickets for the Rembrandts show are now available at The House of Prime.

For more information about Shades of Gray, and schedule updates, log on to www.shadesofgrayband.com.