For Phoenix rock band Year of the Moth, being in a band isn't about getting signed to a label and becoming Nickelback-scale famous. It's all about playing music the group members stand behind, and that's what the band attributes to the support they've felt in the local scene.
"For the first time of all the bands we've played in, we were like, 'Let's play music for ourselves," says vocalist/guitarist Kevin Dye.
The band consists of longtime musicians and has been around since 2007. They released their current album, Transitions, earlier this year and are now being played on KUPD 97.9 FM. They also join a legion of diverse local acts, from Digital Summer to Drunken Immortals, this Friday, November 20 at Venue of Scottsdale for a huge show benefiting www.allweask.org, which promotes cancer and AIDS nonprofit Absolute Philanthropy.
Year of the Moth will be playing a mix of old and new material during their set. Dye says the new writing is darker, heavier and a little jam-mier than their old stuff, and the band plans to release the album and a video for the song, "Race" in the spring.
As for being one of the few pure rock bands on Friday's bill, Dye says the band welcomes the chance to play with quality local bands, regardless of genre.
"If we just played with the same band that sounds like us, we would never get out of our comfort zone," Dye says. "You're going to get a really wide scope of Phoenix musicians at the show."
And rumor has it rapper DMX might make an appearance at the show, too. For more info, log on to www.yearofthemoth.com.
