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Interview: AWOLNATION Gets "Ridiculously Epic" At The Fillmore Philly

By Michael Cerio

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Even the dressing rooms backstage at The Fillmore Philly are sparkling new and pristine. Fresh leather couches and framed concert art shines as AWOLNATION singer Aaron Bruno signs posters on a coffee table several steps above IKEA.

Just one month ago Live Nation took the wraps off this multi-million dollar spot in Fishtown and an AWOLNATION show might be just what it needs to start building a legend of scrapes and scars on its immaculate surface. Hours before Aaron Bruno sits back in the flawless dressing room and ponders the possibilities.

"It really kind of depends on what's in the air" says Bruno. "Depending on if the crowd feels like getting ridiculously epic."

"I know what it's like to go to shows and jump around, crowd surf, stage dive, get in the pit...when I was younger.  As I'm getting older I don't recover as I once did. So when you look into our crowd you'll see a little bit of you, a little bit of me, a little of our parents - kind of everyone all together. You never know who's gonna be the first to really set it off and cause physical fun"

That night there would be "physical fun" as Bruno and friends ripped through an aggressive set of their genre-defying electronic hip hop charged rock bangers that AWOLNATION has built a following on. Bodies crossed the crowd as the light show was working overtime and Bruno careened across the stage. Earlier back on the couch, Bruno explained the virtues of everyone losing control.

"Really the best shows to me is when I can look out and see a sea of people going nuts" he laughs. "And the really important part of that is that there's less attention on me and the spectacle becomes the pit. Everyone's like 'oh my god look what's going on down here', so I can just say anything. I can **** off and just go mess around on the side of the stage."

It's been a big year for Bruno, the man who is AWOLNATION. Their second album Run was released just in time to be a major draw at festivals around the country, and their song "I Am" soundtracks the World Of Red Bull commercial that you see everywhere. That part isn't by accident, the band is a part of Red Bull Records. It was the energy drink maker and giver of wings that let Bruno try out their state-of-the-art studios for sessions that would lead to the birth of AWOLNATION and a new musical partnership.

"Red Bull Records is very separated from Red Bull that brand" explains Bruno. "You have to imagine you have this main bloodline, then you have some adopted children and maybe a third cousin down the hallway. It's kind of like that."

"The brand, Red Bull as a brand, they don't even need us. I think it's just for them to be involved in music. The President is just passionate about music so he has a label as well."

Later that night a group of people equally passionate about Bruno and his music would press together inside the newly opened venue. The crowd does vary in age but not much in intensity. Two albums of anthems has led to some rabid fans - singing along and tattooing lyrics on their bodies.

"The trippy thing is when people ask me to write lyrics on their body that they're going to get tattooed tomorrow. That happens all the time" Bruno explained earlier. "That's the ultimate pressure because I'm responsible not only for the words but the look of this tattoo."

Thankfully his mom and sister are both teachers so his cursive is in practice.

Hours before the show Bruno reminisces about his time growing up and going to shows, screaming along to every word at hardcore and punk rock shows in California. He would drive three hours to see bands, even work his way in as a unofficial roadie with the band Strife as a teenager, handing out flyers before promotion was just a tweet away. "The band Strife, whenever they played we would go, we would drive hours and hours" he says intently.

Their choice for Strife to scream it rather than sing it gave Bruno hope and set him on the path.

"I'm like, I'm not sure I'm a singer but I probably can scream. So therefore I got a home in this as a frontman" laughs Bruno. "Singing and hitting notes and melody was terrifying to me. So yeah, it was a cool thing."

Bruno would continue to scream, but also learned to sing somewhere along on the way. Both were on display in ridiculously epic fashion that night at The Fillmore Philly.

To hear more from Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION check out the full interview below.

 

Interview: AWOLNATION Gets

 

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