Rock group to finally headline its first tour
By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

If you thought the joke was on you while waiting for the Punchline to be delivered as headliners, guess again.

Always the bridesmaid but never the bride, this group of punk-pop-rockers from Pittsburgh is finally walking down the concert trail as the main attraction as they embark on their first headlining tour of the United States, "The Now or Never Tour," which stops in Des Moines at the House of Bricks on Thursday.

Since their formation in 1997, Punchline has built a solid grassroots following through rigorous touring, playing more than 200 shows each year and opening for nearly every major band in their genre, including Catch 22, Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, Coheed and Cambria and Sum 41. And after having established a reputation as one of the hardest-working bands, singer-guitarist Steve Soboslai says Punchline is getting the last laugh and having fun with its headlining status.

"It's a big change for us," the 24-year-old musician says. "The cool thing about headlining your own tour is you can do the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't when you were a supporting act because someone else was in charge. So we're going with the flow, treating everyone equally and trying to have as much fun as possible."

Having fun includes hanging out with your friends, Soboslai says, which is why Punchline handpicked bands like This Day and Age, June and Jupiter Surprise to join them on the road. "The difference between a good tour and a bad tour isn't necessarily how many people show up as it is how well the bands get to know each other by the end of the tour," Soboslai says. "We want the shows to be more personal for everyone and the bands we chose, they're good people as much as they're good musicians."

They're also partners in crime when it comes to doing quirky things. Last week, for example, all the bands on tour proclaimed one of their shows to be "red shirt day," and posted messages on their Web sites asking fans to wear red. "It sounds stupid, but it was quite fun," Soboslai says. "It's the little things that bring us together."

Uniting people through music has long been a goal of the band, which was formed by four high school friends, Soboslai says. "We like making people laugh, have a good time and break down barriers so it's not like a high school dance," he says.

But the members of Punchline - Soboslai, singer-bassist Chris Fafalios, drummer PJ Caruso and newcomer singer-guitarist Greg Wood - also share an affinity for compact, crunchy, hook-filled rock tunes as evidenced on their latest album, "Action." On record and live, their interplay is so tight they not only feature three-part harmonies, but often switch vocal leads in mid-verse. "It takes a lot of practice," Soboslai says. "But we've been doing it for years."

Later this year, Punchline will enter the studio to record their third album for Fueled by Ramen Records, which is also home to their heroes Less Than Jake, The Academy Is... and Fall Out Boy. "It's a wonderful record label made up of wonderful people," Soboslai says. The group has already written more than 20 songs for the album and will try them out on audiences this summer. A few weeks ago, the group posted a new song on its Web site, "Pretty Petty," to introduce fans to their newest member, Wood. "We wanted to give listeners a taste of the new lineup," Soboslai says. "Not that it's that much different than before."
That trademark sound, Soboslai says, has allowed Punchline to build a fan base around the country, including cities like Des Moines, where the group has played twice before as openers.

"Des Moines is one of our favorite cities to play," Soboslai says. "It seems like a place where not a lot of bands come through so when they do they get excited. We always have a great time there and we're looking forward to having more time onstage this time around." CV

Part 2 (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rides again)

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