By Charissa Che
“So, you want to write about music, huh,” said Eli Thomson as he took a long draw from his cigarette. “Let me give you some advice.”
And suddenly I was William Miller in a scene plucked straight from Almost Famous. What’s weird is that the Everest bassist actually looked like Lester Bangs from the film. When I pointed this out, he laughed it off as if he’d heard it before and then returned his tinted stare towards City Hall Park.
“Don’t ever ask a band who their musical influences are. For one thing, we’re asked that everywhere we go; be more original. And it’s a stupid question. If you asked me what my influences were, I’d say, ‘Everything I’ve listened to, ever.’”
The Los Angeles rockers had just finished performing a brief set at J&R for Record Store Day and were loading their gear into their black touring van to, as lead singer/guitarist Russ Pollard put it, get their “foodage” on. It was barely past noon and since most of the store’s patrons seemed primarily interested in the turntable giveaway downstairs, it seemed that their performance’s turnout probably could have been better.
Despite this, and already having two studio albums under their belt with a third one on the way, the band seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief that they’d gotten it over with: “That was pretty cool,” said Pollard to his mates as he handled a drum set. “Intimidating, but cool.”
The band had performed highlights from their debut LP Ghost Notes, which was released in 2008 under Neil Young’s Vapor Records, and from their sophomore effort, On Approach.
So you might not get a convenient listing of what helped shape Everest’s sound from Thomson, and maybe that’s best, seeing as how difficult it would be to categorize them as well. Their songs alternate from soaring classic rock to funk that’s sure to get you dancing to soul-tugging folk ballads perfect for drinking the night away.
Further confusion may come from learning that they’ve toured with Neil Young—and fellow openers Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco. But go along with the ride, and you might actually come to appreciate that Everest doesn’t want to make music easy,because life isn’t easy.
“If you think about it, the human experience is a cliché,” said Thomson. “We all live it; encounter the same things, but that’s where it ends. The individual experience is your encounter with the world.”







