‘Three Weeks’ has high hopes for living the dream
April 11th, 2010 Posted in Arts and LifeBy Hillary Bowler
RICHMOND—People of all ages chattered and laughed as they filed into the auditorium at Richmond City Hall Friday night. Some were obvious fans, talking about their favorite songs and sporting their Three Weeks t-shirts. Others were new to the band, waiting to be entertained. They weren’t disappointed.
The lights came on, casting 
shadows against a sheet draped across the front of the stage. The only thing the audience could see was the silhouette of the band while they began to play. The sheet dropped and the crowd erupted in cheers. With that, Three Weeks embarked on what they say is one of their best concerts yet.
“They just keep getting better,” lead singer Bryce Wood said of their concerts, “We try to make everything bigger every time.”
Video: Three Weeks intro
Three Weeks is a local rock band made up of singer/guitarist Bryce Wood, 28, his brother and singer/keyboardist Austin Wood, 23, bassist Christian Hathaway, 24, guitarist Joseph Ditton, 17, and drummer Kent Scott. The band has been performing in northern Utah and southern Idaho for about six years. According to their Facebook fan page, their mission is “promoting music that is catchy and easy to listen to with a positive message.” They cite Journey, The Beatles, The Eagles, Kansas, Styx, Johnny Cash, and The Killers as their greatest influences.
Richmond resident Tayler Jensen, a 17-year-old senior at Sky View High School, opened for Three Weeks on Friday night. He had opened for them before when they played in Richmond city’s Black and White Days, and they invited him to play again. Jensen, whose father Brad Jensen is a member of the city council, has been playing the guitar and writing songs for two years. His music has a country style and he named Alan Jackson and family members as his biggest influences. Many friends and family were there to support him and the band members on Friday.
In contrast to Jensen’s two years, Bryce Wood began writing music about 10 years ago. He and his younger brother Austin started writing songs together and ended up forming a band. Bryce said that the band has circulated 15 or more members over the past few years, but he and his brother are the mainstay.
Bryce Wood used to go to school at Utah State University, but his main focus now is the band. Aside from being the lead vocalist, he also works as the band’s general manager, booking agent, and press contact. He’s excited about the fact that the band has an album out titled “Alive Again” under the Jay Richards Music label. They have another album written, but need more funding before they can move forward with it. Wood hopes that he and his brother can earn more money as songwriters.
Austin Wood is a student at Utah State University. He thought that the performance went well, commenting on the energy of the crowd. He has been playing the piano since he was six years old. He also played the harmonica and guitar in some of the songs they performed on Friday. When asked whether he is going to pursue a degree or career in music, he said, “I just like writing music. That’s my thing.”
Three Weeks’ current drummer has been playing with them for over a year now. Scott said that he met the Woods because he lived in the basement apartment of the same house they were renting an apartment in at the time. He approached them, offering to be “a plan B guy” if they needed a drummer, and it turned out that they did. Scott graduated from college with a degree in graphic design. He designed the band’s logo and also designs many of their posters.
The band met Hathaway through a family friend. He joked that they picked him because of his accent. Originally from England, Hathaway is currently a student at Utah State University. He was happy about the opportunity to join a band, stating that hadn’t played in a while and it been a few years since he’d been in any band. He joined in July, and laughed about how unfamiliar some of the songs still are to him. “I just jam every song and go with it,” Hathaway said.
The latest addition to the band is Joseph Ditton. Ditton met Bryce Wood when they were in a play together, and Bryce invited him to do sound as part of the band’s tech crew. “He liked my guitar playing skills,” Ditton said, and he was recently invited to join the band. Friday night was his second show with them.
The band members of Three Weeks pride themselves in creating a show that is also visually exciting. They produced a fun light show involving lasers, various light effects, black lights, and even glow in the dark paint. One toddler in the crowd, there with his whole family, gasped and squealed in delight as he reached for the colorful display on the ceiling.
The band came out to the front foyer of the building, taking pictures with and signing autographs for fans. High school students, college students, children, and parents all complimented the band members on their performance.
After the excitement finally died down, only the band and crew remained in the building, packing up and joking around after a successful concert. Bryce and other band members discussed difficulties, changes, and fun as the band grows. “It’s a marriage, really,” Bryce said.
Bryce spoke of the band’s changing sound, and how it has matured. He describes it as moving from a 1960s, mellow sound to a more exciting, 70s/80s sound with more influence from The Killers.
Scott said that the band used to sound like a small town road show group, but they’re starting to sound like “real rock and roll band.”
Hathaway commented that he wants to spice things up and give the band a harder rock sound.
All band members intend to stick around for a while as the band’s popularity grows. They have played in venues all over the USU campus, once opened for the band Little Texas in Idaho, and even participated in the Temple Square concert series over the summer.
“Word of mouth works better than anything,” Scott said of getting the band’s name out of there.
Bryce has high hopes for the future, often saying he’s living the dream. “I’d love to go big if we had the chance.”
NW
Tags: local, rock band, Three Weeks, USU
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