A Case of Vertigo
Knoxville alt-rock band plays Boone May 21

By Frank Ruggiero

Vertigo will descend on the DragonFly Theater and Pub Thursday, May 21, when the Knoxville, Tenn. based quartet brings its experimental and alternative brand of rock to Boone.

Featuring Lindsey Stamey on vocals, Joel Rudnick on guitar, Justin Stamey on drums and Nate Engels on bass, Vertigo will perform in Boone on the cusp of their sophomore album’s July 28 release, The Coming and the Going.

Their first album, And Miles to Go Before We Sleep was released in 2005, establishing Vertigo as a group that “marries alt/pop lyricism and well-grounded composition with yearning themes and experimental musicianship,” according to their bio, “connecting with audiences in electric, deeply personal live performances.”

Lindsey Stamey’s vocals, described as dark and sensual, complement the band’s experimental aura, a sound both identifiable and ethereal. Coupled with a steady bass, solid guitar and relentless drum work, the result is a sound that’s almost mystical in its intensity.

“Vertigo has been described as ‘darkly sexual,’ perhaps because it trades in desire, risk-taking and unblinking confession, or maybe because of the thrilling sensuality at its core,” the bio reads. “Voice and instrumentation give a respectful nod to the late-punk CBGB romantics of the 1980s, as well as to grungier 1990s realism, but these are merely a springboard for Vertigo’s velvet mysticism, ‘sharp eyes, and keen writing,’ which propel (the band) through this decade and into the next.”

Rudnick and Justin Stamey began playing music together in 2001, later joined by Stamey’s sister, Lindsey, and then Engels. They claim that by embracing the metaphysical, their music might be at odds with modern-day production, “but the brooding honesty finds a home in the hearts of thousands of fans, whose attendance at several hundred performances has testified to the band’s lasting impact and power.”

Vertigo will perform Thursday, May 21, at 10 p.m. at the DragonFly Theater and Pub, located at 215 Boone Heights Drive. Admission is $5 for people 21 and over, and $7 for those under 21.

For more information on Vertigo, visit www.myspace.com/listentovertigo.

Also at the DragonFly

Ascella Vega and The Native Sway will perform Friday, May 15, at 10 p.m. Admission is $5.

On Saturday, May 23, Bombadil and Do It To Julia will perform at 10 p.m. Admission is $5.

For more information on the DragonFly and upcoming performances and movies, visit www.dragonflytheater.com on the Web.