By David Craig
Uplifting rock from two different sources will echo off the walls from one stage tonight.
Crinna Hill and EnZign, both local bands, will be playing together at Johhny B”s Comedy Club at 7 p.m.
“They”re two positive bands that don”t bring you down,” said Cindy Stevens, band manager for EnZign. “They don”t depress you to watch.”
Crinna Hill is a family band consisting of five teenagers and their father. They were originally an Irish dancing group that performed at such venues as the 2002 Winter Olympics. The children transitioned to singing almost two years ago.
“Dad likes to write songs and he came up to me one day, and he said, ”Arielle, try this out really fast.”” 17-year-old Arielle Roberts said.
Although she was reluctant she sang the song ? and she and her family have been making music since that time.
While the children have contributed, mother and band manager Connie Roberts said, their father, John, still writes most of the music and lyrics. Much of the final product, however, grows out of the ideas and experiments of the children as they work with the songs, John said.
The five teens, ranging from ages 13 to 17 with two sets of twins, are home schooled, Roberts said, and the family is together most of the time.
“Being with each other practically 24-7 does get on our nerves once in a while,” she said.
Yet even Sophie, the youngest and only teen without a twin, said her brothers and sisters were sometimes fun to be around.
The family looks forward to performing with EnZign, Connie said. She said the two bands match each other well.
They first met last summer at LDS Music Fest, John said.
“We just hit it off with those guys, right off the bat,” he said.
The members of EnZign enjoy the interaction as well, Stevens said.
“People are going to see the two bands together a lot more,” she said.
Wednesday is not their first joint performance. Just prior to Christmas the two bands played together, also at Johnny B”s. In this second, non-holiday performance, Stevens said, the bands hope to attract more students since they will be in town for the event.
College students should enjoy what the bands have to offer, she said.
The five members of EnZign are all songwriters and have played together since last May, Stevens said.
“They”re all super-talented guys,” she said.
Stevens said three of the band members have attended BYU, and a fourth plans to pursue a master”s degree. Additionally, four of the members have gone on LDS missions, she said.
While they have cited a number of bands such as Van Halen and Boston as inspiration, Stevens said, they have a very unique sound.
“They sound like EnZign,” she said.
It is because every member has written songs for the band, she said.
“There”s not just one sound that one songwriter contributes to the band [making] all the songs sound the same,” she said.
They try to provide a good alternative to all the depressing and negative music out there, Stevens said, and to show that you don”t need to go for a hard sound and look to be popular as a band.
“They just leave you feeling really good once you leave their show,” she said.
Both bands intend to continue playing as long as they can, their managers said, and both will be releasing their first albums soon.
The performance at Johnny B”s will have a $5 cover charge and will be appropriate for all ages, Stevens said. She said anyone who brings a friend will also receive a discount on EnZign merchandise. Johnny B”s Comedy Club is located at 177 W 300 S in Provo. More information about the bands and future performances is found on their Web sites, http://www.crinnahill.com and http://www.enzign.com.
