Young rockers to play free concert Saturday
The young rock band This is the World will give a free concert Saturday to help celebrate the release of its self-titled CD.
Members of the band are Austin Zarnick, Jesse Ort and Jason Brahler. All three are students in the South Butler School District. Austin is going into ninth grade next year and Jesse and Jason will be in 10th grade, according to band manager (and proud dad) Sean Zarnick.
Jesse is the lead guitarist and singer, Austin plays the bass guitar, and Jason plays the drums. Both Jesse and Jason write the songs.
The concert will go on, weather permitting, from 4 p.m. until dusk on a large outdoor stage Zarnick built at their home at 515 Great Belt Road. It's a natural amphitheater, he said.
The band started about two years ago in the basement of their home, Zarnick said.
Austin started playing the upright bass about five years ago and a year later he started taking electric bass lessons, his dad said.
“It went fairly easy for him, the reading notes,” Zarnick said. “He can play songs they made for the band on the upright bass too.”
Jason, the drummer, writes a few songs, but most of the songs are written by the lead singer, Jesse, Zarnick said.
“Jesse is the all-around, probably the most gifted, in regards to music,” Zarnick said. “He can pick up anything and find the rhythm. He tells the others what he wants to hear, the tempo.”
All 10 songs on the CD are original, with musical influences including Queen, Kiss, Billy Joel and Led Zeppelin. They also cover songs by artists such as Bob Seger, Collective Soul, the Cranberries and Bad Company.
Zarnick said his favorite song from the CD is “What's the Point of Being Nice.” He said it's a catchy song with a great rhythm that tells the story of a breakup.
Opening for the show on Saturday will be 16-year-old vocalist Miranda Brandon.
Since the band's professed main goal for 2018 is playing as many events as possible to build a larger following, the young group has more appearances scheduled.
The day after their CD celebration concert, the trio will be performing at the Pine Grove Community Center at 549 Barkeyville Road in Grove City. Multiple bands are scheduled to perform starting at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The band also will take part in the Deutschtown Music Festival, a free indoor and outdoor event on the North Side of Pittsburgh. This is the World is scheduled to play at 3 p.m. July 14 on the young musicians stage.
CDs will cost $7 at the Saturday concert and are available digitally.
