Shapiro rocks out at TDU

Popular local band proves they have what it takes to make it big

By Jess Novak, senior writer
Posted on September 27, 2007

Watching Shapiro for the first time is an experience. Between the synchronized head banging, dueling guitar and bass, driving keyboard and guitar player Nathan Granofsky’s incredible and seemingly endless energy on stage, they are a memorable band to see and hear.

The boys of Shapiro, Jeremy Teter, John Granofsky, Nathan Granofsky and Carl Shapiro, just released three new demo songs, “Right and Wrong,” “All Things Around the Sun” and “Ecclesiastes,” all of which are available now on discrevolt.com and shapiropeople.com. They have also been touring the East Coast extensively from New York to Georgia, complete with a stop in Harrisonburg for a show at JMU’s own TDU.

Between performances, the band has also been busy recording with accomplished engineer and producer John Mark Painter, who has experience working with both Death Cab for Cutie and Ben Folds, who Shapiro is commonly compared to thanks to Jeremy’s prominent lead piano.

“I don’t really mind the comparison,” Teter said. “However, overall I don’t think our music sounds similar. People also have to keep in mind that Ben Folds wasn’t the first human being to head a rock band with a piano… Elton John and Billy Joel, anybody?”

Though Shapiro could be compared to any of these artists, its unique sound is not limited to these musicians. The three newest songs are as catchy as any in the past, and may be even more addicting. The passionate pounding of keys, howling lyrics, synthesized additions, upbeat rhythms and Teter’s impressive vocals keep each song interesting and worthy of a replay.

“We just try to be as honest as we can with our music,” Teter said. “I try not to create music based only on what’s trendy at the time. For me, the most important thing is just writing a good song.”

So far, the method has worked.

But there is more to being a successful band than a few popular songs. Shapiro is a multi-faceted group with raw talent, extensive training, an impressive web site, plenty of exposure under their belts and ambition to make it all happen. Both shapiropeople.com and myspace.com/Shapiro showcase how professional the band has become and their proliferation of material on YouTube, some of which was produced by Shapiro’s very own Nathan Granofsky, prove they are serious about getting their name out as much as possible. (The “Guitar Center” clip is a classic.)

When asked how they secured such a large fan base and how other bands could manage to do the same, Carl Shapiro reemphasized the importance of exposure and networking as much as possible.

 “Play as much as you can, meet as many people as you can at each of the shows you play at, make friends and exchange contact information with other musicians,” he said. “That and practice, practice, practice. It’s a lot more fun to watch a band that plays its songs well together.”

Though it may seem surprising to some that quaint, quiet, little Harrisonburg could be home to such a promising group, Shapiro is made up of members who attended EMU, JMU and Bridgewater College while beginning its musical career. It may also come as a surprise that the boys have all grown up together, Nathan and John are brothers and Teter is their cousin. He and Shapiro met in high school and the boys have been playing together ever since.

When asked what their future plans included Teter replied, “Keep rocking and writing music.”

It doesn’t sound like they are stopping anytime soon.