By Anne Marie Allocca
Brothers Frank, Thomas and Chris Pomponio, along with Erik Owen and Nick Nassau, formed a band called Deciding Tonight. For almost four years, they have worked extremely hard creating music and trying to carve out a name for themselves here on Long Island.
Now, thanks to their perseverance, indie label Hotfoot Records and a loyal following, the young men are about to embark on their second summer tour. They will have to do it this time without elder brother Frank, who's decided to focus on his family and new home.
So after a final concert this past weekend and a sendoff from his fellow band members and fans at Stinger's in Rockville Centre, the elder Pomponio bid the band farewell. Bill Buffa, a guitarist from Massapequa, will replace him and join the others as they tour the Midwest for two-and-a-half weeks , which began July 26.
Deciding Tonight, or DT as they refer to themselves, will perform in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey before returning home.
The band has close ties to the South Shore. The Pomponio brothers still live in Lynbrook; Nassau calls Woodmere home; and Owen, a former Valley Stream resident, now resides in Oceanside. And they rehearse in a basement in Rockville Centre.
Unlike most local bands that do cover tunes sprinkled with some of their own compositions, DT only performs their own music. "We have never played another band's song live, ever," guitarist Thomas Pomponio said. His brother Chris adds, "I don't think I know another band's song on bass. My biggest fascination with playing guitar when I was 10 was the fact that I could make up stuff. I didn't want to play anyone else's songs. That wasn't fun for me."
DT's style is rock, mixed with a lot of melodic overtones and very melodic singing, said Pomponio. "It's heavy and hard rock and energetic," he said. "It's definitely catchy and has a pop element to it."
After last summer's cross-country tour, the band came home and spent nine months writing and rehearsing. They recorded the album "The Delusionist" and released it on the independent label Hotfoot Records out of Bayside, Queens. The album is available on iTunes, interpunk.com and the Web site RevHQ, which are all linked on DT's myspace.com/decidingtonight.
Drummer Nassau is looking forward to traveling this summer. "I love playing, but after a while doing the same routine for nine or 10 months, I just want to get out and do something different," he said.
Owen has no illusions about fame or fortune. "We're not expecting to be multi-millionaires off this tour," he said. "We just want people to be there to enjoy this with us and enjoy the music we're giving them. We're very confident our live show will make people want to hear more which will then make them purchase our CD. We just want to get ourselves out there, just a receptive ear."
Band members will take to the road in their 15-passenger van with a trailer hitched to the rear holding their equipment. They sleep in the van or camp grounds with an occasional hotel room as a treat if their T-shirt and merchandise sales go well.
Buffa is eager to get his feet wet and experience life on the road. "I'm looking forward to getting out, traveling," he said. "I'm a newbie with the touring thing. I've been playing in a band since I was 15. I've done two or three bands. I had a lot of fun, but it's time to step it up and do something a little more serious with it. Most of us are leaving our jobs behind or putting them on hold for a bit. I'm excited to try something new."
Once the band returns from the summer tour, it'll play in a benefit concert at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, and then rehearse for a September tour on the West Coast. And whatever the future holds DT will be ready. Owen said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Chris Pomponio recalled what people said when he quit his job, wondering what he'd do if he didn't make it. "I said, 'If I don't make it, I already made it.'" Thomas Pomponio couldn't agree more. "We're not chasing the dream, we're living it."
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