Pep grad and his buds climb to stardom one gig at a time.
By Peter Celauro
A&E Editor
To the average Pepperdine student, the Malibu Inn is just another place to spend a Thursday night or grab a sandwich.
To Elysium, it’s the next stop on the way to rock super-stardom.
The four-piece band, based out of the San Bernardino area, is scheduled to play at the Inn Tuesday night, at the Whisky A Go-Go Oct. 21 and at Pepperdine later this semester. For drummer Randy Jordan, these gigs will be more than just a small tour; they’ll be a return to his old stomping grounds.
Jordan, who is the son of Pepperdine communication professor Dr. Michael Jordan, graduated from the University in 2000. At the time Elysium had not yet formed, and Jordan had been playing drums for the worship team at Malibu Presbyterian Church’s University Ministries for three years. Soon after graduation, he began playing music with David Mancha, a long-time friend and graduate of Cal State San Bernardino.
“(Jordan) and I are old friends from high school,” Mancha said. “We’ve known each other 10 years, but the band as we know it got going about two years ago.”
For awhile, the two friends just jammed together when they could. Then, like most great bands, the duo went through a series of lead guitarists and bassists before the roles were permanently filled. Rob Kauffman and Casey Miller took the spots, respectively.
Soon after, the group found a name: Elysium, which Greek mythology defines as the abode of the blessed after death, and is commonly defined as a place of exquisite happiness.
“The title refers to the fact that, as people of faith, we live with the hope of someday being in a better place,” Jordan said. “Even though we have the hope now, we’re just not there yet. But this life isn’t the end, this isn’t all we’re going to know.
“It’s about hope,” he added. “Knowing that there’s something to look forward to.”
This optimistic outlook is typical of today’s Christian bands, but Jordan and Mancha say that’s not what Elysium is; they’re just Christians who happen to be in a band. But whatever label you slap on their group, their Christian influence is apparent in the lyrics of the songs.
“I think it just comes out naturally,” Mancha said of the religious themes in Elysium’s tunes. “We’re all Christians, and God is in us. It’s bound to show through.”
After years of songwriting (all four members play a role in the process), the band decided they had enough material to put together a CD. A digital 8-track recorder and a few weeks’ work later, the band had “Byways,” their first record.
“It’s not a professional studio record, we kind of had our own recording thing,” Mancha said of the production of “Byways.” “We recorded one part at a time — drums, then bass, then guitars, then vocals. It wasn’t technically difficult, but we were learning as we went.
Though the production techniques were modest, the response certainly hasn’t been. Elysium has gotten rave reviews from most of the small bars and clubs they’ve played in thus far. They also received an invitation to play a show at the Whisky A Go-Go, which is considered a compliment in and of itself. Such famous acts as the Doors and Guns & Roses got their starts at the L.A. landmark club, and to take the stage there, some say, is to be a part of rock history.
The band members take the opportunities to mean one thing: they’re getting closer and closer to their dreams of making a living by playing music.
“We’re looking forward to seeing our songs being recorded in a real studio,” Jordan said. “We have a lot of new songs that we’re writing, and our style is progressing. We’re writing songs together as opposed to individually.”
But writing better songs is only half the battle. For new bands like Elysium, the key to growth can be summed up in one word: exposure. The more people who hear their music, the better chance these four aspiring rockers have to succeed.
So far, they’re on the right track.
September 25, 2003