Greenwheel Militia: Active Duty tour: Returns To the Road Debuting New Songs

ST. CHARLES, MO– Gearing up for the next stage (literally and figuratively) in their career as a band, melodic rockers GREENWHEEL have been hitting the pavement, playing for fans across country on their Greenwheel Militia: Active Duty Tour, debuting a whole new batch of songs, as well as performing tracks from their 2002 Island Def Jam debut Soma Holiday.

After going through what most bands consider to be the end of the line, alt-rockers GREENWHEEL look back at their parting of ways with major label Island Def Jam as a great turning point for the band. “When it first happened it kind of broke our spirits,” Ryan Jordan, lead vocals said. “But it is kind of what we wanted because we felt really vulnerable there with the management change.”

Greenwheel's desire is to be a long-term band that balances massive appeal with depth. I mean, f*ck the bullsh*t, how many bands can do that? As a matter of fact, how many can do it on their first record? ... one hell of an LP. Grade: A - The Aquarian.

These lads from St. Louis seem poised to grab their piece of the modern rock pie with this ambitious debut. Guitarists Andrew Dwiggins and Marc Wanninger deliver the radio-friendly goods with big riffs, cool counterpoint lines, and sparkly clean tones, and they mix them up enough to give the tunes a nice sense of dynamics and movement … an impressive first effort. - Guitar Player.

Big guitars, big choruses and big themes (from coming of age to just plain aging) collide to marvelous effect. Look out - it won't be long before they're coming from your radio. - MeanStreet.

These twenty-somethings take bits and pieces from the likes of Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots to craft exactly the kind of massive guitar songs that just may infuse new life into mainstream rock - a genre desperately trying to regain its identity these days. Warning: If you plan to read along with the lyrics, prepare to be blown away. - Sea of Tranquility.

Armed with a host of new songs, from the bombastically anthemic "Know It All" that recalls U2 and Coldplay, to the anti-agitpop politicos of "Devil" to the itchin'-for-smash-single-status of "Don't Tempt Me (Trigger)" with echoes of early REM with a very distinctive Greenwheel stamp, the evolution of their music has grown by leaps and bounds. Their Island Records debut Soma Holiday hinted at a hidden power and major songwriting talent that largely remained untapped... until now. “What we are about is the song,” explained guitarist Andrew Dwiggins. “If people are listening to our music years from now, they're not going to remember how cool our clothes are or how trendy our ‘sound’ is. We strive to put quality and soul into the music, so that people reach an emotional connection. Emotional music, regardless of artist or genre, is the standard by which we judge what we do.” Soma Holiday spawned two hit singles, "Shelter" which made strides on alt-rock and active rock radio, and "Breathe", which, although didn't quite make a big splash in their version, became a huge comeback cover for Melissa Etheridge, garnering her Grammy nod in 2004. “At first we were a little upset,” Jordan said. “We had no idea she was covering the song until is was a done deal. But we were honored and flattered to have someone of that respectability to want to cover our song.”

Currently on the road for an East Coast to the Southwest and back to MIssouri swing around for the first time since parting ways with Island, Greenwheel are determined to keep playing music, keep writing music and doing it for the fans. “We feel unworthy of how dedicated our fans are,” Dwiggins said. “They inspire us with their loyalty and enthusiasm. There's no better feeling to know that something you did inspired someone to drive hours in their car to come see you sweat onstage.”

Visit: Greenwheel on the web.

Greenwheel Militia : Active Duty Tour:

08/10 Columbus, OH The Basement
08/11 Cleveland, OH The HiFi
08/12 Bowling Green, OH Howard's Club H
08/13 Cincinnati, OH Mad Frog
09/07 Denton, TX Andy's
09/08 Austin, TX The Red Eyed Fly
09/09 Dallas, TX Curtain Club
09/10 Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown Live
09/11 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
09/13 Lawrence, KS The Granada
09/14 Warrensburgh, MO The Setlist
09/15 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
09/16 St. Louis, MO Cicero's
09/21 Madison, WI The Annex