The Expendables wrapped up their Winter Blackout tour this Sunday night at Downtown Brew with another sold out show. The evening completed a seven-week tour and was their third show in San Luis Obispo in the past five nights.
The band, made up of guitarist and lead singer Geoff Weers, lead guitarist Raul Bianchi, bass and vocalist Ryan DeMars and drummer Adam Patterson, has been making music together for roughly 10 years. Their music is inspired by a range of genres, from metal to reggae.
Bianchi has a sense of humor when talking about his band’s history.
“We’ve known each other for years, unfortunately,” Bianchi said as the band laughed. “We went to elementary school and junior high together. We started out just jamming for some of our friends.”
The Expendables left San Luis Obispo Thursday night after playing back-to-back shows. They played San Francisco’s Fillmore on Friday and the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles on Saturday. Over the past few weeks they have played shows from Anaheim, CA to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Weers said touring’s fun but difficult at the same time.
“It’s not meant for everyone; not everyone can play shows 46 out of 50 nights out on tour without wanting to cry and run home,” Weers said.
They booked their first headlining show by selling tickets to their friends at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz.
“I think Downtown Brew is the first venue outside of the Catalyst that we ever sold out,” Bianchi said.
They’ve been promoting their upcoming album, “Prove It,” which features the use of vintage equipment.
Even with all the experience in the studio, Weers said the band still prefers going out on tour.
“I’d rather be on tour, personally. Recording’s more stressful,” he said.
The band plans on enjoying the next few weeks at home relaxing.
“All the bands on this tour are really tight friends,” Patterson said. “Everyone has gotten along almost like a family. I’m glad to get home, but its kind of sad to leave everyone at the end of a tour.”
Weers agreed, saying that it’s hard to go home after a long tour.
“Even though we’ve been cramped together for the past three weeks, we probably won’t even go a week without seeing each other once we get home,” Weers said.
The Expendables are no stranger to San Luis Obispo. Last year they played a free surprise show at Cal Poly and a sold out show at the Veteran’s Hall.
“We had a backyard show here on Carpenter Street a few years back called SLO-Stock. It was probably one of the most awesome backyard parties we’ve ever done,” Weers said.
The Expendables performed alongside Iration, Passafire and Pour Habit, a punk band from Compton, Calif.
“I like having guys like that on tour with us,” Weers says. “It’s not just white guys playing reggae rock.”
One of their fans, Richard Easton came to see all of the bands play. He said it makes it a lot easier to go to shows when he likes all of the bands playing.
Concert-goer Amanda Frost found out about The Expendables through friends.
“I’ve mostly downloaded their music online and from friends,” she said. “If I could buy all the CDs I wanted, I would.”
The band is aiming for an April 20 release date for “Prove It.”