Tuesday, October 21, 2008

'Sweet Sorrow' Tilt 360 calls it quits

By Katie Libecco

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Tilt 360 bassist Drew Salzano says if they hadn't decided to break up, then they wouldn't still be friends.

Guitarist Jay Miller says they've been talking about going their own ways to each other for some time, but it wasn't until recently they sat down and seriously considered it.

"Musically, it's been great. Personally, it's been a struggle," drummer Heather Jurina says. "We need to focus on our personal lives."

Lead singer Bill Smaltz says, "We all agree this is probably the best thing for us."

While they say they've heard rumors about their break-up being over personalities or drugs, they say the truth is that the issues are time and money. Further, the musicians say they're at peace with their decisions.

"Signed bands are falling apart because of money," Salzano says, as Jurina notes having to cancel Cleveland shows because of a lack of gas money.

"We had our run, we had a great time doing it. We had a great time with our fans. Our fans are important to us," Smaltz says.

The members of Tilt 360 say the best part of their nine years together was the fans.

"We've met some amazing people," Jurina says.

She also says it was a great experience working with Kelly Pavlik, writing the song "Point Blank" (about boxing) with and for him.

Salzano says one the best parts of playing as a band for that period was watching the local music scene evolve with them. The band says the scene is much better off than it was nine years ago, pointing to "good" promoters like 3AP and Web sites such as Valley24.com.

"As we progressed, everything progressed, as well," Salzano says.

Jurina says another great aspect of Tilt 360 was getting the chance to be an influence on younger musicians.

"We're known in our hometown, and that's what matters," she says.

While the band took a break form playing for almost two years at one point, they say Saturday will be their last show.

"There's speculation we'll get back together. This is no hiatus, this is it," Miller says.

Tilt 360 says they all plan to continue in music, but in different capacities. Jurina, 25, and Miller, 24, are looking for musicians to create a new band. Salzano, 29, is playing in She's In Pain and working on side projects with bassist Ben Weir. He's also planning on doing some "home recording," and expects Smaltz to be feature on some tracks.

Smaltz, 32, says he's working with Band of Bands coordinating local shows for charity.

"The music is in you. That doesn't stop...I still want to write. I'll probably record some music when I get time," he says.

The musicians expect to stay friends, and even anticipate bumping into one another at venues, with their new projects booked on the same night.

"As long as there people grow in some way, outside Tilt 360, that's all that matters," Smaltz says.

His own plans include continuing his education at Youngstown State University and training fighters, potentially working with former, and Pavlik's trainer, Jack Loew and working on his own Lion's Den.

Jurina describes the band as a family after playing together for nine years.

"You want everything to be okay for them," Jurina says, describing the band's breaking up as a "sweet sorrow."

Tilt 360's Farewell performance on Saturday includes opening acts Fuzztub and Relic. They say they plan to incorporate music from the entire span of the band's career with "surprises" for fans.

"Saturday isn't a funeral, it's a party," Miller says.

They invite "anyone with a positive Tilt 360 experience to attend," hoping friends and family will be the bulk of the crowd.