The Cab catches a lucky break

Every high school band dreams of getting picked up and mentored by its favorite band and… Every high school band dreams of getting picked up and mentored by its favorite band and skyrocketing up Billboard’s new artist chart. But for Las Vegas-based band The Cab, it wasn’t just a dream ‘mdash; it was a reality. When lead vocalist Alex DeLeon and bass player Cash Colligan founded The Cab, they put high school drama on hold and made the decision to record their music. Drum player Alex Johnson assisted in the recording. Then the group began playing shows at Rock N Java, where Colligan worked. ‘I asked when I could have nights off and was told when we would play shows,’ said Colligan. Guitarist and backup vocalist Ian Crawford also joined the group, along with pianist and vocalist Alex Marshall. Following their debut, the performances spread from their home base to other venues. But The Cab really caught its lucky break when a band member from Panic! At the Disco discovered it and directed it toward a record label. ‘We happened to run into them after ‘I’ll Run’ was released,’ said Colligan, recalling The Cab’s popular hit song and meeting another rock star band. ‘It’s kind of a crazy experience. Everyone thought we were friends before then, but they were just supportive and saw the potential behind our music.’ The rumors could have started when the two bands performed together during the Rock Band Live concert tour. ‘It was just wild. I’m glad they invited us to be a part of Rock Band,’ said Colligan. While incorrect in timing, the rumors do hold some merit to the present friendship held by Panic! At The Disco and The Cab. ‘They’ve become great friends of ours,’ said Colligan of Panic! At The Disco. ‘There’s nothing to gain other than friendships and where we go now.’ Naturally, the Internet assisted The Cab, in addition to fellow performers. The Cab’s decorative MySpace page, currently advertising its tour, hosts 105,494 friends to spread the word and share music ‘mdash; or, in a very rare moment, offer criticism. Colligan, however, hadn’t seen the latter become a problem. ‘Whether there’s good or bad publicity, that’s still getting your name out,’ said Colligan. ‘There’s a lot of people who can’t make it to our shows. There’s still kids secluded in their rooms clicking on MySpace all day long, and that’s the best way to get your name out there.’ MySpace hosts samples from The Cab’s musical collection, and each song varies in terms of instrumental uses and vocal intensity. The Cab’s music is known by many names, including fusion (the merging of jazz with other styles of music) and alternative indie. The band has its own label for its productions. ‘The genre is called R’amp;B-mo,’ said Colligan. R’amp;B and emo combined equals R’amp;B-mo. ‘I believe all five of us with our different musical backgrounds add something to this band that allows us to compose music and not just noise,’ said Colligan. Where some bands have to dedicate a year to recording a CD, The Cab has a speedier approach. ‘It took us about five, six weeks to record our album [Whisper War], plus pre-production and writing. I guess for each band it depends on time limit and budgeting and all that good stuff,’ said Colligan. Songwriting is a team effort as well. ‘Everyone contributes. It’s basically whoever writes a demo and presents it to the band. If we see it as worthy of continuing, we pursue it,’ said Colligan. The songwriting process does not discriminate against instruments, either. The Cab does not allow certain instruments to dominate. ‘I think certain parts of different songs different instruments stand out. I think everyone stands out,’ said Colligan. And standing out is precisely what The Cab has done. ‘We’re kinda riding it out,’ said Colligan of their experiences in the music business. ‘I think in this business you have to stand out in some way to progress to other things that are out there. I think we found a way to move forward.’