Playing Dead
Written by: Cait Elizabeth - July 2019
Edited by: Travis Ryan
Introductions
Playing Dead is probably in the top three on my list of favorite locals I first heard about this year. “Cait you’ve got to check them out, I swear this song gives me goosebumps every time!” one of my most beloved bartenders, John Paul “Spads” Spadafina, insisted on a quiet Wednesday karaoke night at Velvet Lounge. While he could be biased since frontman Sam Hoyos is one of his best friends, first-class grump Spads isn’t known for his compliments. He wasn’t wrong though—I immediately got goosebumps too.
This indie-punk venture was born as a side project in 2004 between Sam (vocals/guitar) and Dave Casale (bass). After some lineup and direction changes, Steven DeJoseph (drums) and Rich Ferrera (guitar/vocals) turned out to be the right pieces to complete the quartet. Their awesome energy blends nicely with catchy hooks and superb writing. It effortlessly hits the sweet spot that lives between “utterly relatable” and “satisfying to sing along to”. Playing Dead has put out plenty of great material during their long career, including albums Home…Wherever That May Be, Transient, December Blue, and The Inevitable. The band recently promised to build on this strong catalog with two upcoming four-song EPs.
“Not Today” is dear to both the band and fans. It is increasingly rare to find someone untouched by substance abuse in a world that often feels doomed and inescapable. “Not Today” plays out the frustrations of loving someone trapped in the addiction net, where logic is nearly useless against a physical and psychological dependency.
Tours and Shows
Though Playing Dead was never particularly drawn towards the tour life, their music has nevertheless taken them across several state lines. They’re more frequently found on stages on Long Island and in NYC. They’ve played bills at The Kingsland, The Bowery Electric, Gold Sounds, The Knitting Factory, Revolution, and The Velvet Lounge (naturally). You can also find Sam behind the mic on the If I Ruled the World Podcast which is an interview series with media figures and Red River Podcast which features LI friends discussing their favorite music and movies.
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Inspirations and Influences
Playing Dead draws inspiration from all genres, and the members prefer not to limit their music with an abundance of rules that govern their sound. Keeping it loose and flexible allows them to use their inspiration at will, wherever it may come from. Their playlists feature artists like The Misfits, Alkaline Trio, Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, Get Up Kids, Social Distortion, Lemonheads, Elliott Smith, Afghan Whigs, The Cure, Superchunk, Pixies, and Minutemen.
“Playing music still gives me the best feeling. It’s something I’ve never fallen out of love with. I can be unbelievably critical of what we do. That’s the flipside. I’d like to shout out the long island music scene that birthed us and inspires us to keep playing cuz there are some amazing songwriters out here. Facts”