Culdera – consisting of Michael Capocelli, Chad Mosson, Jeremy Forsyth, and Jarrod Hoover – will be playing at The National next weekend.

Fresh off the release of their latest CD, Illumination, Chester-based rock band Culdera is continuing to make waves in the Richmond music scene. Next weekend, the group will be headlining at one of Richmond’s newest venues, The National.

“We talked to The National, and they said that they couldn’t believe that we hadn’t played there yet, so they gave us a headlining spot,” says Chad Mosson, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band. “It completely rejuvenated us.”

Formed in 2002 by Mosson and drummer Jeremy Forsyth, Culdera achieved some notoriety in the Richmond scene fairly early, winning 102.1 the X’s 2005 Local Exposure contest, giving them the opportunity to play at the annual Chili Cook-off, opening for Chevelle, Firehouse, Hinder, Seether, Vertical Horizon, Blessed Union of Souls, and Future Leaders of the World.

“It was a great experience; it’s not every day that you get to play in front of 15,000 people,” says Mosson. “The sound system at that concert was great and we got really good treatment.”

Aside from their show at the National next weekend, Culdera also had the opportunity to co-host Y101’s weekly Community Service show, a show that highlights local bands.

“Everything went really well.  It was really cool,” says Jarrod Hoover, lead guitarist.  “We did an acoustic version of one of the songs on the new album and quite a few people called in to show their support of our new album.  It was a lot of fun.”

Despite these successes, the road hasn’t been easy for Culdera. Before obtaining current members Jarrod Hoover on lead guitar and Michael Capocelli on bass two months ago, the band had gone through several member changes.

“We’ve had several people quit for a number of reasons. Jeremy and I were on the verge of just giving up the band and starting a new project or doing solo things, so I put out one last ad on Myspace looking for serious-minded members and had Jarrod and Michael respond,” says Mosson. “Getting them brought morale back up and brought some new life into the band. The music has been coming together faster and is a lot tighter. Hopefully, this will be our last roster.”

Regardless of the past difficulties, members of Culdera feel confident that they finally have a steady, solid lineup.

“I’m looking forward to writing a new album and building on what they have already done,” says Hoover. “The second album was much different from the first; you can really see how this band has evolved musically. It’s a great time for us to come in and take Culdera to the next level.”

For Culdera, their upcoming show at the National is just one step towards their ultimate goal.

“We are going to be trying to play as many shows as possible in a 100-mile radius. With our new album out, we want to play all different kinds of venues and do just different types of things. We want to hit everything,” says Mosson. “We finally have a group that we can take places and have a product that we can really stand behind.”

Culdera will be performing at the National (www.thenationalva.com) on Friday, June 27 at 7 p.m. with Searching for Timothy, Halflit Halo, Stung by Her, and special guests. Tickets can be bought for $10 through the band’s website (www.myspace.com/culdera) or for $13 from the National’s box office.

nderatto@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

© Copyright by Village Publishing

Top of Page                                              Comment on This Article

The Village News office is located at 4607 West Hundred Road Chester
Mailing address is PO Box 2397 Chester, VA 23831
Phone: 751-0421  Fax: 751-9155
Office hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday - Friday call ahead for other hours.
Statement of Journalistic Ethics