Forget the name -- there's nothing even slightly sinister about Adam Evil and his band, the Outside Royalty. One of eight national finalists in the Zippo Hot Tour, Evil seems like a nice enough guy -- even though he could someday be plotting on a global scale.
When he's not performing, Evil is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh studying international affairs.
"It's got a bit of a double life to it, which is difficult, to be honest, because you have to switch gears," he says. "One moment you have to be dealing with your colleagues on a professional level, then you slip into the shadows and emerge as something else, with a whole different group of people and a whole different set of priorities. Sometimes, it feels like you're moving at 100 mph, then you throw it in reverse."
The Zippo Hot Tour is a contest that features bands from eight cities across the country. The winning band gets to play a showcase for music executives of Island Records, and also will receive an equipment package.
Evil, while serious about his studies, admits that music is his first priority. Given the quality of "Necessary Evil," the band's EP, his emphasis is not misplaced. Evil's sound is a cross between a young, experimental David Bowie and elements of T. Rex and the Jam, circa "All Mod Cons."
"A lot of what we do definitely comes from an over-the-top glam tradition," says Evil, who sings and plays guitar. "It doesn't necessarily show in every song we do, but there's definitely a sort of dramatic touch of the theatrical that, at least for us, blows up the experience for the listener."
Outside Royalty rises to this task. Consisting of the single-named Echo (violin), Brandon (percussion), Kat (cello), Guerra (bass) and Eizan (keyboards), the musicians never stay in a single place or settle for trite emotions. "Liquid Leather Lover" is a straight-out rocker that does little to prepare a listener for the melancholic serenity of "Yesterday's Girl."
Such diversity, Evil admits, doesn't lend itself to easy listening. Fans often seem confused upon first encountering the band, but are curious enough to want to see Outside Royalty again.
"It's a pretty consistent phenomenon," Evil says. "People end up saying, 'I really didn't get it the first time, but now I get it and really like it.'"
Then there's the name, which does evoke images of Goth and gore. Evil admits the band often is perceived as having darker themes; conversely, a local indie magazine accused the group as not being evil enough.
Name aside, the only really subversive element to Adam Evil & the Outside Royalty is the group's aversion to any elements that can be perceived as commercial
"Especially in an age where's than an addiction to conformity on modern pop radio," Evil says. "It's an undesirable urge to break that mold at all costs, which definitely has a negative side in the sense that you have to get over a greater familiarity hurdle than you would if you avoided experimentation and stayed within the boundaries of what is recognized as good."
