Local band wins band competition, headed for Vans Warped Tour

 

CHESAPEAKE — When a local band composed of five young musicians from Chesapeake entered an online Battle of the Bands competition, they didn’t know they were about to get the opportunity of a lifetime.

“It’s been a dream,” said Nicholous Thomas, lead vocalist for Goodbye Utah.

Goodbye Utah is headed for the Vans Warped Tour in Cincinnati on July 16.

The tour is sponsored by Vans and is expected to draw large crowds and will feature dozens of bands from around the country.

Founded in 2012, Goodbye Utah “took off seriously in 2013,” said Thomas. Finding the perfect style for the band and being good enough to win a big competition didn’t happen over night.

“We’ve grown into what we love,” said Thomas. “We found us.”

For Goodbye Utah, focusing on a musical style and song lyrics that express who the band members are is important. Thomas said the band members write the lyrics to the songs they sing.

 

The band has “tried to make it as personal as possible,” said Thomas. Although Goodbye Utah’s style doesn’t perfectly fit one genre, Thomas said the band plays rock ‘n’ roll and is “a hardcore band” that plays loud.

Goodbye Utah has resonated with local crowds. The band has played at homes and festivals and isn’t one to turn down an invitation to play.

“If we can play it, we will,” said Thomas. “We’ve played a lot.”

Playing for different crowds is how Thomas credits the band’s popularity.

“We’ve slowly continued to impress people,” he said.

For some young musicians, the end of high school can spell the end of a group’s career. The opposite has been true for Goodbye Utah. After the five band members graduated from high school, Thomas said they pushed even harder to get their name out in the community, hoping to make a career out of their music.

While Thomas said being on stage at Warped Tour will be good for the band’s resume, he said the band hopes to give southern Ohio a good name. They’ll do that by playing the music they love.

“We give it our all every time,” said Thomas.

Thomas said Goodbye Utah has “a lot of hype…now,” but he recognizes that the band wouldn’t be where it is today without its fans and supporters. As the band heads to a bigger stage, Thomas said they’d “just like to thank everyone who has stood by us.”

To find out more about Goodbye Utah, visit them online at their Facebook page.