NASCENT

Official site
MySpace (listen to “Tipsy,” “Georgia, Can You Hear Me?”)
More photos
Hometown: Oakland
Next local show: 8/28, Slim’s
Recent release: Charmingly Awkward, 2005

[This post originally published 8/15/06.]

East Bay native Dave Smallen is only in his early-20s, but he confidently fronts Street to Nowhere, an Oakland folk/pop-punk group currently reaping ample rewards across the country. They’re on a national (with some Canada) tour supporting the Format and Rainer Maria, playing 2nd or 3rd on the bill. Yet every night, a spate of ravenous new fans from random cities appear on STN’s MySpace page proclaiming the band’s (and Dave’s) greatness. Their profile already has well over 100,000 views, and they’ve released only one album. That eclipses just about any other young local band you can name. The band’s popularity has skyrocketed in the last year, but they’re still unsigned. It won’t take long for a label to notice. Try by the end of this tour.

(Update 8/17/06: WOW! Let NASCENT be the first to break the news: Street to Nowhere has signed to Capitol Records! Apparently it only took a day for a label to notice. Hah!)

There aren’t many prominent singer-songwriters like Dave in the East Bay. He’s punk-charming, a softie with a rough edge. He makes the ladies swoon, yet the most jaded indie rock dude can get into him too. He’s an Oakland heartthrob. Thankfully he’s also got a great voice, talent on the guitar, and a tight backing band. Live 105 loves him, and he’s already played the local stage at BFD twice. When he was 19, he won the BFD Battle of the Bands playing solo. That’s how Live 105 first took heed — his big break.

ADVENTURES IN EDUCATION:
-Dave studied at UC Santa Cruz and UCLA before leaving school to pursue a career in music.
-A few years ago, Dave traveled with the Warped Tour as a guitar tech for Oakland punk band the Matches (now on Epitaph Records). Will Street to Nowhere follow?