ION INDIE MAGAZINE September 2017, Volume 40 | Page 96

A strange thing happens as you leave your college years and enter
“real” adulthood. In the blink of an eye, your large community of tight-
knit friends suddenly split apart, bound for parts unknown. If you have
put down roots in the city where you went to school, this can a jarring
experience. Boredom can easily creep in to your once vibrant social life.
If you don’t channel it into something worthwhile, the boredom of this
transition can lead to a lot of questionable behavior. This was the
situation ROBERTO BRYER found himself in during the spring of 2015.
Instead of drowning in the bottle or trying to live in a state of arrested
development, Bryer turned to Craigslist and area musicians in search of
players to start a band. The result of this search is TOURIST TRAP,
whose live shows and infectious music are spreading like wildfire across
the Ohio musical landscape.
Tourist Trap, initially consisting of Bryer (vocals, rhythm guitar), NATHAN WEIRICH (lead guitar, vocals), ZACH
BARNES (bass) and a revolving door of drummers, began their musical journey by crafting a blend of blues and
indie rock with a 60’s garage rock flair. They displayed their potential and drive right away. The groups first show
was a festival they booked themselves, called THE GNARBEQUE. Throwing a day-long block party is one hell of
a coming out party, and it set high expectations for Tourist Trap. By all accounts of fan reaction, these
expectations were met by the release of the group’s first demo. Released in December 2015, the three track
demo demonstrated the band’s ease in blending styles. From the bluesy swagger of “On the Fence” to the jangly
swing of “Grass is Greener,” the release set the table for the high energy shows that would follow.
In the year and a half since its release, the band has stayed busy. In early 2017, the band entered the studio to
begin production on their first EP. Without a permanent drummer in place, Barnes told me that they called on
an old friend who is a fixture in this publication. Says Barnes, “We decided to have STEVE HATMAKER (ZOO
TRIPPIN’/THROWING ROCKS AT GIRLS) come in and take over the drum recording process of our debut EP. Steve
is an absolute animal on drums and a longtime friend and supporter of our project. He knows our songs and
made the tracks sound great. The overall feel and mood of the record changed slightly, but the message and
songs are still the same. Just a little heavier.”
Since the process began, they have settled on a permanent drummer, selecting MATTHEW STRALEY. It’s always
a challenge to jump on a moving train. However, Straley’s groovy but precise percussion style has acquitted
itself nicely to the Tourist Trap sound and the group is tighter than ever. For Straley, this is an ongoing challenge,
but one that he enjoys. Straley shares, "I've only been in the group since April, so at times it still feels like we're
learning how to gel. I think it takes time and practice to really come together and create that cohesive sound.
It's a work in progress, but it' been really fun process feeling it out, and I'd say every show has built on and
improved from the last. I was able to record one track on the EP. It was an interesting process coming into a
band that was in between drummers but had already booked time in the studio and had solid material already
recorded. While the situation might not be as fluid as I'd like, I'm excited to be part of the group and to be
featured on the EP."
Along with their regular schedule of shows, Tourist Trap was recently selected to appear on “Frontstage Live,”
a concert series that is broadcast live by one of the Midwest’s premier independent radio stations, CD102.5 in
Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, they have continued the tradition of The Gnarbeque, which just completed its
third installment. This year’s was the largest to date, taking over an entire block on The Ohio State University’s
main campus. Coming off the success of these events, I expect the fall release of the group’s latest EP, titled
“Going Postal,” to be the high water mark of an already successful 2017.