The Times Leader November 2003
Negative Space, Positive Spin

There really isn't much negative about the band Negative Space. If anything, the group's glass-is-half-full attitude is downright positive, and so is its music. "Nothing Ordinary," the band's latest release, is a fiery combination of pop, rock and punk. It's the follow-up to the group's previous effort, "From All Thoughts Everywhere," and vocalist Josh Nice says it's a positive step forward. "You hate to sound cliche, but I do think the band has definitely matured a lot," Nice says. "You can hear a lot more of the passion and a lot more of the thoughts behind the lyrics when you hear the music itself. You can feel more of the experiences through the music." Negative Space has released its third CD, 'Nothing Ordinary.' The band has upcoming shows at Brews Brothers in Jenkins Township and Peppers in Berwick.

Rounding out the Negative Space lineup are guitarist Rick Leinhard, guitarist Chris Strum, bassist Mark Reinmiller and drummer Justin Neighbour. Tracks on the Lancaster-based band's new five-song EP include the title track, "The Beautiful" and "We Collide." The CD also includes a music video for the song "Anthem" from the group's previous release and live footage of the new song, "Holiday."

Nice, 24, serves as the band's principal lyricist. He wrote his first song at age 14 and says he immediately found it a positive form of self-expression. "I was always one of those guys who was really quiet and pretty shy, and there wasn't any particular outlet," he says. "From day one, when you write that first song or hear that first song in your head, you know that it's going to be the way you pour your heart out to people." Nice says his songs are both observational and introspective. Recently he's been leaning toward the latter. "That's where I think the biggest difference is between 'From All Thoughts Everywhere' and this newest EP," he says. "Although I really love playing and am connected to a lot of the songs on the last EP, they didn't go as deep into my personal feelings or the rest of the band's personal feelings as the current disk does."

Nice says the group's energetic brand of pop, rock and punk is reflective of its influences and its own musical aspirations. "The songs on the new EP and the songs we've been writing lately are down that straight hard-rock road, like bands such as Foo Fighters or Jimmy Eat World," he says. "But one of my first big music phases, when I first went to see a lot shows, was emo and hard-core and punk, so I think there's also an undertone of that in some of our songs, with some of that feel. But I also like to think that it's not really the music, as much as that energy that we like putting out and that emotional appeal." "Nothing Ordinary" was recorded at Mountain Studios in Bethlehem and was produced by Kirk Kelsey, best known for his work with Creed. "It was probably one of the highlights of my life, honestly, and that's not exaggerating or sugarcoating anything," Nice says. "Having somebody like that come in - an outsider with that much experience, that has worked with so many people that work at the level I want to attain - that kind of experience is priceless. And on top of him being really knowledgeable, he was really an incredible guy, personally."

Negative Space, with more than 700 shows under its belt and over 5,000 CDs sold, continues to accentuate the positive. The glass is indeed half full. "It's kind of scary working in this industry, being that it's in really terrible shape right now," Nice says. "You get to the end of a long week sometimes, and sometimes you're pretty beat up and you're pretty tired, but you look back at it and you get to say to yourself, 'I'm getting paid to do this. I'm getting paid to do something that I love, and something that I can craft at the same time. We certainly have no complaints."

Negative Space will perform at Brews Brothers in Jenkins Township on Dec. 6 and Peppers in Berwick on Dec. 20. For more information on the band, visit www.negativespacerocks.com

The BarFly October 2002
Move Your Body to Negative Space

When I go to a rock and roll show, there are a few things I do not like. I do not like elbows thrown in my face by the amped "overmosher" who tries to defy the first law of thermodynamics by attempting to conjure a mosh pit from about a dozen tired-looking guys who are nursing beers and have to "work tomorrow" (i.e., You can't turn nothing into something).

I also hate when extremely tall people stand in front of me. This usually doesn't happen unless the Sixers are in town, seeing that I am six feet, three inches of Central Pennsylvanian polar bear, and my paranoia about being the asshole standing in front of everyone (Look at that giant head!) often leads me to stand in the back or in the bar area. No problem. I'll drink a Miller Lite.

What I really don't like, though, are bands who show utter, naked contempt for their audience. I think you know what I mean. They usually have stringy hair. They're smug and don't smile. They act like they're doing you a favor.

Negative Space is the exact opposite of this. They have an energetic live set, mixing in originals and covers in a style reminiscent of Blink-182, Green Day, and other latest-wave punk bands, plus a healthy dose of plain old rock and roll. They play with unbridled energy and an infectious sense of fun that doesn't distract from the fact that these guys actually have a lot of ability. I like when a band is loose and funny on-stage because it shows they are comfortable in their own skin. If that's the case, Negative Space is more comfortable than Grandpa on Thanksgiving, passed out in the La-Z-Boy after watching the Detroit Lions get their asses handed to them for the 96th year in a row.

Who is Negative Space? If you answered "the inventors of Yahtzee, " you would be incorrect. Negative Space is one of Central Pa.'s most popular bands - thriving, growing, and changing as a constant work in progress (since their inception in 1994).

They settled on their most recent lineup 10 months ago. "This is the best lineup yet, as far as chemistry goes," says bassist Mark Reinmiller. Along with Reinmiller, the band consists of lead singer Josh Nice, guitarists Rick Lienhard and Chris Stum, and drummer Sean Sultzbach.

On June 27, Negative Space released From All Thoughts Everywhere, their debut EP of original material. The single "Dirty," co-produced by Jeff Abercrombie of local music colossus Fuel, has been in heavy rotation on local modern rock station 105.7 The X. Although their set still includes covers, they hope to phase them out eventually and play a set of all-original tunes.

The band consensus is that the crowds, thus far, are "reacting well" to the original material performed at their many, many live shows. One of the hardest-working local bands by a long shot, Negative Space has a constantly full schedule of dates, mostly in Pennsylvania, but in other parts of the Northeast as well. If all continues to go well, they hope to embark on a national tour before too long. "That's our dream. We really want to be playing our own stuff, signed, and on a national tour," says Lienhard. "We just want to do this for a living." In April, they played a show in Key West, Florida, which they felt was one of the most enjoyable gigs they've ever played, and they hope to return there again "for spring break. It's gonna be crazy," says Nice.

If you're already a big Negative Space fan and you don't have a Key West/Papa Hemingway fetish, chances are you've seen them at one of two places: Lancaster's Village or York's Fat Daddy's. "The Village is like our home," says Reinmiller, "but Fat Daddy's is a close second."

During the band's live show, you're sure to move your entire body - violently, if you like that kind of thing. You will probably make that shut-your-eyes-and-rock-out face. Chances are also good that you'll start playing air guitar. I caught a recent show at Coyote's Hardware Bar in Harrisburg (a joint that warrants its own article, let me tell you). The crowd, which was really having a great time, was a healthy mix of guys who love loud rock and roll, guys who were there to ogle the bartenders, girls who love loud rock and roll, and girls who really like guys in rock bands.

Singer Nice played up to his female admirers quite nicely, a move I admire greatly - in fact, its absence would probably concern me more than anything, since my own plans of being a rock star to impress girls crashed and burned on the simple fact that I'm a really crappy guitar player and sing worse than Britney Spears on a Qualude bender. Nice bounced around the stage, bantering with the crowd, singing to individual audience members. A couple of times he did a Steven Tyler "hobbyhorse" with his mic stand, which is awesome, especially if you, unlike Steven Tyler, were born after the Spanish-American War.

The band's up-tempo crunching guitar assault complemented Nice's theatrics perfectly. Large stages, unlike Coyote's, do this band much more justice, since the whole band is just as kinetic as the singer. Guitarists Lienhard and Stum play precisely, not overly distorted, which, while loud, give Nice and the rest of the group room to breathe. Reinmiller and Sultzbach comprise one of the finest rhythm sections I've heard in some time. All around, the band has an outstanding "rock star" presence, wasting little time with almost-witty banter with the audience. Skipping the banter and just going from one song right into another is a great way to keep the audience's energy at a fever pitch.

The general look of the group is a Generation-Y punkitude: retro T-shirts, spiky hair, and facial hair - they're just crazy 'bout the soul patch and the goatee. All fairly young (mid-20s), they easily connect to a younger audience more than some sons-of-Pearl Jam band might.

Negative Space's original songs are catchy without being derivative; they really have their own distinct sound. The group is hard-rocking, but not dark and mean-spirited, and can play the hard rock without that awful Andrew W.K. irony. The boys can effortlessly adjust tempo and volume to change the emotional tone of the current song. They played an emo-style cover of the Bryan Adams magnum opus "Summer of '69," which fails to make it a profound statement of youth and rebellion as I fear Adams intended, but it's still a kickin' little number. They also did a rock version of Cat Stevens' "Wild World."

If Negative Space were a food, they'd be ShockTarts: satisfying your craving for sweet and tart and kicking your ass at the same time. For a hard-rocking show that leaves you smiling and doesn't make you angry at the world, head out to a Negative Space show. From All Thoughts Everywhere is available at CD Warehouse as well as on the band's Web site, www.negativespacerocks.com

Mode Weekly September 2002
by Benjy Eisen

After being, um, eclipsed for a few years, it looks like live music—original live music—is making a comeback downtown. Fans of hard rock can thank Negative Space and 105.7 The X for getting that ball rolling again.

"I remember going to see shows at the Metron, the Vault, and a few other Harrisburg clubs, about five or six years ago, and thinking to myself, ‘Harrisburg really has a lot to offer, especially to original bands,’" says Chris Stum, guitarist for Negative Space. "However it seemed like it only took a year for that to end, as most clubs either closed or changed management, and stopped bands altogether."

With the new downtown scene, Harrisburg gets a second chance. Negative Space, meanwhile, is hoping for their first. The local boys from Lancaster have been rocking out since 1994, getting their start in fire halls and other alternative venues. The band went through some line-up changes, and, in 1999, finally emerged as a serious contender. The band still plays a rotation of covers (including songs by Sum 41 and Jimmy Eat World), however they’re working hard to bring more and more originals into the set. This past spring the band recorded an original EP, produced by members of The Badlees. Before releasing the disc, the band holed up in the Camp Hill basement of local hometown bad boy Jeff Abercrombie (Fuel), who took the band into his home recording studio for two days to touch up the song "Dirty." The EP, From All Thoughts Everywhere, is currently available at the band’s shows (and on their website: negativespacerocks.com), and "Dirty" has been getting airplay on 105.7 The X.

The band also recently aligned with that station to create an original live music series, every Tuesday night at Coyote’s Hardware Bar. Initially an unlikely candidate for housing original local bands, Stum says all it took was some ingenuity on their part to get the venue to agree. "Since the new downtown area is still young, we knew it was going to be difficult to get original shows started right away," says Stum. Realizing that weekend slots were out, for now, the band hooked up with 105.7’s "Under the Radar" (a radio show that plays local bands) and created the Tuesday night series.

While Negative Space is aiming for national attention, they know it starts at home. And they know, wisely, that that means immersing themselves in the local music scene. "One great thing about the Central PA area," says Stum, "is that we never had to convince any club to let us play originals. Again, the scene is still there; maybe not obvious, but sometimes you have to ask yourself what you can do to help out."

Lancaster New Era June 2002
Negative Space; New CD and Widening Popularity Fuel Local Band

The news from Negative Space is nothing but positive these days. Negative Space -- that enduring modern rock band that has been part of the local, all-age music scene since 1994 -- is busier than ever. The guys have given up their shoe store/pizzeria day jobs and are playing four or five gigs a week in farther-flung locales: Ocean City MD, Binghamton NY, even Key West FL. Their song, "Anthem" -- a tribute to their supporters -- gets regular radio play on 105.7 The X. And now that they're officially incorporated, they get regular paychecks, and they've even got an accountant who does the books. But the big news is next week's release of their new album, "From All Thoughts Everywhere," which could lead them who knows where? After all, they got a little help from the Badlees and Fuel.

To celebrate, Negative Space is throwing a CD release party on Thursday, June 27, at the Chameleon Club. Opening the show will be two local high school-age bands (who are a lot like them years ago): American Zero and Fictio Alliance. Negative Space will be guests on The X's "Under the Radar" show on Sunday at 10:30 p.m.; passes will be given away for a pre-show "listening party." Negative Space's new CD ends a year of transition that saw two members depart and two new members sign on. Bass player Mark Reinmiller, 26, has been with the band the longest, since 1996. The five-member 20-something lineup also includes lead singer Josh Nice, guitarist Chris Stum and the new guys, guitarist Rick Lienhard and drummer Don Carr. "It's a really exciting time for us right now," says Reinmiller who, along with Stum, met with Teen Weekend during a hectic week finishing the CD, which was recorded at a Danville studio owned by two members of the Badlees: Paul Smith and Brett Alexander.

"We learned a lot of do's and a lot of don'ts," says Stum, of the intense 10- and 12-hour days holed up at the studio in March and May. "You can't underestimate the importance of taking people's advice," adds Reinmiller. Especially when it comes from Fuel's bass player, Jeff Abercrombie. After being hooked up by staffers from The X, the Negative Space guys went just this week to Abercrombie's Camp Hill home to rework the song "Dirty," a "fan favorite" about being let down in a relationship. And last Saturday, Abercrombie came to Negative Space's show at The Village and played for them a sample of possible changes, says Reinmiller, who is beside himself at this "amazing" and "awesome" opportunity. "These guys have sold platinum records," he says. "You turn on MTV, there they are. You open up a magazine, there they are. You turn the radio on, there they are.... They're doing exactly what we'd love to do." "We want to be like Aerosmith or like U2 or whoever," says Stum (who bears a passing resemblance to Tom Petty). "We want to have the monster hits."

Besides "Dirty," their seven-song EP includes "Anthem" (previously released on The X's "Under the Radar" compilation CD) and newer songs like "Ready" and "Voices." The $5 CD will be available at CD Warehouse and other local stores. "I think the fans are really going to be happy with it," says Reinmiller. The name -- "From All Thoughts Everywhere" -- came from a book Reinmiller read, "Conversations With God." "It's from all of us and from everything we have ever done before," says Reinmiller.

What Negative Space does in the future rides upon the success of this CD. They've had some preliminary discussions with record company reps, namely Windup and Capital, who contacted them after their standout performance at February's 2002 Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg. But if they don't make the big time, Reinmiller is prepared to be philosophical about it: "We've had our fifteen minutes." Besides, hearing "Anthem" on the airwaves is still a "That's one of our songs on the radio!" moment for Reinmiller. While Negative Space has been getting booked into mostly over-21 venues lately, the teen/all-age audience has been their starting point and mainstay. "You can't beat that kind of fan base," says Reinmiller, who started the annual all-age Buzzfest for charity in 1997. "They are the most loyal fan base there is." "We're happy to see the young kids getting out and just having a good time and staying out of trouble," adds Stum. Whether or not they become known to audiences of all ages everywhere, the music is the thing. "It's not really an act," says Stum. "We love playing our music."

PA Musician June 2002
Perfect Timing

DATELINE: March 18, 2001.
On a cool Sunday evening, Negative Space is enroute to the Empire Club in Binghamton, NY. The 3 hour drive is just moments away from ending and the band is ready to skip out of their van to begin unloading and start the night’s festivities. Something is different about this evening however, when the band takes the stage tonight, they will be performing as a 4-piece, singer, bassist, drummer, and one guitarist. Typically a 5-piece Rock band, Negative Space parted ways with one of the original guitar players just recently. In search of a replacement, the band will be performing one member short this evening, with the future of the band in the great wide open …

DATELINE: May 6, 2002.
The studio at Saturation Acres in Danville, PA is filled with the sounds of pumped-up guitars, soaring vocals, and searing drums. The song DIRTY is blaring through the speakers in the control room. Negative Space is listening intently; ready to start mixing the song, which has been, in some people’s minds, the most sought after Negative Space song to date. The band fresh off of a trip to Key West, FL is set to complete final mix-down on their debut EP entitled ‘From All Thought Everywhere’.

The scenario is much different than it was a year ago, settled down with 5 members of the band in place; Negative Space looks to the future with high expectations. “A year ago, the word Album or EP was barely in our heads,” says guitarist Chris Stum. “We had plenty of originals to record, but the time just wasn’t right. We all knew there was plenty of building to be accomplished yet, so we decided to wait it out. Now we’re patting ourselves on the back for holding off. We are genuinely excited about this EP.” Waiting seems to be the key with Negative Space. Last summer the band was set to start recording at Saturation Acres, however, the sessions were pushed back, in a move that Stum calls ‘very mature for a young band’. “So we have all these songs and we were all anxious to have a disc to show for our hard work. That is when we stop and kind of smell the roses. We needed to write a lot more and try to put more of a thumbprint on our sound. There wasn’t a lot of hype, so not many people knew what we were doing, and on top of that, we had a narrowed song selection. So we decided to pull the plug for the time being rather than feel as if we were forcing the project.” Although the decision was tough for Negative Space to swallow at the time, the delay would prove as an undeniable decision for the band. Last winter, the song ANTHEM was released on the ‘Under the Radar’ compilation CD produced by 105.7 the X, WQXA FM. This helped the song into regular rotation on the station and really helped with hyping the forthcoming EP. This past February found the band performing on the main stage at the Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA for an ‘Under the Radar’ showcase. “The Millennium showcase was incredible, the set-up was fabulous,” says Stum. When there is a lot of people and a lot of pressure that is when we really like to turn it up and let people have it. We caught the attention of various record industry people at that showcase who are now waiting for a copy of this EP.” Working closely with their booking agent, Media Five Entertainment in Bethlehem, PA also helped the band break into new areas. “Media Five has managed the careers of both Fuel and Live, so naturally we started getting much more involved and strategic when it came to booking shows,” says Stum. “We started looking at areas where we could really get noticed originally, and pushed the forthcoming EP in those parts of the East Coast.” The turning point for Negative Space, however, came in November 2001 when former Clove guitarist Rick Lienhard joined the band. A few weeks later drummer Don Carr joined. Both additions proved to be very valuable to the band’s success. “When we started working with Rick and Don, right away we started off writing,” says Stum. The slight change of direction was just what we needed to get started again and make this EP happen.” Recent songs such as READY and VOICES just may end up being stand out songs on the EP, having rarely been performed by the band at shows. “VOICES was one which we knew had a lot of potential, but we have to get the right vibe. We were concerned with certain arrangements, but when the final mixes were done, I think that we all agreed that VOICES would really stand out.”

Working with Paul Smith and Brett Alexander at Saturation Acres proved to be another valuable learning experience for the band. “Their [Smith and Alexander] knowledge was one of the things we were most excited about,” says Stum. “They really brought out the arrangements and made the songs big, and that is what we were looking for.” Smith and Alexander, who have recently produced and recorded albums by Julian Fist, Breaking Benjamin, Stept On, and Darcy Miner, were without a doubt the team that Negative Space wanted to work with from day one. “Hearing albums they recorded with Julian Fist, Breaking Benjamin, and Stept On, we knew that these were the guys for us,” says Stum. “They had the knowledge and pointed us in the right direction so the songs would jump out at you.” Jump out they do; fan favorites such as ANTHEM and DIRTY are the strongest recordings to date, featuring melodic vocals and an overall rhythm that will shake you out of your seat. LET ME KNOW and WISH will be making their debut as well as a remake of sorts for the song SHE MAKES ME, a strong vocally-driven sing along which has been a crowd favorite for quite some time. “SHE MAKES ME has always been a strong favorite of ours and the fans,” says Stum. “I think if someone hears SHE MAKES ME for the first time on this EP, they’ll be very satisfied. I think we finally captured the vibe, it’s just a fun song.”

DATELINE: May 15, 2002.
The final mixes for the EP are complete and ears are well worn. The band leaves Saturation Acres for the last time with a feeling of accomplishment and a sigh of relief. A total of seven songs make up the debut EP ‘From All Thoughts Everywhere’. Each song captures the energy of the band, strong melodic vocal hooks, as well as catchy guitar melodies. Something that Josh Nice, Mark Reinmiller, Chris Stum, Rick Lienhard, and Don Carr have worked countless hours to deliver. A proud feat for the boys from Lancaster, PA known as Negative Space.