Meet the Band: Ken "Koly" Kolgate (vocals, production), Jim "Jimothy" Krumhansl (vocals, guitars, engineering, production), Ryan Brewer (vocals, bass, production), Shane D. Spohn (vocals, drums, production)
High Stakes: The original line up of the band formed in 2009 after Kolgate and Krumhansl met through mutual friends; they later brought in Brewer. After firing a member via Twitter (ouch!), another member was offed after a game of beer pong, and the band brought Spohn on just in time to record their 2010 debut album Grab the Audience by the Crowd.
All in the Family: Bonded over an alternative hip-hop style, the foursome has a unique approach. "I'm a rapper, Jimothy is a drummer in the black metal band Curse the Gods, Shane was the vocalist of the post-hardcore band North 25th, and Brewer was the bass player for a popular industrial band Groundlift," says Kolgate. "Take a hardcore show and throw in the elements of a '90s rave, and you've got Trap House Rave. We all add our own lyrics, so we don't even know what's coming until the end."
Next Up: Kolgate says the band will release its sophomore full-length album, Contagious, this August.
Why You Should Hear Them: Kolgate describes the band's high-energy sound as "Blood for Blood meets Ke$ha." "It's party music, but it could also be fight music," he says. It's the blend of fast, off-the-wall lyrics and hard beats that packs the show's crowd. Kolgate says the band's fans are particularly rowdy. "We get a group of people who come out just for the fun they have at the show, even if they don't necessarily like the music," he says.
Where You Can Hear Them: facebook.com/traphouseravemusic
Where You Can See Them: Trap House Rave plays its third annual New Year's Eve show at the Foundry on Tueday, Dec. 31. — Hunt
