San Diego Reader

Tom DeLonge: Guitar (electric), Vocals | David Kennedy: Guitar (electric) | Matt Wachter: Bass guitar | Ilan Rubin: Drums

Genre: Alternative, Punk, Rock

Sound description: What do you get when you cross blink-182 with Pink Floyd?

RIYL: 30 Seconds to Mars, blink-182, the Offspring, Box Car Racer, Rocket from the Crypt

Upcoming Local Shows

Discography

Related Links:

• http://www.myspace.com/angelsandairwaves

• Jam Session: "Angels Ascend at Belly Up" · Feb. 3, 2012

• Jam Session: "Angels & Airwaves @ Belly Up Feb. 1, Then World Arena Tour" · Jan. 16, 2012

• Jam Session:New Angels & Airwaves Drummer is Local Phenom Ilan Rubin (NIN)" · Oct. 25, 2011

• Cover Story: "Borrowed Music. Borrowed Look. Borrowed Fame." · March 18, 2009

• Blurt: "Not If, But When" · Sept. 3, 2008

• Blurt: "Who Charted?" · Jan. 2, 2008

• Blurt: "Angels and Airplay" · Dec. 21, 2006

• Blurt: "Hard to Do" · Sept. 21, 2006

• Blurt: "Hacker's Delight" · March 30, 2006

• MySpace page

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 2006

Ex-Band Members: Ryan Sinn, Bass guitar Atom Willard, Drums

Influences: blink-182, 30 Seconds to Mars

Background:

Angels & Airwaves (AVA) is an alternative rock/post-grunge/progressive rock band that was formed by former blink-182 and Box Car Racer guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge. The band originally included David Kennedy (notably from Over My Dead Body, Hazen Street, and Box Car Racer), and Offspring drummer Atom Willard. Angels & Airwaves released their first single, “The Adventure,” on May 18, 2006 and their debut album, We Don’t Need to Whisper, on May 23, 2006. Bassist Ryan Sinn, formerly of the Distillers, left the band in early 2007. Former 30 Seconds to Mars bassist Matt Wachter joined the band after Sinn’s departure.

On June 18, 2007, the band released a newly designed website depicting a motorcyclist and a flash application with flashing text advertising their upcoming album, I-Empire. The flash application also played a short music clip from I-Empire, along with a portion of the message from President Eisenhower via the Project SCORE Satellite in 1958: “Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space... Through this unique means I can say to you and to all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth.” The flash application ends with the quotation “If I had my own world... I’d build you an empire....”

They performed September 7, 2007, at Copley Symphony Hall for the opening of the surf film Trilogy, which features AVA on its soundtrack. Their second Geffen Records album I-Empire was released in October 2007, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Seven weeks later, the disc was at #172. Love Part One, released in 2010, did not fare much better.

On August 10, 2011, more than 460 movie theaters nationwide broadcast a live band performance, video screening and a Q&A session with Angels & Airwaves Presents LOVE Live. At the same time, “Epic Holiday,” the final preview video for their science fiction movie Love, about a stranded astronaut, was streaming on their website. The video is the fourth and final extended story of characters that make brief appearances in the feature film.

Their fourth studio full-length Love Part 2 finally arrived November 11, 2011 (postponed from Valentines Day), available on its own or in a variety of packages, including both part one and part two. A deluxe version includes the 85-minute Love movie on DVD, while another package upgrades the deluxe version with a 128-page comic book based on the movie or adds a limited-edition t-shirt. Another package, limited to 25 sets, contains a signed, customized TD Epiphone guitar similar to the one Tom DeLonge plays.

As of late 2011, their newest member is local drummer is Ilan Rubin (Nine Inch Nails).