Despite a hiatus after the loss of Dominic Misja and the marriage of Jason and Shar Sturm, local band Kairos can still draw crowds with its velvety vocals, explosive drums and driving rhythms. This summer, fans can expect to watch Kairos reign onstage in a slew of performances, including 7:30 p.m. May 16 at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., the 39th annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and the Vans Warped Tour.

"We feel really confident onstage, and we think it's a powerful experience, so basically the biggest thing for us is to get our name out as much as possible," lead singer Jason Sturm said.

The group defines its music as progressive rock, with members emulating bands such as Pink Floyd and Dredg. Kairos just returned from wrapping up its first big album, titled Rethink: Reshape, to be released nationwide. With Movin' On already under the band's belt, the Vans Warped Tour offers the band an opportunity to play alongside acts like Something Corporate, My Chemical Romance and Midtown.

"It's just absolutely feeling like on top of the world just to share a stage with national acts that are so much further along," Sturm said.

In rain or shine, but mostly in rain for Kairos, Movin' On reminded band members that their fans had not forgotten them.

"There's a 98 percent chance of rain at a Kairos show, but we try to go with it. It was just great to see a lot of fans coming out," guitarist/vocalist Josh Sturm said.

Formed in 2002, Kairos has since redefined itself from a side project to a cohesive group of not just three family members, but four roommates and friends.

"I think now [having] three family members in the band has made us pretty close. We've gone past the stage where we bicker about stupid things and this is really important because you can see [that] onstage," Josh Sturm said.

Kairos promises that the addition of piano/bassist Shar Sturm only adds to the group's diversity. Shar Sturm has only played with the band for the past four months, and learned to play bass without any prior experience.

"Our music is dynamic because some [of it] is aggressive and delicate. Having the girl in the band is a really good mix, but it hasn't toned us down a bit," Jason Sturm said.

Drummer Andrew Rodaniche echoed the same sentiment.

"We've always known what's 'Kairos' and that has stayed the same under all the changes that have happened," he said.

Jason Sturm said he approaches songwriting as a process that focuses on life and living. While some songs deal with the loss of a loved one, other songs explore feelings of inadequacy and the struggle with one's self-perception.

"A lot of people say that they find music to vent and then they pick up their guitar to write a hit song. Music is just different [for me]; it just needs to escape through me," he said.

In response to their recent successes, Kairos members agree that at the end of the day, the ability to connect with an audience member supersedes all else.

"I think everything has really fallen into place with us. There's definitely something bigger pulling the strings in the history of our band," Rodaniche said.