Anthony Green may be one of the few people who actually enjoy work more than time off. He explains why he enjoys having his own band, involvement in multiple side projects and now his own solo tour with five simple words.
"I like to stay busy," Green said.
Tomorrow night, Green, lead singer of Circa Survive, will give an acoustic solo performance at SoZo, 256 E. Beaver Ave., along with opening acts Safari So Good and Jealousy Curve.
A native of Philadelphia, Green got his start in 2003 singing for the post-hardcore band Saosin but soon quit for personal reasons in 2004. He then formed the band Circa Survive, and it has been his primary interest ever since. He has also been involved with numerous other bands, including Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer and the Sound of Animals Fighting, but Circa Survive has always come first.
"It's like having dated a bunch of chicks before you end up meeting the girl you're going to marry," Green said. "The thing that makes Circa so different for me ... [is] being able to be in a band with people you can depend on to help you become a better dude and a better musician. We make each other better people."
This time around, Green will be playing an acoustic set without the aid of his band mates. Green said his desire to always have something to do is what led him to explore the idea of playing acoustic shows.
"For the most part Circa is almost always working or touring or writing, but the little time we have off I'll be writing my own stuff," Green said. "Over the last couple of years it's just been accumulating. It kind of got to the point where I felt like I needed to do this. It wasn't to take away anything from what Circa was doing, but to expand on it."
Green said he doesn't prefer one live format over the other, and he enjoys the acoustic format for its more personal attributes. He also doesn't expect the crowd to sing along, but enjoys it when they do even if it throws him off.
"When I play acoustic ... I'm sort of in my own little world, wrapped around everything I'm doing on the guitar and everything that's going through my head," he said. "I love it when [the audience] sings along, and it's OK that I get thrown off because that's just the way it goes. I love it how, even if I mess up, I'll hear people laugh."
Unsurprisingly, Green also plans to release a solo album with his material sometime in the future. The album is currently being recorded.
"I haven't really come to the conclusion of what I'm going to do with it, yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm just going to call the project my name," he said. "I think everything I've ever given a name to has always been complicated, and this is a simple thing. It's my shit, so it might as well just be my name."
Also on the bill is fellow Philly band the Jealousy Curve and Safari So Good from Harrisburg. Erica Lessie (freshman-international politics) said she is excited to see the Jealousy Curve perform.
"The lead singer has a very distinctive voice, and I really like his style of singing," Lessie said. "Their live performances can really draw you in. You can just tell by watching them how passionate they are about it."
After putting on a number of shows featuring local bands, Nittany Booking promoter Garrett Bogden (junior-marketing) decided to secure bands that aren't as familiar to State College.
"I kind of wanted to reach out further and give other bands that wanted to come to the area a chance," Bogden said. "I thought it'd be a pretty diverse show to put [Jealousy Curve] on, have Anthony playing acoustic and then Safari So Good, [which is] more of a powerpop band."
Green's last trip to State College was in 2003 when he was still with Saosin. He said he is excited to come back to the college town.
"It's a fun place to be," he said. "The night I spent up there for that show was insane. We had lots of fun. I look forward to playing for you guys on the 28th."
