The Rented Bodies

It's an inexpensive, exciting way to spend a Friday night: rockin' the night away and closing out the past year with Rented Bodies, Undermining The Common. It's a 2 for 1 deal called Holidays Rock! as two different rock bands take the stage 8pm this Friday, December 29th at the CPAC building at 305 Emerson Street in Vandergrift. One of the bands is a local group from Kittanning and the other comes from the other side of Pittsburgh. Special guest R. J. Hesketh will also be a part of the evening.

One of the bands, Undermine The Common (UTC) appeared at the performing arts center on Emerson in Vandergrift last October. They brought a hard-driving and edgy sound combined with a lot of interaction with the crowd that shook the rafters of the 100-year old building. The 20-something-year old members of UTC return for an encore performance this Friday night.

The other band, The Rented Bodies, is making its first appearance at CPAC, as a part of Holidays Rock! The Rented Bodies are made up of Ryan Farster and Nathan Farster on vocals, Mike Cox on lead guitar, Jason Smith playing bass, Kevin Good on drums and Dennis Smith at the synthesizer. The band features melodic guitar and bass riffs combined with harmonic vocals and "super-cool uber-trendy synth hooks".

Both bands perform original material, some of which talks about struggles faced by high school and college-age students. The Rented Bodies have a song called "E is for..." which is about being at such a low place in life you consider suicide & finding a way out. The song is heavily interactive with the crowd, who actually contributes to how the song is sung.

Undermine The Common, in concert last October

The Rented Bodies have an unusual name that has an unusual story behind it. It is based on messages band members found in a 2000-year old manuscript. In part, one of those messages, once decoded into the English language, read "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." The verse so affected the band members they named their band after it. They even molded why they sing around the concept.

You can hear some of The Rented Bodies' songs at MySpace ( http://myspace.com/therentedbodies ). There is also a You Tube Video there.

Holidays Rock! costs $4 to get in and is sponsored by Grace Community Church. It all starts at 8pm this Friday at the CPAC building at 305 Emerson.

For more information or to order tickets, call Tim Henley at 412-596-9074 or 724-845-2522.