Less than two years ago, three friends played a single song, Journey’s “Anyway You Want It,” at a charity benefit show at Rosa International Middle School.
They called their act No Commitment because none of them were sure just how long they would remain interested. Their first performance was a hit, and they have remained committed ever since.
Adding a fourth member that summer, they are now one of the most sought after bands on the local scene, with a popular debut album, three JAM Award nominations, a series of upcoming gigs, and a growing following of fans.
The band consists of three sophomores at Cherry Hill East, Christian Celfo on drums, Josh Murtha on bass, and Patrick Oberstaedt on guitar, as well as sophomore Zach Birnbaum from Cherry Hill West who serves at the band’s lead singer and principal songwriter.
Their debut album Hiding What is Underneath is available from numerous online retailers, including iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify and others.
All of the songs were written by the band members and recorded locally. The album opens with the hard-charging anthem “Choose to Be” that features Celfo in a blistering drum solo to close the song.
Their lyrics focus heavily on the teen-age experience of finding yourself. For example, Ballad of a Lonely Boy tells the coming-of-age story of a young man learning to accept the fact that he will never have all of the answers:
“I’ll always have a long road ahead of me
That’s not a promise, that’s truth
Perhaps, being content with uncertainty
Is how we leave our youth”
The album garnered the band a New Jersey JAMS Award nomination for Best Under 18 Album of 2012. The album, coupled with the band’s high-energy live performances, helped earn them a second JAMS nomination in the Best Under 21 Band category.
Birnbaum was also nominated for his individual performance in the Best Under 18 Vocalist category.
“The JAMS nominations are a great accomplishment for us and we hope it helps people find the album,” Oberstaedt said.
The winners will be announced at a red carpet awards ceremony at the Jersey Shore Arts Center on April 7 in Ocean Grove.
Adding to their growing list of accomplishments, the band recently accepted an invitation to perform live at the awards ceremony.
It has been hard to miss the band on the airwaves in the past year. They have twice appeared on the television show Inside Music Today, they were the featured guests on the Hebe Live radio program, and they soon expect to be appearing on Dreamer’s Radio based in Chicago.
And that is without mentioning Birnbaum’s incredible run on American Idol where he earned his way to the Group Stage of Hollywood Week, which led to multiple appearances on Fox 29 news, radio and print interviews.
The band has far reaching influences, which are evident at their live shows. At any given gig, it is not unusual to hear the band mix their original songs with covers ranging from classic rock (The Who, Stones, Pink Floyd), to punk/alternative (Green Day, Gaslight Anthem), to heavy metal (Metallica, Rage Against the Machine). The diversity of influences is good for the band, Oberstaedt said.
“Zach and I grew up on classic rock. Josh is a huge metal head, and Christian likes everything. We all like punk and alternative. So it gives us an opportunity at our shows to play something for everyone, and keep ourselves entertained as well.”
The band keeps busy with other artistic ventures as well.
Oberstaedt is an accomplished jazz musician and features in five different bands at Cherry Hill East.
Birnbaum and Murtha recently performed in the musicals at East and West and Zach is also a member of the famed Men of Note a cappella troupe at West.
Celfo continues to study with his private drum teacher and plans to start teaching his own students in the near future.
In the coming months, the band hopes to get back into the studio and record some more original music. They are also looking forward to playing live throughout the spring and summer, with a goal of getting a shot at any of a growing number of music festivals. A festival slot will give the band a bigger platform and a chance to expand their constantly growing legion of fans.
“We are thrilled to have such a great group of fans that come out to our live shows and listen to our album,” Birnbaum said.
You can catch an upcoming performance at Hebe Music in Mt. Holly on April 20, Six Flags Great Adventure on June 2, Hershey Park Amphitheatre on June 16 and the annual fireworks celebration at Cherry Hill West on July 4, where No Commitment will headline for the first time.
You can follow the band on Facebook at facebook.com/nocommitment and Twitter at #nocommitment1 as well as their website, rockbandsites.com/nocommitment.
