Detroit's Wilson bring rock and roll party to Lancaster

If you go

What: Rock bands Wilson, Mothership, Anthrophobia and MINSHARA open for Crobot

When: 7 p.m. Friday, July 17

Where: Chameleon Club, 223 N. Water St., Lancaster

Cost: $12-$15

For tickets and more info: Visit chameleonclub.net or call the box office at 717-299-9684.

When Detroit band Wilson takes the stage, it looks the part of a nationally touring rock group that has it all.

Decked out in black leather and denim, the group has that long rocker hair dripping with sweat after every high-energy performance.

But really, they aren't much different from the 9-to-5 working class members of the audience they perform for. And they take pride in that fact.

"We're all working-class Joes," drummer Matt Puhy said.

"That's who we are, and that's who we want to appeal to."

Puhy, alone, has five part-time jobs, including teaching music, landscaping and working for a sound and lighting company, he said. That's in addition to performing gigs and touring the country. His four bandmates — Chad Nicefield (vocals), Kyle Landry (guitar), James Lascu (bass) and Jason Spencer (guitar) — also hold down jobs throughout the year as truck drivers, dish washers and handymen.

"(When we're home), it's right back to it and saving up enough for us to hopefully pay our bar tabs for our next tour," Puhy said.

But the extra work is worth it to be able to tour the country and live their dream, Puhy said.

The band originally formed because lead guitarist Jason Spencer was just looking for something fun to do while in school. But over the years, Wilson has performed with bands including Black Label Society, Down, Five Finger Death Punch and Motorhead.

This past March, Wilson embarked on its first European tour with Red Lion-based rock band Halestorm.

"That was the best and most fun tour we've ever done as a band," Puhy said.

Now, after releasing its sophomore album "Right to Rise" June 29, Wilson will perform at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster July 17. The band will open for Pottsville hard rock band Crobot.

Puhy said he and his bandmates met Crobot at a cruise ship concert in the Bahamas, and when they found out they'd be doing a month-long tour with the band, they knew it was going to be "the best and worst tour ever."

"Best because it's with a great group of people we already know and worst because a few of us will probably end up sacrificing our livers and never be able to drink again," Puhy said.

On July 17, Puhy said fans can expect a giant rock and roll party.

"We try to treat it as the last party on Earth," Puhy said. "From the second we start to the second we end, we like to put everything we got into every single show. It doesn't matter how many people are watching we try and just make sure that people are really feeling every ounce of what we're doing and every last note."

Wilson will perform songs from its newly released album "Right to Rise," which Puhy said sounds like ACDC on speed with a metal edge.

This album is the first time that all five band members collaborated on song-writing efforts, which gives the album more variety in sound. Some songs are straight up rock and roll, while others are slow down the beat and have more groove, Puhy said.

But all of the songs have one thing in common: they're for the working class.

"When we have (fans) that all they have is work and they're still out there grinding it every day for their family or for themselves, those are the people that really make this world turn We wanted people to hear our appreciation for those types of people because we are those people."

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