Seven……… “The Chemistry Says It All”
By: Krista Doran
As a musician myself and also the feature writer of the Out On The Town’s “In The Spotlight” segment, I get to meet a lot of really good local musicians. It’s always great making new friends and seeing the many very talented acts that are right here in the Philly area. One of those bands is The Seven Band.
The members of this band however, are not “new” friends of mine. I have known CJ and Timmy since I was in high school. In fact, I don’t think that CJ even knows that he was one of the first people to inspire me to perform. We had a lot of fun back in those days and I always knew CJ would continue to play music for the rest of his life. He has that rare gift of true talent and honest love for music. All 3 of the O’Neill brothers are very talented musicians and now the legacy continues with CJ’s son Chris James, who we’ll get to in a bit!
After first starting out as Old No. 7 back in the mid ‘80s, the band has gone through many changes. Current members CJ, Timmy and Jeff played for many years in Old No. 7 and built a great following as one the most recognized cover band names in the Philly area. After a few years, CJ went off to play with his original band, Keiper Union and enjoyed a very successful career opening for acts such as Meatloaf and Blue Oyster Cult. They were even set to go on tour with Jefferson Starship until the lead singer became ill and they had to cancel the tour. After 5 years with Keiper Union, CJ decided to return to the cover band scene and reform Old No. 7, which is when his son Chris James came on board at the young age of 17. Now the band is simply known as Seven, and features newer members Heather and Joe. I asked CJ why name the band Seven when there are only six members and he replied “the audience is the seventh member.” This band really gets the audience involved in their shows, so it’s only fitting.
Seven is a band that can go from playing Top 40 Dance music, right into some heart-pounding rock making it look effortless and with Chris James now fronting the band, Seven has taken on a new persona. Like CJ, Chris also has that rare talent and is an extremely gifted singer/songwriter. Following in his father’s footsteps, Chris has embarked on a very successful career in writing original music and has already opened up for Tim Reynolds (Dave Mathews Band), Michelle Branch and Jefferson Airplane. Chris continues to play solo acoustic shows around the area and you can hear some of his music on their website right now by going to www.thesevenband.com. You can also check out Chris and CJ’s acoustic show, now every Friday night at McStew’s Happy Hour in Levittown from 6 – 9 pm.
I have seen Seven in action a couple of times and they really are extremely entertaining, well structured and professional in every way. They are all talented, versatile musicians and a lot of fun to watch. From Heather’s awesome voice to Timmy’s ass-kicking drums, it is always a treat to see Seven play. I recommend checking them out especially to see Timmy come out from behind the drums to sing Run DMC’s “Tricky” or even to check out their tour bus – the Crazy Train! This is a band that does it up right and in this writer’s opinion, there are only a handful of cover bands in the area that come close to having the onstage chemistry that Seven does. Very few bands can achieve this because it’s something that develops through hard work, friendship and a true bond.
Seven is Chris James on lead guitar and vocals, CJ on bass and vocals, Heather on vocals, Jeff percussion, keys, guitar and vocals, Joe guitar and vocals and Timmy on the tin cans. You can catch Seven playing in great rooms like Kenny’s Spirited Eatery in Southampton, Havana’s in Newtown and there will be a huge St Patty’s Day party featuring Seven at Bailey’s on March 17, 2010. They also do a lot of benefits to help out local veterans and their community. Seven is the perfect choice for weddings, private parties or corporate events. If you would like to get more information on the band you can do so by going to their website www.thesevenband.com or by calling 267-984-3349.
