Listen, the dedication of underground musicians is down right impressive. At least most of the time. To have the same drive and motivation as rock stars that are making piles of cash when you are making diddly squat is just outstanding.

When thinking about dedicated underground musicians, one name definitely comes to mind and that name is Casting Shade, the one-man rock band consisting solely of E.J. Crawford and himself. Edward James Crawford is a Delaware County, Pennsylvania resident. He just graduated from Delaware County Community College as a Broadcasting major, and is now transferring to West Chester University for Communications with a minor in Film.

As a hard working musician, E.J. has become a local celebrity in his hometown. Almost every week, Casting Shade performs at The Coffee Club in Media, PA. This is where he will be performing a special event at on July 19th. After that, Casting Shade will be opening for the heavy metal band “9 Crown Monarch” at the New Garden Park in Kennett Square, PA.

EJ recently performed at a charity event held at Erin’s Pub in Bryn Mawr, PA in which he was the main event. At this venue, E.J. and other performers raised around eight hundred dollars for hospice. E.J. did not even ask for a free drink, but he got one anyway.

When going to a Casting Shade show, you will get several different feelings. One, you will feel entertained. When Mr. Crawford walks out on stage he is extremely personable. He has been known to introduce himself by saying things like: “Prepare to get dominated by a man with a hairy back and a small penis!” E.J. himself admitted, “I don’t know if I’m a comedian or a musician sometimes.”

The second feeling you will get is being moved by the intense messages of Casting Shade’s lyrics. Songs like “Faces in the Rain” and “Anathema” will let you feel the pain and sadness in which the words are produced from. And then romantic songs like “Devil” will give you a dark but reassuring feeling about love and life. Even songs like “One:33” can only be described, as romantic heartbreak will help heal any broken heart, but in a different manner than most heartbreak songs. Currently, E.J. is working on his new album, which will be titled How to Cheat at Solitaire. The album will include new songs titled: “You Can Only Scream (Before Your Lungs Fill With Blood)”, “Death of a Showman”, “Hell Will Break my Fall”, and “Deck Full of Jokers”/Deck Full of Doubles”.

Casting Shade’s lyrics can be pretty brutal, but the music is comforting. Somehow the vicious lyrics and the softer music go together really well. Casting Shade’s music and upcoming show info can be seen at his website: www.myspace.com/castingshaderocks . However, the music on the MySpace isn’t at all the same as a live performance – the recording quality is not very impressive, and the vocals are a bit low. But the good news is, according to E.J., really good tracks are on their way. But to really get a true Casting Shade experience, you must go to a live show and prepare to get dominated by a man with a hairy back and a small penis.

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