PIVOT

Interview for Stage 1 Press

Get ready for Pivot! Pivot is proof Akron rocks and that the music scene is alive and thriving.

Pivot play 90’s rock covers with a unique edge led by vocalist Jessica West, guitarist Jacob Gall, bassist Cameron , and Sharp and drummer .Joe Moore.

“We love all the 90’s grunge/alternative greats that we grew up with and shaped who we are today.  Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Cranberries, Blink 182, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers,” said Jessica.

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Bill SamarasTue, Jan 21, 9:08 PM (2 days ago)
Hello Jess, Hope all is well. Great seeing you and Pivot at the Matinee! Love the whole show! Here are interview questions for you: 1. So, first, what does the

Bill, thank you so much!  Here are the answers.  We are hoping this will be published well before our next show February 15?  If not I understand.

                     Pivot is an alternative band covering 90’s and some early 2000’s. We are working on a few originals but not rushing the creative process.

2.  How did the band come together and what inspired you?

                 I am the vocalist, Jessica West.  Guitarist Jacob Gall and I are former coworkers and we started a little acoustic project for fun back in 2020.  It wasn’t until October of 2023 that we decided to start a full rock band.  It didn’t take long to put a group together who had the same drive and vision and we hit the ground running.  We have a killer three hour setlist, and on top of that, we’re working on an acoustic set that will implement my ukulele and Camerons flute.

3.  What is the meaning behind the band name?  

                     Pivot is a call back to the famous scene in Friends where Ross is moving a couch up the stairs and screaming “PIVOT!!!”  

4.  Who are your musical influences?

                      We love all the 90’s grunge/alternative greats that we grew up with and shaped who we are today.  Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Cranberries, Blink 182, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers……

5.  What inspired you to get into music and what do you hope to achieve?

Jacob describes it perfectly when he says that music is an escape from reality. There has always been an undeniable pull towards music that makes you feel things that only music can make you feel. We like to share that feeling with others as often as we can.  We want to achieve years of experience playing live and sharing our bands chemistry and sound with anyone who will hang around to listen.

6.  What do you have in the works at this time and upcoming months?

                       We have a lot of great shows booked for 2025!  Next up is the Afterlife on Saturday February 15, then Karma Social on Saturday, March 8th.  Our full schedule is listed on our website at pivotrocks.com and is continually updated.  

7.  Who is everyone in the band and who plays what in your bio? 

                        Jessica West (Akron) is lead vocalist and will be implementing her ukulele into the acoustic set that is currently in the works.  Jacob Gall (Akron) is lead guitarist and also plays bass in a Minerva based band called Kindred Roots.  Joe Moore (Kent) is the drummer.  Cameron Sharp (Mentor) is the bassist who is currently taking lessons from Matt McJunkins (A Perfect Circle and Thirty Seconds to Mars.)

8.  How do you choose the songs you do? 

                      We basically draw from a pool of all our favorite songs from our past.  We try to pick songs that are super nostalgic to our generation, but not super obvious or overdone.  

9.  Any originals cooking?  (songs)

                      We are working on our second original song that will hopefully be released in the coming months.  Our first original is called “Like Rain” and is currently on all music platforms.

10.  What motivates you to perform and what to bring to the stage?

                       I think we all agree that music is the greatest emotional outlet there is and we try to express that through our performance.  The songs we choose are the soundtrack to our early years and it’s awesome to have the opportunity to reflect that on stage.

11.  What makes your band click?  

                        Our band clicks very well! We all have the same great level of commitment, discipline, and passion for what we’re doing.  On top of that, our individual input on song choices are always in accord with each other and the bands vision.

12  How can people find you? 

                         All of our show information and social media links can be found on our website www.pivotrocks.com.  Please visit!

13 Any additional comments about Pivot your music or your mission?

                         Please check us out at an upcoming show and follow us on social media!  In this age of dwindling show attendance, we are grateful for every person that gets out and supports local music.

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