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Lansing band films music video at Loft

April 1, 2012
Lead guitarist, Chas Millican, of the hard rock/metal band Deveraux, plays guitar Friday night at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing. The band performed and filmed its first music video after winning the Q106 Homegrown Throwdown. Samantha Radecki/The State News
Lead guitarist, Chas Millican, of the hard rock/metal band Deveraux, plays guitar Friday night at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing. The band performed and filmed its first music video after winning the Q106 Homegrown Throwdown. Samantha Radecki/The State News —
Photo by Samantha Radecki | and Samantha Radecki The State News

Flashing lights, circling cameras and screaming fans greeted Lansing-based metal and hard rock band DeverauX as it took the stage to tape its first music video Friday.

The five-member act shot its video “The Last of Us” Friday night at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing, during its show in front of a crowd of about 100 fans.

“It’s another one of my dreams knocked down,” said lead vocalist Phillip LaMay. “A lot of my dreams have been reached with this band.”

The music video shoot was a part of a prize package won by the group through The Q106 Homegrown Throwdown battle of the bands, which took place last November. The band formed in September 2011 to prepare for this battle of the bands competition after local group Bloodletting, which three members of DeverauX were part of, disbanded.

“Bloodletting opened a wound, and DeverauX is healing it,” LaMay said.

Healing was the theme of the night — “The Last of Us” was written by drummer and vocalist David Floyd about the end of a long relationship he once had.

The final music video will include studio footage, performance footage and creative production of items being smashed, said The Loft’s Managing Partner Jerome White, who also is the owner of Media Advantage, the company producing DeverauX’s video. It will be available in about mid-May on the band’s website, which currently is being developed.

During the performance, fans showed appreciation for the band through headbanging, dancing and clamoring toward the stage.

MSU alumna Martha Vozza, who received free tickets to the performance and video shoot while in a nearby venue, said she was surprised by the band’s talent.

“I’m not usually a metal fan but (DeverauX) is great,” she said.

White said the act has one of the best shots of any in the Lansing area at becoming a national success.

“They are a much more polished band than you’d typically find from a local band,” White said.

But the amount of success the group has earned in such a short time could complicate matters for the family-orientated band members. Bass player Jeff Younk said balancing a family, job and the band can be difficult.

“It scares me because this could become a profession,” Younk said. “I’m trying to follow my dream.”

Despite members’ humble attitudes, DeverauX and its fans have confidence in the group’s future.

“As long as we keep our heads in the game and our priorities in line, I see no reason why we couldn’t become a national act,” Floyd said.

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