For local band, Bound by Substance, making it to the stage of Irving Plaza is a dream come true. The band will be playing at the venue as part of the Gotham Rocks three-year anniversary on Thursday, July 21 at 7:00 p.m.

“We have all watched many of our musical heroes perform on that same stage and we cannot believe that we will be given the same opportunity,” said vocalist and keyboardist for the band, Henry Rzonca.

The upcoming show at Irving Plaza is their biggest show to date. But the 10+ year-old band is no stranger to playing on New York City’s stages.

Over the years BBS has actively played the New York City club scene in venues such as CBGB's, Webster Hall, Crash Mansion, Snitch, The Continental, Don Hills, Orange Bear, The Knitting Factory, The Pussy Cat Lounge, Kenny's Castaways, and Ace of Clubs.

They have played some successful college campus shows at St. John’s University and Colgate University in New York. And out in Long Island BBS has played The Dublin Pub, Katie’s of Smithtown, McCoy’s, and Mulcahey’s. They have also played several successful shows out of the state and have even made it to the famed, Vans Warped Tour.

Currently, they have a monthly residency at The Bitter End on Bleeker Street in Manhattan, which is now considered a second home to the Queens-based band.

The band has also worked closely with a company called Gotham Rocks, which provides outlets and opportunities for unsigned artists.

Rzonca was born and raised in Maspeth, but the rest of the band – Dino Colacito who plays guitar, Angelo Marino on the bass and Matt Farina on the drums – are originally from Astoria.



The band was formed simply because of their love writing tunes.

“We can't imagine doing anything else,” Rzonca said.



The band’s sound is often described as “rock and roll with a splash of whiskey” and “a blend of early 70's rock and early 90's grunge. Farina and Marino bring solid rhythmic movements and distinctive bass lines, Colacito builds complex moods by combining the two elements of tranquilizing arpeggios and aggressive riffs.” And to complete BBS’s sound, Rzonca adds a few more layers with his soothing vocals and piano/organ melodies.

On their website, their sound is further described along the lines of the sound Tim Burton created in the film, Edward Scissorhands – “a perfect balance of darkness and haunting beauty as well as a coexistence of joy and despair.”

The band believes that depicting dramatic contrast within its music allows it to capture conflicting emotions that are deeply intertwined. 


The name, Bound by Substance, was actually taken from a song that was written by an earlier lineup of this same band. Although Rzonca noted that “the true meaning can only be found by personally asking our drummer, Matt, after a fine dinner of Italian cuisine.”

To find out more about Bound by Substance, visit their website, www.boundbysubstance.com or scan the barcode to watch a video of them performing: