In a little study room on the second floor of Fondren Library, Matt Dickson reclines in his chair and props his feet up on the table, crossing one over the other.
This afternoon, he is a 20-year-old SMU biology major in khaki cargo shorts and a black Sublime T-shirt. But this weekend he’ll be working his fingers along the neck of a bass guitar as he practices with his band, Third Awakening. His creativity and understading of business in the world of music led to the band’s performance at Vans Warped Tour last summer in Dallas.
The annual nationwide tour hosts multiple bands ranging from big names in punk, alternative and metalcore music to lesser-known bands, all selected to perform through a contest. Following his experience at Warped Tour, Dickson said he would sign with his favorite record company if given the chance, confident that his band mates would follow suit.
“I’m staying in school until it’s a guarantee that we have a 90 percent chance of making a success with it,” Dickson said. “A person pursuing education is always looking for a way to better themselves.”
Dickson is a junior transfer student from Tyler Junior College east of Dallas. In October 2006 he joined and helped develop the progressive rock band as its bass player. The other band members are rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist Blake Johnson, lead guitarist and primary pianist Brandon Johnson, and drummer and backup vocalist Waylen Hardy.
Third Awakening began playing local shows in January 2007. Six months later, the band was discovered by the founder and producer of Vans Warped Tour, Kevin Lyman.
Lyman invited Third Awakening to play at Warped Tour after coming across the band’s MySpace page, according to Dickson.
“It was pure luck,” Dickson said with a smile.
Third Awakening played July 14 at Smirnoff Music Centre in Dallas. Dickson remembers looking out into the crowd, only to see it increase in number as the band continued to play. Playing alongside bands like Red Jumpsuit Apparatus made the experience truly surreal, Dickson said.
“Our shows have been really cool, but we had never really played somewhere quite that big before. It was a whole new animal entirely,” said drummer Waylen Hardy.
All members of Third Awakening are from East Texas. The Johnsons remain there while Dickson and Hardy recently moved to Dallas. The divide presents obvious obstacles, but the members are confident they will not hurt the band. The Johnsons hope to eventually move to Dallas.
While the band deals with its recent transitions, it will take some time off so Dickson and Hardy can adjust to living in Dallas. Practices will resume promptly, Blake Johnson said. Collective band practices will be limited and the commute lengthened, but it won’t hinder the band in any way.
“We’re going to keep going strong,” Blake Johnson added.
Before the band’s performance at Warped Tour, Midland and Odessa’s radio station, “Basin’s Classic Rock” FZX 102.1, aired “Break Me” for the first time on the airwaves. Jesse “Bogart” Contreras, a DJ host of “The Cellar,” a show at the station, was impressed by the band’s professionalism, stage presence and writing ability after attending a show Third Awakening played in Odessa last summer.
“They brought a big-city feel to the little venue where they were playing,” Contreras said.
Following the band’s performance at Warped Tour, Steve Jennings of the Velvet Hammer, a music management group out of Los Angeles, contacted the band. The Velvet Hammer has managed bands like the Deftones, System of a Down and Taproot.
Despite the band’s rapid success, Dickson said he’s trying to stay grounded. He knows the business is fluid and realizes the chances of making it big are slim. This is why he remains in school, studying biology to pursue another passion: medicine.
Each of the band members contribute more than its musical talent, Dickson said. He describes himself as “the go-to guy” regarding business discussions.
In addition to making music, Dickson said the band is interested in other endeavors. A literary compilation comprised of the band members’ writings, an independent film project and mentoring and producing other upstart bands are all projects the band is pursuing.
Jeff Miles, who helped manage Third Awakening early on, describes how the rest of the band views Dickson’s contribution. He adds a lot of professionalism creative drive, and keeps the band on task, whether at practice or setting up for a show, Miles said.
He’s exactly what the band was looking for when he joined, Blake Johnson added.
While Dickson’s dream is to make a name for himself and his band, he will stay in school pursuing medicine until the dream becomes a reality.
