Criteria

It's difficult to imagine a guy in a suit writing Criteria's riff-based anthem rock. That's why lead singer Stephen Pedersen quit his nine-to-five at a law firm to pursue music full-time. The result of his brave endeavor is When We Break, an emotionally and physically moving album with intelligent lyrics backed by a hefty harmony between guitar and drums. Aside from performing with his band, Pedersen also has a penchant for making up words, like strenth. "Strenth ... there's no g. S-t-r-e-n-t-h. It's a word I made up for the style of music that we play. It's muscular and heavy but still melodic and catchy," the singer says. Further exemplifying the band's brawn is the progression from its humble beginnings with one man and a guitar in a basement in Omaha to a four-piece ensemble embarking on a national summer tour. So what exactly is it about Criteria that sends crowds into a fury? Pedersen is dead-on when he says, "I think it's the unadulterated rockingness of it all. The live experience is visceral and high-energy, and we like to have fun."

Criteria gives a high-energy kick

Details

Criteria performs Friday, September 1, at Churchill's, 5501 NE 2nd Ave, Miami. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $12. For more information, call 305-757-1807.

Related Content

• Girls, Girls, Girls, and a Man With a Very Smooth Head
  October 14, 2011
• Lil Wayne Earns 18 BET Hip Hop Awards Nominations, Tweets About "Wakk" Skate Park
  September 8, 2011
• An Affair to Remember
  May 20, 2010
• Labor Day Bonus: Ten Recipes From Finalists in $100,000 Burger Contest
  September 3, 2010
• Bright Eyes at the Fillmore Miami Beach March 2
  February 24, 2011

More About

• Stephen Pedersen
• Omaha
• Concerts and Tour Dates

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue