“Longview” is the title of a song by Green Day. It’s also the hometown of rock band Numbered Days. Like gritty Tacoma, timber town Longview, Wash., has buried ties to rock music. Longview’s latest export, Numbered Days, plays straight ahead original rock that has been compared to that of Nickelback, Three Days Grace, System of the Down and Pearl Jam.

Well, not all Numbered Days’ band members hail originally from Longview.  Bryan Lewis (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) is originally from Kenai, Alaska. Greg Stone (back up vocals and lead guitar) is from Spokane. Andrew Phillips (percussion and drums) is an import from Portland, Ore. Only Chris Halleck (bass) hails from Longview.

Lewis explains that the band’s name, Numbered Days (NDZ), stems from their belief that you never really know when your days are up so you should make the best of them.

The album they are currently touring is called The Umbilical Tree, which came from an abstract drawing by Lewis.

“When we put the project together, the umbilical tree drawing I drew a couple of years ago became a symbol of Numbered Days: Brand new to the music business and just fell off the Umbilical Tree,” explains Lewis.

This is the band’s third release.

“We sold 200-plus copies of the album in 12 days in the local area and have not stretched much farther North than Chehalis, and barely stretched into Portland,” says Lewis. By the end of next month 100 independent stores across the Northwest will carry it.

Lewis explains that a song titled “Six” on the latest album was inspired by standing on stage and experiencing a connection with the crowd. A lyric from the song says, “We’re in a marionetted six string dance and all six are holding me.”

He related a real life case of this that occurred recently.

“On Friday we played an acoustic show, and a girl in the audience actually started crying about three songs into the set,” Lewis explains. “Post-show she told us that she related so closely with our music that it invoked this response of crying. I was a little awestruck.”

For more info or to listen now, visit www.myspace.com/ numbereddaysband.



[Oh! Gallagher’s Sports Bar, Friday, July 27, 8 p.m., $5-$7, 7304 Lakewood Dr. W., Lakewood, 253.472.3009]