Coretta Scott’s post-emo vibe shakes up Club Soda

If Coretta Scott isn’t the best rock band in Spokane, guitarist Preston Thomason is convinced it is next in line for the title.

At its first headlining show at the Big Easy Concert House in July, Coretta Scott drew a crowd of nearly 500 heads and tons of praise.

“Not to sound cocky, but that was our official introduction that we’re going to be one of the biggest bands in Spokane,” Thomason said.

Together for less than a year and only having played a handful of local shows, the ambitious rock quintet appears tonight at 7 p.m. at Club Soda, 715 E. Sprague, with headliners Mourning After, along with They Opened Fire, The Listening and Burn the Water. There is a $5 cover for the all-ages show.

Thomason said Coretta Scott often gets confused as an emo band.

“We don’t cry about anything. I was hugely into emo in 2001 and that’s a part of me, but I don’t want to cry. I’m more about old school rock, not the drugs and ladies part of it. Our attack is more about taking ourselves seriously and still having a good time,” Thomason said.

Thomason called Coretta a hardworking blue-collar band, but one that is also conscious of its image, more Motley Crue than Chuck Berry (around-the-world guitar tricks and all).

“We wear the black shirts and white studded belts everyone makes fun of,” Thomason said. “When we walk into a club for a show out of town, we want people to think, ‘That must be the band.’ “

“You’re not going to see us in WWE wrestling T-shirts and khaki cargo shorts. It’s not like we spend all of our time doing our hair, but our image is fairly important. We’d be stupid not to worry about it. I’m serious about making this my career,” he said.

Stylistically, Coretta has been pegged as melodic hardcore, a descriptor the band tries to dodge because it stays away from the scream side of metal.

Members of Coretta Scott – Thomason, vocalist Seth Woodward, guitarist Shayne Swenson, bassist Ben Emery and drummer Mike McClung – call their style old school while still remaining critical of the local rock scene for being behind the times.

“We’re trying to present an old idea and make it new again,” Thomason said. “It’s not like we use Aqua Net hairspray.”