Orlando band finds a home in Tampa

Pop-rock band Amely continued its national tour at the Ybor Orpheum on Sunday to an eager crowd. Lead singer Petie Pizarro said, “Tampa gave us one of the best crowd responses of the entire tour, especially when we played our newest single ‘Come Back To Me.’ It was amazing to hear people singing along to a song that has only been released for a week.”

After their debut in March 2009, the quartet traveled across the U.S. and set out on a two-week tour opening for We Are The In Crowd. Often compared to All American Rejects and Boys Like Girls, Amely pulls influences from other local bands, Anberlin and There For Tomorrow. So far, this young band has performed on the Vans Warped Tour and opened for All Time Low and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Jackie Deame, a fan from Bradenton, first heard of Amely at the Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour in July 2010. “They all seem so down to earth and real and they don’t pretend to be anyone they are not,” she said.

The Ybor set consisted of seven songs, including tracks from the bands upcoming EP “Hello World,” which is scheduled for release Sept. 14.

“We have poured every bit of energy and originality that we had into (the album) and we hope that people enjoy it,” Pizarro said. “It is definitely a big leap for us.”

Although the show opened with the energetic “Sing To You,” it took a couple of songs for the crowd to get into their music. The band ended with “I’d Rather Be Alone,” which encouraged a great deal of crowd participation.

In 2008, Pizarro split from his old band Breaking Tides and began writing and recording demos under his own name. With loans from his father and the drumming of friend Nate Parsell, the two published their first EP in 2008 titled “On My Own.” Soon after, the two recruited help from bassist Patrick Ridgen and guitarist Brandon Walden to complete the band.

Regardless of their Orlando roots, the central Florida group has a special appreciation for the Bay area. “We have a very dedicated fan base in Tampa that comes out to every show and keeps coming back to support us,” Pizarro said.

Today, the band’s singles, including “Come Back To Me,” can be purchased on iTunes, and a CD release show has been scheduled for Sept. 15 at Backbooth in Orlando. For more information about the band, visit their Myspace page at myspace.com/amely.