Bowden brothers to embark on West coast tour
Eleanor Yarkin, Reporter

  Senior Frosty Bowden can be seen around the high school with his shoulder-length black hair, ripped black jeans and hints of humor on his face. He and his brother sophomore Jacob Bowden have become well-known throughout the high school for their popular and energized performances at Open Mics. The Bowdens’ band, “20 Eyes,” has played gigs at many local venues and are now looking beyond the island’s limits.
  ”20 Eyes” is a punk rock band, with Frosty Bowden playing bass and singing, and Jacob Bowden on the drums. With support from their father, the brothers are looking for new venues in which to perform.
  “My dad has connections in Oregon and knows people all throughout Washington,” Frosty Bowden said. “We’re trying to set up a West Coast tour.”
  The band recently played their first off-island show at the Plaid Pig, a bar in Tacoma.
  “[Our gig] was on a Tuesday at a bar in the middle of nowhere, so we’ve had better shows than that, but it was fun to get some exposure off-island,” Frosty Bowden said.
  Frosty Bowden has long had an interest in music, playing with his dad before starting “20 Eyes” with his brother in 2014.
  “Since I was a kid, I listened to music all the time,” Frosty Bowden said. “My dad would put on a Social Distortion CD in the car any time we would go somewhere, so that kind of music stuck with me a lot and is the sort of music that I play now.”
  In addition to “20 Eyes,” Frosty Bowden was formerly a member of a band called “1130,” and currently plays in an indie punk band called “Basement Tuesdays” along with senior Dimitrius Brown and junior Chick Green.
  “[Frosty’s] not only a very talented bassist, but also super charismatic and fun to have [at] band practice,” Brown said.
  Frosty Bowden’s musical skill is completely self-taught. Playing in multiple bands has given him valuable experience.
  “He picks up rhythms and song layout really quick and remembers it forever,” Brown said. “He can write lyrics about pretty much anything and make it sound good.”
  Frosty Bowden also discussed how working with his brother in “20 Eyes” has helped him succeed with musicians in other bands.
  “I bring [the] aspect to my other bands more about the energy of the music and how it feels and how it sounds rather than the music theory and science behind it,” Bowden said.
  Looking back on high school, Frosty Bowden sees that many of his biggest accomplishments are connected to “20 Eyes.” One such event was performing as part of a larger show that helps support musical education in the schools.
  “We played in the Chautauqua Music festival; it’s a big event that happens every year, and all the proceeds go to the music program[s] at Chautauqua and McMurray,” Frosty Bowden said. “We played all three of [the shows] that happened, and some of the talent that was at the festival was super good.”
  Playing in the band, however, has not come without its challenges. Neither of the brothers can drive, so organizing reliable transportation to and from gigs has been difficult. These challenges that come with practicing and performing have brought the brothers closer together.
  “We’ve always been pretty close, but playing together in the band has definitely made our relationship a little stronger,” Jacob Bowden said.
  As the Bowdens continue to plan their tour this summer and work to book gigs around the area, making connections with people in the music business has been crucial.
  “[Frosty has] the ability to understand people, which can help as a musician in working with people and getting on [their] good side,” Jacob Bowden said.
  As Frosty Bowden approaches graduation, he looks to his future with the band, which ideally would include performing in it for years to come.
  “I am trying to make a living off of this,” Bowden said. “I can’t rely on that, but it’s the goal.”