“It almost doesn’t feel like Andy’s really gone!” was the emotional sentiment expressed by Katastro drummer Andrew Stravers at the band’s album release on Saturday. The Arizona rockers threw one last party to celebrate the music and life of their late singer Andy Chaves- and invited all of their friends and the whole of the Valley to join them.
Marquee Theatre was wall to wall with longtime fans, friends and family as the band took their places onstage. With Chaves projected behind them on the LED screen, his words propelled Ryan Weddle, Tanner Riccio and Stravers into a blend of live instrumentals and Chaves’ tracked vocals. The audience nearly drowned out these vocals with their own enthusiastic singing along to “Until the End of Time” and “The Way I Feel”.
Katastro’s sunny persona has made them a staple of the Arizona music scene since the members were kids and they took that positive energy across the country over time as well. That impact can’t be overstated- the band is so beloved by countless people and the loss of Chaves hit the community hard when the news broke. Since then, his words have lived on through songs like “Pocket Fulla” and “That Place You Kno
The remaining three members gave the audience everything they could ask for, getting the fans to put up their phone flashlights in memory but they kept the mood lighthearted and fun to really drive home the celebratory message of the night. The room was steamy by the end of the set, but the band wasn’t done with us- it was time for the friends and family portion of the set.
Katastro’s final album featured both reworked vocals from Chaves’ last sessions with the band, alongside features from all their closest friends from over the years. Many of them made the journey to Arizona to feature on the last few songs of the night- including John O’Callaghan of The Maine, Mouse Powell, Colton Place of Pacific Dub and Jared Watson of Dirty Heads.
Each guest was met with joyful cheers and huge smiles from the band as they welcomed so many influential vocalists to share these final moments together. Before the encore, Chaves’ family took the stage to express a depth of gratitude that moved the room to tears. One lucky fan also walked away with a record plaque from the band’s charity raffle and the family hinted that future reunions to continue Andy’s legacy are certainly under consideration.
Another onslaught of tears came during an encore of “Muse”, featuring a live orchestra and lending a new level of emotion to the song. It may have been pushing midnight, but the crowd was reluctant to leave at the end of the night, wanting to keep this celebration of life going into the early hours of the morning. Andy Chaves’ impact has reverberated across the Arizona musical community both in life and posthumously and that impact came to life on Saturday night.
Andy will remain on the Atlas masthead in memory of an incredible singer and human being close to our hearts and we hope to continue telling his story over the coming years. AJC and Katastro forever.
