Former Princeton resident part of widely successful Hawthorne Heights rock band
By: Jake Uitti
For former Princeton resident Eron Bucciarelli-Tiger, the drummer for the widely successful rock band Hawthorne Heights, the experience of growing up in Princeton provided a wealth of inspiration for his musical career.
Hawthorne Heights, a group that has been playing together since 2001, has gone platinum with its record, "The Silence in Black and White," and gold with "If Only You Were Lonely."
Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger now lives with his four band mates J.T. Woodruff, Micah Carli, Casey Calvert and Matt Ridenour in Dayton, Ohio. But he credits the Arts Council of Princeton with setting him on the path to becoming a successful professional drummer.
"People used to rent out the top floor and put on hard-core shows," he said. "I used to walk or bike over there pretty much every other weekend. That really inspired me to want to play music even more."
Princeton’s proximity to New York City and Philadelphia was also a huge benefit, he said.
And while attending Princeton High School, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger played for the school’s Studio Band an acclaimed band in its own right.
"I also have many fond memories of playing in the school band," he said.
A former student of the late band director Tony Biancosino, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger played drums for three years in the studio band, coming back even after he graduated to play alongside then-current band members in the studio band concerts.
After graduating from PHS, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger attended the University of Dayton, where he studied communications and marketing.
"That definitely came in handy when it came time for us to solicit labels," he said.
At the moment, Hawthorne Heights, which Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger joined five years ago, records on the Victory Records label though the band is in the middle of a lengthy lawsuit with the company.
"Hopefully, that will change soon," Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger said. He explained that the band has several qualms about their label, ranging from problems with the company’s business practices to messages it was giving fans without the band’s consent.
Despite the legal battle, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger’s devotion to music hasn’t wavered.
"I like just being able to play music," he said. "That’s my job. Touring and seeing the world. Touring in front of people who appreciate the music I have helped create. It’s a powerful experience."
The genesis for the band began in Dayton, where Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger used to go to concerts and often played in small shows for the thrill of the experience.
"What I was doing was just sort of for fun," he explained. "Then I met a couple of guys who wanted to pursue it more seriously."
Since then, Hawthorne Heights has exploded onto the music scene, receiving regular play from MTV for its songs "Ohio is for lovers" and "Saying Sorry," among other critical successes.
The band has two albums out now, and is in the middle of working on a third.
"Eight songs are written so far," he said of the album currently in the works. "We’re hoping to record in March and have an album out later that year."
The song-writing process for the band is "democratic," he explained.
"Someone will have an initial idea and bring it to the table," he said. "We’ll play around with it until we like the sound and the chord structure. Then J.T. will write the lyrics. Then we will put it aside for a couple of weeks and come back to it to see if we still like it. Everything sort of grows step by step."
With all of the band’s success, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger said it is hard to find time to come home to Princeton.
"We’ve been on the road for about 300 days per year for the last three years," he said. "Between all of that, there really isn’t time to come back home. A couple of days here and there, but for the most part not. Definitely not as much as my mom wants," he laughed.
Along with his positive influences in Princeton with the Arts Council and the Studio Band, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger said his musical inspirations range from Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, to John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, to Alan Cage of Quicksand.
His experience with Hawthorne Heights has taken him around the world, to Australia, Japan, Germany, Holland and Belgium.
"Those are definitely some of the most exciting places we’ve ever been," he said.
Despite his hectic schedule, Mr. Bucciarelli-Tiger did find time to get married. He has been a husband for two years, though he doesn’t see having a baby in the near future.
"I would like to be home for that," he said. "The lifestyle is too crazy for that now."

