You might know him as the frontman for The Starting Line, but Gainesville is about to get a new picture of Kenneth Vasoli.
Vasoli's newest brainchild, Person L, is described on the band's Web site as experimental/indie/melodramatic popular song, and Vasoli said it's a major step in a different direction than The Starting Line's pop-punk style.
"When I entered my 20s…my interest led me to rock and roll and and I found a lot of other stuff that interested me like jazz, soul, blues and electronic music," the 25-year-old singer said. "My hunger to do other stuff had gotten really strong. That was the big motivation behind doing something different."
Vasoli said that at first he tried to work his new ideas into The Starting Line but decided to start Person L when other band members didn't respond enthusiastically.
"After a while, I realized that The Starting Line should be it's own thing," said Vasoli, who cites The Battles, Radiohead and Drive Like Jehu as major musical influences.
"I shouldn't have to force a square into a circle, stuff that didn't belong there into The Starting Line," he said.
After Person L was formed, Vasoli started his own record label, Human Interest, which donates a portion of all record sales to charity.
"Human interest is a way of getting (the music) out there while still doing something positive," he said. "We pretty much just give what we can."
But Vasoli said there's a delicate balance between trying to earn money and keeping the band's voice intact.
"We would never do anything to sacrifice the creativity of what we do," he said. "Mainstream is not really what we're looking for."
Vasoli said he's happy with the modest success Person L is building and doesn't regret moving on from The Starting Line, which enjoyed a comfy spot on the Billboard Chart for all three of the band's albums.
"I miss it sometimes, but I don't think The Starting Line is necessarily done for forever," he said. "I get so much satisfaction out of what we're doing with Person L that even though it's not the success story The Starting Line was, I don't regret anything."
Person L is an infant in the music world. The band's first album "Initial" was released in August, and the second album "The Positives," is slated for later this summer -but Vasoli said the tour is running smoothly so far.
"I measure tours based on how much fun I'm having," he said. "And I'm having a ton on this one."
The Gainesville performance - which will also feature the Gay Blades - will be Person L's only headline show of the tour, and Vasoli said he's a little bit nervous because two members of the five-piece ensemble won't be present.
"It'll be a scramble," he said. "But as long as there's more than 12 people, I'll be smiling ear to ear."
But Vasoli said he doesn't get discouraged when the crowds are sparse.
"I expect there to be no one who knows who we are, and if there are some, I'm pleasantly surprised," he said. "We're so new and such a shift in gears from what they expect that I expect to pay a lot of dues, and I still am."
The performance will be at 1982 Bar on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at ticketweb.com and Hear Again CDs and DVDs for $10.
