Apr 13, 2019 3 min read

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By Kristin Emery

Fans of the homegrown Pennsylvania band Fuel are thrilled that they’ll light up the stage at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino on Sept. 14. Fuel formed in Harrisburg in 1993 and rose to stardom after they signed with Sony Records. In 1998, Fuel released their critically lauded debut album, “Sunburn,” with the massive hit single “Shimmer.” Their second album, “Something Like Human,” went multi-platinum driven by the singles “Innocent” and “Hemorrhage,” which remained at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

In 2003, Fuel released its third record, “Natural Selection,” and found success once again with the hit song “Falls On Me.” The band sold more than 3.5 million records in the US, headlined a sold out tour and opened for Aerosmith and Kid Rock.

But even what seems like the best of circumstances can prove to be difficult. Unhappy with the direction and lack of unity inside the band, lead singer Brett Scallions amicably parted ways with Fuel in 2004. During his time away from Fuel, Brett continued to write music and perform.

“When I left Fuel I was miserable,” Scallions says. “It did not feel like a band anymore.”

Brett reformed Fuel in 2014 and the ban released the album “Puppet Strings,” which entered the Billboard rock charts at No. 1.

“Rock ‘n’ roll is very much alive on this record,” Scallions says. “Fuel is fully reignited and it feels like we are just getting started.”

The band’s make up has changed since its inception and Scallions is the only remaining original member, but the sound is still pure Fuel. “We have myself on vocals and rhythm guitar, Phil Buckman on bass, Shannon Boone on drums and Jason Womack on lead guitar,” Scallions says.

With roots in Pennsylvania, the band has always enjoyed playing the Pittsburgh area and is looking forward to the upcoming show at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

“Pittsburgh has always been so much fun to play,” Scallions says. “The fans are always amazing and the city has an energy about it that is unmatched.”

What can fans expect from the show? “We will be playing all of the hits as well as many fan favorites,” Scallion says, “possibly a couple of new songs we’ve been working on.”

He says creating those new songs is a fun process. “I’ve been messing around with a lot of different types of sounds and instruments lately,” he says. “Drum loops, keys, crazy sounding effects on guitar and bass. The beauty of having a studio in your house is you can take your time and really explore different sounds.”