New local band contributing to the Bloomington music scene

A new rock band is on the run and can be caught jamming at Bloomington bars near you. Bluebird is their venue of choice for Thursday. If passion and drive can push you toward national stardom, then each member of this new group seems destined for success. \nFive IU students have collaborated to form 3rd Base, an unconventional and highly-talented local band. Its members include junior Ray Vanlanot, winner of this year's Big Man on Campus competition and 3rd Base's lead singer; junior Ben Kincius, rocking on lead guitar; junior Drew Kincius, a self-taught drummer and natural talent; Mark Stuckey, a graduate student in the Jacobs School of Music, playing the keyboard and throwing down original beats; and junior Joe Juettner, who holds it all together on bass guitar. \nAside from being inspired by what they refer to as "The Holy Trinity," which consists of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, the members of 3rd Base are motivated by being fans of music. They realized that music was something they just had to be a part of at some point and decided that they needed to get themselves involved in it in some way, by whatever means necessary. As Ben Kincius puts it, "We got bored and caught the fever."\nJuettner, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, called Ben Kincius, a former member of his freshmen floor, and asked him to join the band he was constructing for that year's BMOC. This was the first time that Juettner, Ben and Stuckey, another member of Lambda Chi, had played together. They enjoyed each other's sound and company and continued to practice after BMOC wrapped. Their next musical function together was IU Sing that, this time, included Drew, Ben's younger brother, on the drums. \n"After we played the songs we had to, we decided to play some others," Ben said. "We thought, let's see where this can go."\nThe band members finalized the band at the end of last year and came back to school in the fall eager to make something happen. However, they ran into one problem: They needed a lead singer to bring great vocals to their instrumentals. Stuckey heard a particular voice that had caught his attention the previous year. It was Vanlanot, who is also the president of Theta Chi Fraternity. Stuckey knew Vanlanot was the finishing touch the band needed and sent word out immediately to make him the band's new leading man. Vanlanot was quick to respond to the group's request and the rest is history. The band's first official concert, as the opening act at Jake's Bar, was held on Sept. 19. 3rd Base's first performance was met by rave reviews, and they haven't stopped since. \nWhen it comes to its musical style, 3rd Base considers itself a "jack of all trades." As of now, 3rd Base plays cover songs that include bands like Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Coldplay. Thursday's show will be Bloomington's first opportunity to hear an original song by the group. \n"We play half what we want to play, and half what we know people want to hear," Drew said. "It's not enough to play your songs well or to try to get people riled up," Ben added. "We gotta bring a combination of both."\nAlthough the band strongly desires to play its own creative work, Juettner said, "if you can build your fame up as a cover band and then slip one original into a set, I think that, ya know, maybe that could get a response." \nEach member has written his own songs, but "the best way things usually end up working is when it is a collaborative thing and we have ideas bouncing off of several different people," Ben said. "It's important to write them together as a band." \nThe respect the band members have for each other leads to cooperation while working together. They listen to one another's ideas and build from there. "It helps that we are all great musicians," Drew explained. "The thing I really like about this band, too, is that we all really care about what we're doing, and we do a great job." \nAs for the future of 3rd Base, the only direction they see is up. \n"It's a matter of realizing your potential and tapping it," Ben said. "I hope that people get a sense that we're doing something, and we're doing it in a particular way that's ... something different … a different approach to what has already been presented."\nAs for their own futures, every member plans to have music remain a central part of their lives. \n"Music is the only thing I want to do," Juettner explained. "It's the only thing I'm interested in, and if I put a lot of concentration into it, I think I can make something happen." \nThey all agree that timing is everything in order to break into the music business. Juettner refers to The Beatles, a group that he believes broke at exactly the right time by being introduced when everyone was copying everyone else's sound. To make their dream a reality, they explained they must have something new and different to offer. \n"The Beatles were a friggin' band!" Juettner said. "They formed their own band, they made their own sound, and they came alive with their own music. And that is exactly what we plan to do"