Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

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Student MUSICIANS lY A Rocking vvaryville ' s MUaC SCENE Bands uke Prank Monkey, Mile 29 and Ethos perform at area venues; each fill a niche and satisfy the musical hunger of students. w W ▼hei hether it was writing lyrics to free one ' s mind, taking frustrations out on an innocent drumhead or jumping in a mosh pit to release built-up energy, music has long been an outlet for students. Students took advantage of Maryville ' s various genres to feed their musical hunger. Punk, jam bands, techno and more supplied opportunity for people to find their niche. Prank Monkey, Mile 29 and Ethos were three of a handful of bands who entertained crowds in and around the area. The members of each band were dedicated to each other and improving music in Maryville and surrounding areas. It ' s (Maryville) the musical black hole of the universe, Prank Monkey bassist Rob Eischen said. Eischen, along with two others, improved the situation by creating a pop-punk band. Man, my balls are sweaty; 1 need some Gold Bond — Hey, check out our kick-ass web site at prankmonkey.com! lead singer and guitarist Jonathan Hutchins screamed, while onstage. The sound of Prank Monkey came from the combined influences of Green Day, Incubus, Blink 182, MxPx and others. Hutchins, Eischen and drummer Brian Jewell used these influences to form new punk, a term they used to describe their fast-paced, punk- influenced songs about girls. Prank Monkey formed in September 2001 and played 30-plus shows within the year. Maryville appearances included The Pub, The Palms, Molly ' s and the Hole-ln- One Ind{K r Miniature Golf Course. The band branched out of Maryville to larger cities in the Midwest including Dcs Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Neb; St. Joseph and Lawrence, Kan. Their fan base grew outside of the United States as well. We even have fans in Europe who sign our web site guestbook saying they loved the music they downloaded off our site, Hutchins said. Jewell said the real turning point for the band occurred in April 2002, when they played five shows and started to earn real followers. They hoped to form a bigger fan base after all members graduated. Hutchins planned to be the last to graduate in May 2004; then, the sky was the limit. Hutchins said they wanted to take Prank Monkey as far as they could, preferably in California. We just want to be able to support ourselves — we don ' t necessarily have to explode like Blink, Jewell said. The future of the band after college was up to fate. Members thought that in order to succeed they would have to withstand the occasional verbal fight. We would kill each other on a tour bus, Eischen said. At times we act like a bunch of 40-year-old women going through menopause, bitching at each other. Despite the occasional bickering, all members felt they had the musical skills and friendship to achieve their goals. What makes Prank Monkey different from other bands is that we have energy, crowd interaction, experience and dedication, Jewell said. We are tight as a band and as a whole. Prank Monkey ' s look was also unique, compared to other local bands. Jewell and Hutchins could be spotted from afar by colorful mohawks. They changed hair color weekly, encompassing every shade in the color wheel. They accesorized thrift store apparel and the occasional leather jacket with an array of jewelry and piercings. Along with a punk look, the band ' s name made them stand out. Hutchins said the idea came from the Simpsons episode where Homer was dressed as a panda and his boss, Mr. Burns said, ' I will now call you my little prank monkey. ' Another Northwest-founded group with a unique style and name was Mile 29. The band said their name was more than just a name — it took on a life meaning. It comes from a mile marker on 1-29, Bass guitarist Brent Steffens said. There are so many mile markers, like in life. You go from mile marker to mile marker every day. Everyone is going to pass the one marker. Mile 29 ' s music was the true passion of the five guys trying to make it in Maryville. Up until the last few years, the music scene really sucked in Maryville, saxophoni.st Jason Paiva said. Com inued page 19 761 FEATURES

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Mile 29 performs at a concert outside the Delta Chi house to benefit victims of testicular cancer. The Oct. 4 performance was moved to the Palm ' s after noise complamts. photo hy Man Frye Mile 29 drummer Brent Vogt plays durmg a performance Oct. 4 at the Delta Chi house. Mile 29 practiced at least once per week to prepare for performances, phoio hy Man Iryr Prank Money drummer Brian Jewell accompanies bass pbycr l ob Hischen. The band occasionally pcrfonncd at the VAii . pftaiohY Mail l ryr 1£: