Fall of 1996

Its late summer in New England and the oppressive grip of those hot sweltering days is beginning to loosen, helping to usher in the crisp, cool, signature autumn nights that we long for all year. Enter the season of flannels, hooded sweatshirts, Samuel Adams Octoberfest, falling colored leaves, and jack-o-lanterns. Yes, no matter whats going on and no matter what mood you are in, this particular change always puts a smile on your face and buzz in your head (or maybe thats the Sam Adams).

There are other changes afoot as well. Steve Recchia and Tony Renzoni had both come out of serious, long term relationships earlier that year, which is of no surprise since everything seems to happen to both of these guys at the same time. Is it fate? Who knows, but what better way to walk through troubles with the lady friends than by having your best bud go through the same thing at the same time. Makes it easier I suppose.

So Steve and Tony are both now 21 years young and really looking to be part of something huge...something that will make a lasting impact. I suppose that everyone must experience this at such a volatile and exciting time in ones life, or maybe they are just pissed at their ex-girlfriends. However, Tony and Steves pathetic journey leads them to an old torn up booth at the local Howard Johnsons. Well, after all we do live in Connecticut and what else would you do at 2:00 AM but stuff your face with cheese fries and a greasy burger while all the time watching the ever eclectic motley presence of Waterbury flow in and out of the establishment? Now that, my friends, is pure entertainment.

Punching through that meandering scenery like a solar flare is a most unmistakable energy that thunders toward us like Sonic the Hedgehog. Indeed, it is Augie Jayaraj! Dr. Funk of Tahiti (we will leave the origins of this nick name a secret) has graced us with his unequivocally intense persona. We were quickly snapped out of whatever impending polyunsaturated food coma we were about to enter. Apparently Augie is also looking to change the world so we decided to combine forces. At lease the three of us share an aversion to sleep so that was a good common ground to start from. We left the Howard Johnsons parking lot that night huddled around Dr. Funks 3000GT with a plan. It was to be a real roadmap for a band that would take the area by storm. Oh yeah, did I fail to mention that we were a bunch of wannabe musicians? I was trusting you kind of knew that since you are reading this on our website, but I figured I would check for pulses and make sure we have not lost any of you so far.

The seasons and our lives were not the only things changing. Something else was occurring. We were in the middle of some kind of pop music revolution that would soon define the 90s. I dont know how to label is except for calling it Modern Rock or Alternative. You had all these incredibly fresh sounding one hit wonder bands coming out of the proverbial woodwork and filling the gap left over in the wake of the Grunge movement. Yes is was the time of Cake, Dishwalla, The Refreshments, Local H...I mean I can fill a book if I keep this list of names going. For all you locals, Radio 104 just went on the air and love or hate the music, it was definitive and partially responsible for our interest in wanting to make a band work. Now mind you, B-SiDE sounds nothing like the aforementioned Modern Rock bands but there was just a new energy surrounding music in general and that is just what these lads needed to latch onto.

Ok, so whats next?

The very next day I receive a call from the bundle of energy we call Dr. Funk. I could not understand one word he was saying and had the sudden urge to drive to his house and fire a tranquilizer dart into his neck in an attempt to slow down his speech. Apparently Augie had found us a drummer. Way to go Dr. Funk! So we promptly meet up with Dave Kelly fresh out of Captain Leroy and the Sunday Morning Catholics. Yes that is a band name and I have not to date heard anything they played, nor do I wish to. So it was to be regular rehearsals at Daves with Tony on vocals, Steve on guitar, and Augie on trumpet but we still needed a few more members. Dr. Funk again let his fingers do the walking and conjured up a lead guitarist in the form of 17-year-old Grant Lamphier.

Over the next couple of months we really played with a lot of different people in a very short period of time looking for members and trying to identify a sound. We had a bunch of different friends play bass and a variety of individuals trying different instruments. As for the sound, we actually started out as Ska. We tried to come up with a set list and turn everything into a Ska song. It was rather hilarious! Remember this, simply having a horn player does NOT make you a Ska band. We had other friends take their saxophones out of mothballs in an attempt to form a horn section. Imagine covers like Faith No Mores Epic or Bulls on Parade by Rage with big horn lines. It just was not meant to be.

Late autumn actually finds us with a line up. Dave Kelly on Drums, Steve Recchia on rhythm guitar and vocals, Tony Renzoni on lead vocals, Grant Lamphier on lead guitar and Jesse Roman on bass. Tony located Jesse in college. Tony, not unlike Van Wilder, was on a seven or eight year college plan. His current situation put him up at CCSU and it was way cool to have your lead singer living at a college campus. Ohh the opportunities! You will be happy to know that we even settled on a sound...sort of. We were doing a bunch of cover songs that we loved from the Grunge and Modern Rock era. We were also noticing a new grove with bands like 311, 2 Skinee Js, Shootyz Groove, and Limp Bizkit. We called the vibe Rapcore and really started to gravitate in that direction and it would forge our future sound.

You may have noticed that Augie was nowhere to be found in the above lineup. Thats because he decide to go to India on a spiritual journey. Augie flashing in and out of B-SiDEs life will become a common theme over the next 10 years. We certainly would not have gone in the direction we did without him and when he does come back to the band he injects a much needed and much missed energy. Perhaps one day he will stay put in one place just long enough.

Originals

So they boys start playing parties, talent shows, and peoples backyards...whatever it takes to get us playing. Thats all we were concerned about. We created some interesting memories like killer keggers at Steves when his parents were away, resulting in Grant destroying his guitar at the end of a show and Dave playing not only his drum set, but also the 1960s hanging lighting fixtures behind him. We even got a gig to play a Halloween party at UCONN...in someones kitchen. Keg in the sink and PA on the stove...burn it up!!! No one can forget the talent show at CCSU where Dave threw his drum stick about 30 yards into a gymnasium knocking some poor unsuspecting girl on the head. We lost that competition. Then of course there is the Outback Steakhouse Christmas party at a hotel. That resulted in a girl in a pretty black dress receiving a very black eye after getting flung into the stage during a mosh pit. We were asked to stop playing by the hotel personnel to which Grant quips over the microphone, So the corporate kings rule again! Yes, it is beginning!

Something else interesting began to take form. B-SiDE was now writing originals. Grant and Steve quickly realized that they were extremely compatible guitarists and wrote some catchy riffs, hooks, and, melodies. Tony quickly understood that rapping over this sounded great. We also were quite surprised by Tonys mic skills. We might be on to something here.

As with the course of all bands we found ourselves in the middle of a personnel change. We parted ways with Dave Kelly and Jesse Roman. They were replaced by Travis Falls on bass and Kyle Flynn on drums. We really started to polish up the originals and began to play higher profile shows at bars, teen centers, and parties.

Bigger and Better Things

The beginning of 1998 brings yet another member change and probably one of the most pivotal years in B-SiDE history. We welcome Aaron DeMarest on drums. Aaron was like no drummer we ever played with. Grant brought him onboard since he was an old friend and jamming buddy. Aaron had a very fast, technical, bombastic style cutting his teeth on Dream Theater and Rush, which turned out to be a perfect fit for what we were trying to do.

We played our biggest show at the time in March of 1998 at Players Billiards in Waterbury. We enlisted the audio services of Bob Johnson who brought a PA system that barely fit in the place. We created the perfect show with theatrics, lights, fog, and sound. The crowd went nuts! We filled the place and turned the crowd over several times. You can see this in the photo on the back of the Bring the New CD which was recorded later that year.

Everything appeared to be going great. We released our CD later that year and played many shows at skate parks, teen centers, bars, and music venues all over the northeast. It was now evident that our sound appealed to a younger audience and these were the places to connect with them.

1999 brought more of the same and it was a great ride! We had the distinction of being the City Limits house band and we turned up on many a bill at that great venue. Not to mention that we rented the place and organized two of our own successful shows; the holiday themed Hellfest and Sleigh Ride. Ill let you guess what holidays these events were held for. Hellfest also marked the return of Augie on trumpet. Yes, Dr. Funk is back with us, prescribing his steady remedy of caffeinated insanity.

The end of 1999 finds us in the midst of yet another member shuffle. It really is a never-ending cycle. Grant Lamphier was replaced by Rich Thomson on lead guitar and, oh my goodness, was 2000 a great year. Rich was an absolute guitar maniac with a solid theory background, in fact he even taught the instrument. Our first goal was to get Rich to learn all of our originals so that we could be in a position to open for Vanilla Ice at City Limits. The February show could not have went better. We had all the rock star amenities and we had the benefit and opportunity to play in front of nearly 3000 people. A similar gig opening up for Reveille followed. Also a string of several successful shows in the spring/summer of 2000 really made one think that we could make it...Big Time!

June of 2000 put us back in the studio to cut the very raw and in your face No Radio Edit. The disc was a bit more off the cuff and there was less attention to perfection but with the energy of a rogue chainsaw on steroids.

Chaos

I bet you cant even begin to guess what happened in the late summer of 2000? Come on...think hard. Yes, another band member change. Aaron DeMarest left us and it could not have come at a worse time for B-SiDE since we were at the top of our game. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Augie left us again too. This time for California! Auf wiedersehen Augie and may you find your place in the universe on this journey. Now we were really in a pickle just losing two of our key elements.

Travis stepped up to the plate and found us the unbelievable and incomparable Dave Finn. Dave, we need you learn a set list of original songs you never heard before in two weeks. No problem, right? Why do you suspect that we needed this? Well we had another opportunity to open for Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame at City Limits. We were not going to pass that one up so Dave was given two CDs and instructed to learn. Dave, to our pleasant surprise, did nothing but drill these songs until they were perfect. Yes, his hands were bleeding and Dave took the stage along side his new band with tape on his blistered fingers. We again rocked the house in front of close to 3000 people. Its a shame that City Limits would soon be the target of giant wrecking ball. Unfortunate since it really was an uncommonly popular music venue that held tons of people. RIP!

Things slowed down and got sort of different over the next couple of months. The band as a whole was getting tired of playing the same originals over and over. Its sort of an understatement when I say we drilled our songs constantly to get ready for these big gigs so I cant blame anyone for wanting to write again. It was definitely time. However, something unexpected began to happen. The band also wanted to change the overall sound and so it was the first harbinger of creative differences.

The group decided to bring Mark Pruchicki in on percussion and the band took on a different vibe all together. Steve parted ways with the band in February of 2001 due to the creative differences and direction of the band. The band played on for about another year and went back to the studio to record 15 which would be the third studio album.

Then the unthinkable happened in 2002...total and complete collapse. The creative differences became like the thousand pound gorilla in the room and it tore the band apart.

So its late 2003 and Tony and Steve are throwing around the idea of putting the band back together but with a different perspective. We figured that we were older, had day jobs, had grown up responsibilities, and could not afford to try and be rock stars anymore. So what was our answer? Lets play covers and try and be a bar party band. We got on the horn with Rich, Dave, and Travis and there is the lineup. That simple! We even got in touch with Augie and he delivered the keyboard skills. It was fun for a little bit learning 40+ songs and making a little extra cash playing out but it was not long before we realized that something was missing in a big way. We even heard that our old fans felt betrayed that we were doing this. Its nice to know that people are still talking about us though.

In March of 2005 Travis eventually left because he was not feeling the covers vibe. We had two sub bassists Bob Hibson and Jamie Mastrio who played a few gigs with us. In January of 2006 its total collapse again.

Here and Now

Something amazing happened in May of 2006. Tony and Steve decided to hold a meeting and invite Dave, Rich, and Travis. We proposed putting the band back together like it was 1998 or 2000 with the focus being on originals and high energy. The reception was overwhelming. We found that element that was missing with the covers and the chemistry that propelled us through the years.

Augie has left for med school in St. Lucia to officially don the title of doctor. Perhaps all those years of calling him Dr. Funk gave him a complex. Im not sure. One thing I am sure of is that there is a twist this time. Augie is in constant contact and for all intents and purposes is in the band. He will be joining us to rock the Jimmy Jam on August 26, 2006 at the Prospect VFW.

So here we are 10 years older and wiser and ready to rock your world!