Roots, part 12: Shooting Stars

Most likely this is the end of the series, and so far it may be the most important.  No, it's not really related to anything I'm doing now, it doesn't have any of the familiar characters, it doesn't even amass any great talent like BATWÖLF.  In fact, it was far from my band.

What is so special about Shooting Stars is that they are the oldest.  Xyster (whose material will probably never surface) was barely even a thing at this point.  I believe that Tommy Holden, Adrian Ricelli, Aidan, and myself had only played all together once at this point.

It was July 2001 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.  I was in my first week of the legendary Summer Music Programs in a "misfit band" that I decline to name and discuss in detail, mostly because it was just lame kid stuff - nothing interesting, offensive, or competent.  The three boys (not even one girl that week in the overnight program) were not on the same wavelength musically and it seemed like few others were.  That was, until I met Shooting Stars.

They kept to themselves as they had all come together.  Two of the oldest - Chris Ott and Emilio Rovello, and one of the youngest - Johnny Ott, students at the program.  I sat with them one day at lunch and we connected over love of the B-52s, Ramones, and many other hip artists.  My band didn't appreciate this desertion, but I didn't care.  I learned that these three were the only kids in the program for all three weeks, they had traveled unaccompanied via train from Stamford, CT, and had rented all their gear.  None of them had any experience playing music, even on their own, until that summer.

Of course that put off other students, but I knew that training had nothing to do with making music. These three had no boundaries in the music they loved.  They were some of the only people there who liked hip-hop, they liked punk, and ska, and psychedlia, and experimental rock, and even jam bands - even though they couldn't see how anyone would listen to that exclusively.  It was liberating coming from an enviroment full of very close-minded music fans.  They were open to anything but Weezer.  Despite being thrown into their guitar, bass, and drums and having to sing at the same time they managed to make a big splash on the scene their first week.  Their key composition "Current C#" with its infectious reggae-inspired groove became the best remembered song in that program's history.  No joke.  Instructors would be playing this catchy tune for years afterward.

So, with it apparent that these were the koolest cats in Bryn Mawr I asked Chet, the leader of this fine institution if I could join Shooting Stars despite there already being a bass player.  Luckily it was allowed and that Friday night I became another Shooting Star.  On Monday we were given a slightly hippie-ish instructor named Josh and we went to work on the next EP.  Josh was pretty helpful despite being in over his head and he more than anything was there for an extra skilled hand as the four young musicians swapped instruments and made Summer Music Programs history.  Here is the evidence:

Back and front cover, featututing the barely visible typo from our designer.

These are thanks you's that are hard to read, and most are not that important, mostly obvious.  There's a lot of thanks to the Sage Dining Service and their gruff employee Tyone Ellis and no hanks to Weezer and The Bon.  Also thanked are Pooch, the "industry insider" that would speak at Summer Music Programs for many years, and "bitch on wheels" which was a catchphrase of that week.

Inside artwork, taken from a fun and immature afternoon with Hayden Wright.
That's us in tennis skirts.  Shame Emilio was cut from that image, he cross-dressed too.

Back cover starring Johnny Ott.

The EP kicks off with "Music,"young (12) Johnny's original, which despite being sung from a drummer's perspective features Chris on drums playing some really cool awkward-length fills (on purpose).  It features Josh on Chris's role of guitar and is the only song with two basses.  It's pretty cute.

Next is my vocal spotlight "Now I wanna Sniff Some Glue" which we had to change to "snip" some glue, if you can even tell.  It's kinda ruined by the high, snappy snare that EVERYONE had to use on that trip to the studio, but also established me as "the Ramones guy" for many years at the program, almost more than I wanted.  For the sake of extension, we added a solo that Chris made real weird.

Then things really move into our unique territory with "61 Cans on the Wall/The Bon" which, of course, was mixed up on the CD.  This was a loose, reggae-inspired jam, with hippy-dippy rap lyrics a la De La Soul from Chris and Emilio.  The tracks features myself and Josh on piano, but no need to mention that - it's mentioned in the improvised lyrics towards the end.  Chris gets really weird on guitar on this track, further showing how willing this group was to just have fun and be weird.  At the end we go into the noise breakdown "The Bon" - a noisy punk attack with all four of us shouting out the memories from the week, largely about Tyrone Ellis and "Johnny Dinglehopper." Johnny Ott's screams my be my favorite part.

Ending it is the six and a half minute instrumental "Twisted Symphony" which really foreshadowed just about everything I have done with music since.  Chris Ott gets even weirder with his guitar parts and he and Josh overdubbed some pretty weird sounds.  Emilio is on keyboards, and I play a repetitive bass drone.  On the rhythm track josh lended an extra set of hands on drums.

I will admit it can be a rough listen at times, but far less than Chronic Insurgence.  If you want to hear a bunch of kids who love music and hate rules and conformity here it is.  I have never had more fun recording in my life and when I hear this all the memories come back.  You can hear some of these tracks and realize that I really haven't changed in the 12 years since making this.  Shooting Stars was a rare band, especially this week.  We genuinely liked each other and shared a lot of vision.  Never gain would Summer Music Programs have a band go into a professional studio and just jam and mess around.  Just listen for yourself, you will be glad you did because there is nothing else like it.  Maybe the Shaggs, but I think it's a lot easier of a listen!

DOWNLOAD:  Shooting Stars - Politically Correct (2001)