Stu Vallentine, marketing sophomore, and Chris Vessels, computer graphic junior, both work full time jobs, attend school full time and play in a local band called The Backroom Conspiracy.
“I have been in the band since Sept. 16 of last year and Chris has been in it since March of this year,” Vallentine said.
Vallentine said the band was created a year before he had joined and although previous bands did not work out he felt something special with this particular group.
“When I heard them play I didn’t understand why they hadn’t gone anywhere,” said Vallentine. “They were that good.”
Vessels said he had been in previous bands that had done fairly well but he was very impressed with Backroom Conspiracy when he tried out.
“The first time I went there I hadn’t heard any of their music so I didn’t know what to expect,” Vessels said. “They told me to play but I didn’t know what style to play for them but once I heard the music they made I liked it.”
Vallentine said The Backroom Conspiracy is the most diverse band he has ever heard and that it is due to the diverse combinations of music genres each band member brings to the table.
“We will go genre to genre within one song ranging from hair metal, death metal, jazz, classical, emo, and alternative rock,” Valentine said.
“There is not a band that sounds like us,” Vessels said.
Both Vessels and Stu agree that although the band is important school comes first.
“Being in a good band is a goal but I go to school because I have a separate dream,” Vallentine said. “I understand that if the band doesn’t make it that I need to be able to have something else lined up.”
Vallentine said The Backroom Conspiracy has grown more popular over the summer and that people really seem to enjoy their music.
“We have actually had bands and production companies ask us to headline and will be playing at Headliners Nov. 3,” Vallentine said.
Vallentine said one of the goals the band has is to one day hear a song played on the radio or to hear strangers talk about how good their music is, and he feels it is heading that direction.
“We love the fact that people love us,” Vallentine said. “We live to entertain and we wouldn’t be anywhere without the people that come to our shows.”
Vessels said The Backroom Conspiracy is changing the way people view stereotypes.
“We will play with any band of any genre,” Vessels said. “We are reigniting the Louisville scene.”
Vallentine also said that they are changing typical stereotypes and race helps.
“We are still considered a novelty because we a have a bald black singer as the lead vocalist for a metal band,” Vallentine said. “We are also currently looking for a female vocalist screamer.”
The Backroom Conspiracy has several songs available on their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/backroomconspiracy along with a show schedule.
By ERICA SELLERS
Staff Writer
emseller@ius.edu
