Kevin, Dave and Mike got it in their heads to start a band back in Boy Scouts.
That was a long time ago, but desires have come to fruition for 8 Fluid Ounces, the Student Resident Center's very own house band. With Kevin Rupp on guitar, Dave Holtkamp on the skins, Mike Petersen on bass and joined recently by vocalist Josh Waldron, this musical act is well on its way.
They've only been practicing for about three weeks in the SRC, but 8 Fluid Ounces has been in the works for some time. The band has its first gig lined up - March 6 the group will perform in the Hokona Courtyard. They say they aren't nervous about it though.
"How can you go wrong with a barbeque?" Petersen said.
The three UNM students got together four years ago and began learning how to play their instruments as a Blink 182 cover band. They're still living that one down, Rupp said. They met Waldron at a party last year, but he didn't officially join the group until last month.
Though still in its infancy, 8 Fluid Ounces has already completed one song and has six in the works. Jimmy Buffet, 311 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the band's influences, but members say they like a little bit of everything, which Rupp said is reflected in the band's sound.
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Rupp said the band is strengthened by the fact that the members have similar tastes in music and are able to work together. From lyrics to song structure, each member has a say in the construction of the songs.
"What happens is that one of us will have a good riff," Petersen said. "Josh'll have some lyrics, and we'll just start building from there."
But it hasn't been all riffs and roses for SRC residents. In the short time the band has been together, members have already received two official complaints, and passers-by occasionally yell into their open third-floor window.
Downstairs neighbor Michelle Costa says it's kind of hard to concentrate on her homework on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the band is practicing. In fact, she was on her way to complain about the noise Thursday afternoon.
"It's not really exactly fair because of how close we live and because of how many people they're bothering," she said. "But at the same time, it's not like they're practicing at 2 o'clock in the morning. It is really annoying."
The band plans to continue to practice at the SRC for a few more months until members move in together somewhere off campus.
Holtkamp said they tried to pick hours to practice during the day when other SRC residents would be in class, and they try to keep it down.
"We try not to piss anybody off, but it doesn't always work," Rupp said.
