Garage Rock

Five Cents in Maine placed second in Silverado High School's 2010 Battle of the Bands after a year of practices. 

One day after school, I sat down with Five Cents in the middle of Eric Drum's calculus classroom, and after multiple phone calls from Bobby Johnson to Parker Gibbons and Kyle Simmons mainly consisting of, "hurry up you guys," and "this is our shot at fame," the interview began.

 

R-Jeneration: Where did you come up with your band name?

Bobby Johnson: Well, it's on the back of soda cans and glass bottles under the recycle part. We were just looking for something catchy. Plus five cents in Hawaii doesn't sound as good. It's just a coincidence that there are five of us.

R-Jen: Since four of you are seniors, will band practice continue once you start college?

Parker Gibbons: Yes. Our garage fiascoes will live on.

BJ: I hope we will continue. I want to. We've bonded a lot.

Oliver Musovski: We are going to be famous.

PG: We will continue to disrupt my neighborhood.

OM: Seriously, one neighbor was going to call the cops on us.

PG: Yeah, until my cop neighbor told them to shove off.

R-Jen: While you are practicing in Parker's garage, do you have an audience?

PG: Our first fan, who was 8 years old, told us we were playing "sucky."

BJ: We have had some weird fans in Parker's neighborhood. They were all little kids, but little kids are the best critics because they tell the truth. I think it's good playing in his garage. If the kids like it, we know we're doing all right.

 

R-Jen: All of you have been going to Silverado since 2006, except Tyler. Why do you have one freshman in your senior-dominated group?

Kyle Simmons: Well, we saw him and we had to have him.

OM: Nah, he was our friend's current girlfriend's brother.

BJ: He's a combination of Jesus and Fergie. Tyler was in eighth grade when we found him -- he was just a little puppy.

 

R-Jen: Who would you say is the band leader?

PG: Bobby is the band's mother.

BJ: I can't believe you said that. I guess I'm kind of like the manager. I put it together, so I guess the founder, too.

 

R-Jen: Tyler, will you search for another band for Silverado's 2011 Battle of the Bands if Five Cents splits up?

Tyler Barnard: No, I'm faithful. Once in Five Cents in Maine, always in Five Cents in Maine.

 

R-Jen: Do you ever perform any original songs?

KS: We are strictly a cover band. Jack Black is one of our songwriters.

OM: I write songs, just not for the band.

BJ: Oliver is a talented songwriter but he won't let us use his material. I just hope he doesn't go John Lennon on us.

 

R-Jen: What made you decide to form Five Cents?

KS: We were bored one night sitting in Bobby's garage.

PG: The band idea was inspired by the movie "I Love You, Man." When they jam out. "Slap a da bass."

BJ: While watching (Silverado's) Battle of the Bands last year I thought we could win. We had a year to practice for one show and I knew we had a shot.

 

R-Jen: You all seem pretty close. What do you do together when you aren't practicing?

TB: We like to go to Steve-O's Pizza after practice to reflect and dine on gourmet pizza.

KS: I think it's gross.

PG: We stick it to the man aka Steve-O.

KS: We love both Steve and O.