It began six months ago as a jam date among three local musicians.
Now, Stuck on Stupid, a band consisting of area teenagers, has four original songs, and has landed larger and larger gigs in addition to appearing on national television.
As their following grows, band members Adam Albright, Dominic Brino, both 14, and Garrett Damore, 13, are still getting used to the hype, rigorous practice schedule and public relations, all the while maintaining good grades at their respective schools. The latter is a requirement of their parents.
`It’s exciting and nerve-wracking when you’ve figured out you are playing in front of 800,000 people,` said Damore, an eighth grader at Lisha Kill Middle School in Colonie. `We are pretty much taking it one step at a time.`
Damore, the band’s drummer, comes home every day to something new, he said. His father has landed them new shows, and there is the matter of potentially performing on CBS’ `Early Show.`
On Dec. 4, an online panel chose Stuck on Stupid over a slew of performers who were featured in the `Living Room Live, Kids Edition.` Performers competed for an oppor-tunity to perform live in New York on CBS. The band’s video of an original song, `Used,` took in 39 percent of the votes.
And, all this has happened over the course of six months.
Bass player Adam Albright and guitarist Dominic Brino, both of Scotia, started the band a year ago, but the original drummer quit.
`Al (Brino) is a mailman. He came into my work and said he saw a picture of my son playing drums. He said, ‘My son (Dominic Brino) plays guitar, maybe they could get together and jam,’` said Garrett Damore’s dad, Tony.
A date was set one Saturday, and the three hit it off. They have met nearly every Saturday since to practice for three to four hours.
The rest is the stuff of rock ‘n’ roll history.
Stuck on Stupid’s music has roots in classic rock, a byproduct of the members’ fathers. The musicians began by honing their skills with Van Halen and Black Sabbath covers before venturing into original scores.
The three have a good agenda and work ethic, said Tony Damore. At least two of the fathers are at each practice. And each puts in the extra time to manage the band.
Tony Damore said he mulls over hundreds of e-mails a day, and each of the fathers has played a part in dealing with the press and even record labels. Already Atlantic Records has expressed an interest in the trio.
Outside their newfound national notoriety, their abilities have caught the attention of local musicians throughout the area. There has been nothing but praise for the band’s abilities, and there has been an interest in having them fill spots at local performances.
The band has been asked to perform alongside local legends The Refriger-ators, Nite Train and the George Boone Blues Band at the Midwinter Music Festival on the campus of Schenectady County Community College Jan. 6, 13 and 20. The performances will be held at the Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium.
Until then, Stuck on Stupid has been keeping busy with practice and working on original songs, said Albright.
`With all the hype, we have been playing a lot more and writing a lot more,` he said.
Albright has been playing bass since he was in fourth grade. `We are just glad we are able to put the music out there. Hopefully, we will be getting more gigs. If not, it’s a fun hobby.“