Story By: Sarah Kraut

Currently rocking the College Park music scene is a self-proclaimed “collection of stone jack ballers” called Fivestock. With influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to the Allman Brothers to Phish, this band’s bluesy rock music is definitely something to be buzzing about. Though the group only formed in October 2008, their cohesion makes it seem as though they have been together for years.

“We all have very different musical tastes,” said Ben Curwin, Fivestock’s keyboard player, who also wrote most of the music on the demo. Their eclectic preferences are part of what makes their sound so unique.

The local college band is also comprised of lead singer and guitarist Jon Whiteleather, bassist and vocalist Dan Niemczyk, drummer Ricky Strickler, and Max Gianniny, the other guitarist and vocalist, who is currently abroad.

Aside from great musical compositions, Fivestock’s lyrics are relatable and creative. “Panda,” the second song on their demo, is named after and written from the perspective of Ben’s roommate’s dog. “Nothing can hurt you/I make sure of that/I stay ahead of you/Roaming the path,” begins the second verse. The band’s favorite go to song though, is a catchy jam called “Off My Mind.” Curwin said, “It’s about anything that always brings trouble, but it sort of keeps you going…like a drug addiction, or a horrible relationship.”

More than anything else, the band does what they do for fun. “We have another whole year to hopefully improve and get to the next level…whatever that is,” said Strickler, although they haven’t thought about the idea of signing just yet.

To make sure all the band members are on the same page musically, the band follows a certain a system of checks and balances. “We hand out gold stars and demerits,” Strickler said.

A demerit is for a bad idea, or “incessantly playing the drums when [people] are trying to talk,” joked Curwin. A gold star is awarded for a “phenomenal idea” or “exceptional behavior.”

The name “Fivestock” was a last minute decision before the band’s first show at Santa Fe Café in December 2008. Gianniny came up with it while playing Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers. “When you choose the number of players for that game it’s called stock, and there are five of us playing, so he came up with Fivestock”, said Niemczyk. Apparently, none of the other band members realized this reference, and instead took it to be a play on the word “livestock,” hence the cow on the cover of their demo CD, Demolicious.

A small tour is currently in the works for next winter break, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for that. You can check out Demolicious on the band’s official website, www.fivestockrock.com.