Dominic Henning, Ardy Falls and Cristan Fuentes of Last Year's Hero get good practice time in between exams.
Wendy Vollmer
Barometer Staff Photographer
"We don't want to say that we're punk rock because of the emerging pop-punk/sell out-commercialized punk scene," said Ardy Falls, the lead guitarist for our band feature this week, Last Year's Hero.
"And we say we're not metal because we don't want to get beat up by the metal kids, because we're not death metal or thrash metal," rhythm guitar player Bryan Cook added.
The band has been together in various shapes and sizes since the winter of 2001.
"Even I auditioned to sing," drummer Kaycee Kay said. While it seems things have always been hectic for the band, it's getting better.
"We've always practiced whenever, but now we've got a set schedule and it's easier," said Dominic Henning, the band's lead singer.
Henning is an "ultimate senior" here at Oregon State University, majoring in industrial engineering. He's also the guy with tattoos and piercings that sits behind the reference desk at the Valley Library.
When he isn't working, practicing or in class, Henning said, he's probably traveling, getting a tattoo or making music.
"I can't put a time on it," he said. "It's just something I do all the time, I write something every day."
Bass player Cristian Fuentes is a "turbo-senior" at OSU, majoring in computer science. Though currently unemployed, he does run the band's website.
"I start my MECOP internship this spring," he added. "I'm taking a pretty full load this term so [the band] is an excuse not to study."
"It's fun to watch the kids push each other around some, and be drunk," said Bryan Cook, formerly of hardcore cover band The Physical Challenge.
A "super-senior" majoring in liberal studies, Cook is also looking for a job.
"I was a dishwasher at Arnold Dining Center until the budget cuts came through," Cook said.
Now that Cook has an excess amount of free time, how is he doing balancing school and the band? "It's quite easy," he said.
Band leader Ardy Falls is a junior in computer science.
"I like to get my fingers into lots of different things," Falls, an Orinda, Calif. native, said.
Falls began teaching himself to play guitar back when he was 12, learning Nirvana songs at first. Falls has been working at E.B.G.B.'s in West Dining Center for a year now.
"I have a tight schedule balancing school, work, music, and a social life." Falls said.
For Kay, it's all about "drums and drunken hijinx," he said. A junior majoring in music education, Kay is in four school-related bands.
So what's it like balancing the music he plays at school with the music he plays with the band?
"It's two totally different realms, and at this school it's kind of hard to make them go hand-in-hand." Kay said.
"We like to be intimate, right up in front of the crowd on stage," Cook said.
If you really need a good reason to go to one of the band's shows, just ask Fuentes. "Hammers will be dropped, mikes will be broken, and some kid will explode," he said.
Although Last Year's Hero has no upcoming shows scheduled and no albums for sale, the band has a website, http://www.lastyearshero.net. That is where they will post any upcoming shows and new demos. A new demo album will hopefully be finished by March.
"If you've seen us before, you should come see us again because it's gotten one hundred percent better," Henning said.
Robin Canfield is a diversions writer for The Daily Barometer. He can be reached at canfeilr@onid.orst.edu.