Student band showcases eclectic range of musical style

By Skye Wang     11/12/13 6:00pm

The winners of Battle of the Bands for the past three years, Jesus, the Crazy and the Bad Kids, has left a mark as a student band.

Formed in September of 2010, Jesus, the Crazy, and the Bad Kids is a band consisting of seven Rice undergraduate students. The members each have their own role in the band; leader and Duncan College senior Michael DeMarco is Jesus, Duncan senior Philippe Dentino is the Crazy, and the rest of the band members (Duncan senior Nick Ryder, Brown College senior Thomas Silverman, Baker College junior Beau Reescano, graduate student Drew Taylor and Duncan senior Tasneem Islam) are the Bad Kids.

According to Dentino, the band's name started out as a joking suggestion by DeMarco before one of their first performances.

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"We didn't have an official one yet, but during one practice, Michael DeMarco jokingly remarked we should be called 'Jesus, the Crazy and the Bad Kid' to reference our band personalities," Dentino said. "[I] didn't realize this was a joke; hence, I reported the name to the coordinators come showtime. The funny name stuck and evolved into the 'Bad Kids' as we took on

more members." 

Dentino said the band has a diverse collection of members with DeMarco on guitar, Dentino on keyboard, Ryder on drums, Silverman on saxophone and flute, Reescano on saxophone, Taylor on bass and Islam as the lead singer. 

"[The combination of members] the perfect fusion of funk and soul that is now Jesus, the Crazy, and the Bad Kids," Dentino said.

Islam echoed Dentino in describing the band's eclectic style. 

"We're pretty versatile as a band," Islam said. "At McMurtry's college night, we asked the crowd what kind of music they wanted to hear, and someone shouted out 'polka!' I think we just looked at each other, shrugged, and were like, 'OK, why not?' So we played for about a minute before we stopped and explained we weren't really a polka band."

According to DeMarco, the band's origins can be traced back to their freshman year. 

"At first, it was just Nick, Phil, and I. Nick and I had met during the first week of our freshmen year and decided to get together and play music," Demarco said. "When we did, Phil just happened to walk into the room."

Islam said the original members - DeMarco, Dentino and Ryder - discovered her while she was performing with another band.

"I had once been a part of Hot Calamity, a band I started up, and one day, after a gig, Nick [Ryder] came up to me and basically said, 'Hey, you have a great voice that fits perfectly with our band - join us.' And I did," Islam said. "After that, we found Beau [Reescano] and Thomas [Silverman], and we got Drew [Taylor] to be bassist so Phil [Dentino] could do keys." 

Islam's relationship with music started young. 

"When I was 5, I had already begun taking Bengali singing lessons, and it wasn't until seventh grade that I started getting into English songs," Islam said. "At first, singing was something my parents forced me into. They were certain that I was going to be special to the college admission officers if I could sing... [but when] I got to college I realized I wanted to sing for a living, or at least [as] a part of my career." 

Islam said that though the group will soon disband with the graduation of the members of the band, she hopes to sing professionally and will keep in contact with her band members.

"Being a part of the band really helped me grow as a musician and has led me to make some pretty awesome friends," Reescano said.

DeMarco, like Reescano, believes that his experience as part of the band has been a rewarding one. 

"It was a great improvisational and creative outlet for all of us," DeMarco said. "The band has grown so much. There are constant edits and tweaks, new suggestions and new phrasings. That's what I really love about this band."

Islam offered advice for potential successors. 

"Get as many gigs as you can on campus. Practice, practice, practice," Islam said. "And most importantly, you have to be able to cater to people's interests because at Rice, we have a lot of different people who like different music. When you play, make it interesting. Make the music your own, and lastly, have integrity."

Jesus, the Crazy, and the Bad Kids will perform Saturday, Nov. 16 at the tailgate on the Bud Light stage near the student entrance to Rice

Stadium. 

Islam said the band will debut its new song, "Fire." Though the band members will soon graduate, Islam and her bandmates are still here and rocking.

"I'm DTS: Down To Serenade!" Islam said.

For more information, visit the band's Facebook page "Jesus, the Crazy, and the Bad Kids." 

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