Band of students serves ska punk for the 21st century

AMY WINKLER/Arizona Daily Wildcat

Political science junior Bryon Carpenter, right, and education senior Tom McElhane, who are members of Troy's Bucket, play at 7 Black Cats Sunday night.

It's Sunday night at 10:30. While most UA students are finishing homework or laundry or getting ready for bed, seven other UA students are busting their chops at 7 Black Cats, a bar in downtown Tucson.

Troy's Bucket is a local ska/punk band started back in the fall of 1999 by a group of three friends - media arts junior Mike Schmidt on trombone and vocals, history senior Chris Horton on guitar and vocals and anthropology senior Alan Hunt on trombone.

"I approached the guys and a few other friends about it, and they really liked the idea," Schmidt said.

The name of the band comes from the movie "Goonies." Hunt came up with it after watching the scene where Mikey gives his goonies a pep talk about why they should continue on their journey.

After trying out a few different musicians, the group finally decided to include political science junior Bryon Carpenter on trumpet, business sophomore Cullen Magariel on drums, education senior Tom McElhane on trumpet and vocals and regional development senior Brian Hardy on bass.

"It wasn't too difficult coming into the band," Magariel said. "I figured it out and I work really well with them."

The band's main influences are mostly ska and punk bands such as Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and Strung Out. Some of the songs are covers of hits by those bands, but most of the songs are originals written by the group collectively.

"I just come up with weird ideas for lyrics," McElhane said. "The conversations during my trip to Ozzfest and the Warped Tour this summer with a friend were the inspiration behind the song 'Chad Likes Goth Girls.'"

Another song, "Ziggy Zoggy (Oi! Oi! Oi!)," was written as a tribute to the memory of Fox Foster, formerly the well-known resident beer-chugger of "The Man Show."

The band practices twice a week and started out playing gigs at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house. Soon they played any gig available and even offered to "work for beer." Though they are still occasionally prone to working for beer, Troy's Bucket has now played gigs that pay better than a bellyful of malt liquor.

"Earlier this month, we had our first club gig," Carpenter said. "It was at a club called Boston's in Phoenix. We played with a national touring band from New York City called The Slackers."

In October, the band played in the El Rio Battle of the Bands and took first place. The group won a $200 certificate to Guitar Center and a radio-sponsored gig, which will happen in January or February 2002.

Bret Thompson, owner of 7 Black Cats, said this is the first time he's heard Troy's Bucket.

"We have some kick-ass bands here," Thompson said. "Troy's Bucket was awesome -I'm definitely going to ask them to play here again."

Thompson said he gets a lot of touring bands wanting to become known at his bar and that it seems a status of fame might be in Troy's Bucket's future.

"Currently, we're the No. 1 band on cornerband.com (sponsored by Tucson Weekly)," Schmidt said. "We've got our own Web site at troysbucket.net, where we're trying to spread the word about the group."

What's in the future for the band? The boys will take a winter break until January, when they're booked with gigs. The group also hopes to put out a full-length CD in the near future.

"We're all just really happy we've been able to play," Schmidt said.