Before seeing Zuke2K live, and before sitting down with them for an interview, I had a preset picture of them in my minds. To my ultimate surprise, they werent the rude, obnoxious guys that I pictured. Rocco Zucarro, the lead singer, Jared Pavan and Brennan Couch, both guitarists, Geno Zucarro, the bassist, and Tom Cavey, the drummer, were five friendly, funny guys, who have progressed from being five talented musicians, to one of the first and best local bands in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

Rocco, Geno, and Brennan decided to form a band in 2000. Their original drummer and a guitarist eventually quit the band, so Tom and Jared stepped up to replace them. Even though Tom and Jared werent original members, it is impossible to tell, as they mesh with the group so fittingly. The group came up with their name from Dean and Geno, who are Rocco and Genos twin fathers, band. Zuke2K played in a talent show at Burgettstown High School, and then started writing their own songs. Writing original songs is a foreign concept to many amateur bands, but to Zuke2K, it seems to come quite naturally. Their lyrics flow gracefully into their developed music. The song-writing process for Zuke2K, according to the band members, is almost like mass chaos. They will come up with a guitar riff or a drum beat, then work around it until a song develops. Inspirations for their songs come from everyday life, such as girls, partying, and being with each other as a band. Zuke2K all seems to agree that writing songs shows how good a band actually is, as opposed to only covering other bands songs.

After seeing Zuke2K live and in concert, at the Langloth Hall, but not at Heinz Field, as they will no doubt play at some day, I developed a great respect for their band. Their show was exhilarating, funny, and most importantly, they played their music wonderfully. The crowd of more than three hundred people was crowded to the front of the stage, all trying to get as close to the band as possible. One downfall to being in a band, according to Jared, is that occasionally people who are fans of the band assume that they automatically know the band members, and will talk to them as if they are old friends. Another downfall is the difficulty in communication, as all members except Jared are high-school graduates, and two of the guys attend college. Many fans of Zuke2K, on the other hand, are their friends. For an amateur band, Zuke2K unsurprisingly has a large following. Their live show can persuade anyone to be a fan. With a set list that includes many of their original songs, plus songs from Ozzy Osbourne, Sum 41, Dashboard Confessional, Metallica, and a total of 10 seconds of Eric Clapton, there is a song that can appeal to everyone. The bands favorite original song to play live is called "Through The Roof."

Playing live brings an immense enjoyment to the band members, and it also brings in money, which is obviously important to a band attempting to break into the music business. Zuke2K uses their well-earned money from their concerts to buy staple items for shows, such as a PA system, but more importantly, they use their money for time in the recording studio. They recently recorded a five-song demo at Studio L in Weirton, West Virginia. Once completed, their demo cd will be available for sale at their shows, along with t-shirts.

Rocco, Geno, Tom, Brennan, and Jared all hope for Zuke2K to have progressed to rock superstardom in the next ten to fifteen years. No matter what happens to their band, they want to continue to play their respective instruments, and be involved with the ever-funny crustacean, the infamous Lobster. After graciously consented to give up their free time before practice to be interviewed, I learned that these five musicians are seriously funny, seriously friendly and open, but most importantly of all, they are seriously talented at their gift of music.

For more information on Zuke2K, you can visit their website at https://www.angelfire.com/band2/zuke2k/.