It
’s so hard to say goodbye and forget you. “How can you turn your
back after everything we’ve been through? What about that time we
stayed up all night and watched the sun come up? “And how the time
moved so fast and we’re still living in the past,” rocks lead
singer Kevin Pfeffer of
the band Five Minutes to Freedom during a recent show at the
Gaslighter Music Hall. The crowd seems to get larger as everyone
leaves their seats and heads for the stage to hear their song
“Getting the Best of Me.”
It’s so hard to say goodbye and forget you.
“How can you turn your back after everything we’ve been through? What about that time we stayed up all night and watched the sun come up?
“And how the time moved so fast and we’re still living in the past,” rocks lead singer Kevin Pfeffer of the band Five Minutes to Freedom during a recent show at the Gaslighter Music Hall. The crowd seems to get larger as everyone leaves their seats and heads for the stage to hear their song “Getting the Best of Me.”
This local band has been together for over two years, and has been blowing crowds away with their talent.
The band members, Pfeffer, PJ Jammal, Tomas Carrillo and his younger brother Daniel all attend Gilroy High School. The band’s style, which is reminiscent of the pop punk band New Found Glory, has a clean, crisp edge that is accented by Pfeffer’s effortless vocals.
When asking them what sounds influenced their music, they had several replies. All agreed they were a pop punk band and that Blink 182 and New Found Glory were significant in influencing their own style of music. The guys are all pretty well-rounded in their musical tastes, growing up listening to everything from classic rock to rap.
The lyrics grab your attention, expressing feelings about girls, growing up, and moving on.
“I get motivated to write just through experiences. Growing up, high school, girls, stuff like that,” Pfeffer said about his catchy songs. Songs like “Getting the Best of Me” and “This Time Around” portray life and love from an adolescent’s point of view.
The lyrics aren’t the only thing to grab your attention. This band has the additional benefit of having members who are each incredibly and uniquely talented.
Kevin has been playing the guitar since he was 11; PJ has been playing drums for the last five years and has been complimented by several professional drummers who were amazed at his ability and aptitude at such a young age. (Some have even dubbed him “The Prodigy”) Daniel and Tomas both discovered their distinguishing talents three years ago, with Daniel discovering the bass guitar and Tomas learning guitar from the inspiration of Carlos Santana’s brilliant jams.
Five Minutes to Freedom has won first place at all three talent shows held at Gilroy High this year. The band also took home first place in the Gilroy High’s “Battle of the Bands.” They had their first big show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco for a Bay Area “Battle of the Bands.” They had a huge crowd of fans who made the long journey to San Francisco to see them compete with several other area bands.
After releasing one demo CD, Quit Your Day Job, the band is ready to record more songs for their next CD. They hope to work toward future radio airplay, but right now they’re just focused on getting exposure by selling CDs and developing a larger fan base.
“We want to go all the way with this. This is our dream; we want to do whatever it takes to make it work,” said Pfeffer.
Kevin is 18 and a senior at Gilroy High. He’s been practicing his guitar for more than seven years. Two years ago, when he started playing with the other guys, he thought they would just be a garage band for fun on the side, but he soon realized that the talent they had was something promising.
“Everyone has this dream to be a rock star, but since I’ve been with the band I really want it to come true,” said Pfeffer. “We have enough talent and drive. If we stick with it we’ll only get better.”
PJ Jammal is 15 and has been playing the drums for five years. He’s known Tomas and Daniel since he was seven and considers them to be part of his family. He’s very focused and dedicated to the band, spends hours practicing and will do “anything to keep the band going.” He hopes to see the band reach a point where they’re playing big shows at places like Shoreline with the bands that initially inspired them to start their group.
“My big dream is to be hanging out backstage wearing a backstage pass that says my band’s name on it.”
Tomas Carrillo is 18 and also a senior at Gilroy High. He began learning the guitar just for his own enjoyment, but after a few years with the band he has realized just what they can do and how far they’ve already come.
“I want us to be signed with a record label, touring with other bands that we look up to, staying true to the music and doing what we want,” said Tomas. “If everyone just puts in 100 percent then we’ll be successful.”
Daniel Carrillo is 16 and a junior at Gilroy High. He found a bass guitar four years ago in his grandfather’s basement and “ever since I picked up the bass I’ve wanted to go far with it.” Daniel’s distinctive bass style is simplistic yet intricate. He has played basketball since he was in third grade but recently gave it up to spend more time with the band. He doesn’t regret the sacrifices, though.
“I want this to go all the way. I want this to be my life career,” said Daniel.
The guys treat each other like brothers and even act like it. They fight and argue when one of them is hungry or tired and all admit they’re a little stubborn when it comes to making choices about the band.
“When one of us has an idea, no one wants to give it up,” said Pfeffer. “But we’re all best buddies and when we come together it’s awesome.”
If anything these guys fight because they’re too close, spending so much time practicing and organizing for the sale of their CD’s and sweatshirts.
When talking with them, they all had little stories of unforgettable moments the band has had together. Including the time Tomas’s antique-like EL Camino broke down on Miller Avenue and the band had to push it to his house on one of “the hottest mornings of the year.”
The band gets together every week and they try to fit as many practices in as possible. It’s hard to work around everyone’s busy school and work schedules. With all the members still in high school and two having after school jobs, finding enough time can be difficult. They have their own practice room behind Tomas and Daniel’s house.
Posters and magazine clippings of bands like Sublime, Taking Back Sunday, and No Use For a Name adorn the walls of what they refer to as “The Band Room.”
Even during practice sessions these guys give it everything they’ve got. The small room is filled with so much music, energy and intensity that it sends chills of amazement down your spine. You wonder where they find the stamina to jump up in the air and move with the rhythms. They are having fun while creating an awesome stage presence. They comment that they get a lot of their energy during a show from their bassist, Daniel, who is known for his crazy and lively stage presence. It is not unusual to see Daniel jumping up in the air multiple times during a song.
Sometimes Daniel’s contagious liveliness can be a dangerous thing. Tomas, who is said to be a little uncoordinated, (”He just never lands when he jumps,” states one of the band members. ) was swept away by his younger brother’s overwhelming energy, jumped up in the air, plummeted to the ground while accidentally unhooking his guitar, which then fell, shattering into pieces.
After practice, they stumble out of “The Band Room” sweaty and exhausted, headed home to mountains of homework or other teenage responsibilities.
Each one has had to make sacrifices in order to fit the band. Kevin planned on attending college in Sacramento and Tomas in Santa Barbara, but both have decided to change their plans in order to keep the band together. They plan to attend a local college and see where the band takes them in the next few years.
Their families have all been very supportive with their rock band ambitions. PJ’s parents have already offered to get a tutor for him if the band ends up going on the road. Their parents have also helped out by stepping in to assist them with copywriting issues for their songs. They’ve even been there to bring Taco Bell when the guys are up late practicing and need a little replenishment.
Not only have their parents been supportive, but their loyal fans have been there as well. The band has already experienced rock star status with local girls in the area who become so star struck in their presence that they nearly faint. And this is only the beginning of fame for them, and the number of giddy girls will soon multiply.
This summer, Five Minutes to Freedom has several shows lined up and they even hope to put together their own tour, jamming alongside their local band buddy Novice. With the help of PJ’s devoted sister Lisa, they’ve managed to land a show in L.A. and want to line up shows in different cities along the way. They’ve also booked two more shows at the Gaslighter in Gilroy on April 11 and May 3, plus upcoming shows at Gaslighters in Campbell and Sacramento.
“If they stay together and evolve musically, I think they will have a chance,” said Mike Gross, lead singer of Novice, who also recorded their first CD. “They’re all awesome guys and they’re persistent. From where they’ve come from I think they’re really good and if they stick to it and grow, they’ll definitely have a chance.”
It appears that there’s nothing stopping this band from full critical and artistic success. They’ve got the talent, determination, and desire to go all the way. They are all realistic and levelheaded, knowing that success doesn’t come over night but takes time and effort. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to make their dream come true and they are confident that they will.
“They’re on the right track. They’ve got a good fan base,” said J Brennan, general manager for the Gaslighter. “They can only move up from here. They know what they want and that’s good.”
Other bands starting out can take tips from these guys. “It takes hard work and practice,” said Tomas. “It all depends on how much you want it.”
Check out Five Minutes to Freedom for yourself before you have to wait hours in the rain just trying to score tickets to their shows. Go to their website at www.fiveminutestofreedom.com to find out about local upcoming shows.
