Standing tall

Brothers Vincent and Steve Pilcher and their childhood friend Sean Kay, all Last Stand band members, have been rocking out to Led Zeppelin since they were in Pampers, hence their undying love for the art of epic music.

From the corner of their brightly lit studio, located in the back of Vince’s bedroom, Sean suddenly shouts, “Taco Bell!” He doesn’t have a food-obsessed version of Tourette’s syndrome. Rather, Vince explains that Sean, 18, is quite the promoter of this particular fast food chain, and he makes the conscious decision to insert at least one “Taco Bell” chant or two into each of their live performances. “We just like to have fun,” Vince says of their lively on-stage attitudes.

The boys were raised without Nintendos in the depths of isolated Verdi, since their firefighting fathers wanted them to know there was more to the world than mind-numbing technology. So they “deprived” them of the Internet and game stations and supplied them with random musical instruments instead. The Pilchers and Kay spent the duration of their childhoods becoming classically trained on both the violin and the cello.

A little more than two years ago, the boys decided to form their own rock group. Vince, age 17, made every attempt to find a worthwhile drummer. Eventually, he caved and decided to let his younger brother do the deed. At first, he was skeptical about bringing 15-year-old Steven into the mix, but now, Vincent and Sean see him as nothing short of a “sexy drummer” who’s become the absolute backbone of the band. “Besides, I’m glad we’ve got my brother; I don’t like to play with dicks,” Vince declares, responding to past experiences with other potential band mates.

The teens have played shows at their school, McQueen High, but, with help from their uncle/manager, they’ve also landed gigs at the Zephyr and Liquid Lounge.

With Vince on lead vocals and guitar and Sean on bass, the three of them have a closeness most bands lack. With youthful conviction, Vince asserts that being brothers and best friends will ensure that the band will stay together. He also says that growing up together has left them all with the same musical style and tastes, which are geared toward classic rock. Their common background is one reason Vince says the three don’t often go to battle over what type of musical tone the band should take.

Bandmembers believe they’re an “awesome rock band” that’s “different from everybody else.” While other teen bands are hopping into the newly discovered emo scene, Last Stand is respecting their elders; their sound is similar to that of Green Day or the All American Rejects, with musical experimentation inspired by Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.

“The last thing we want to be is screamo or emo in any way,” Sean says, his arms crossed tightly against his Coca-Cola T-shirt. Vince and Steve both nod in agreement, claiming the aforementioned through a song lyric that states, “Hey man, is that your little sister crying, or is it just another emo band?” Vince asserts that he’ll never be one to sport an “emo swipe,” and that the band is committed to steering clear of all whining and crying. The boys say that if they’re going to sing about heartbreak, the music is at least going to be upbeat. There will be no tears, frowns or Dashboard Confessional for this teen trio.