All-Wakefield Band Proclaiming Their Right to Rock

It wasn't until they packed up the van and drove down to Delaware that the Self-Proclaimed Rock Stars, a rock band composed entirely of Wakefield residents, had a self-proclaimed "That Thing You Do" moment.

They were riding together at the bleak hour of 5 a.m. on their way to the Dewey Beach Music Festival. Just like in the Tom Hanks movie, a few familliar notes on the radio quickly snapped up their attention.

"We're all kind of dead, just driving, and all of a sudden, we heard our song on the radio," said lead singer Johnny Malone, 27. "It was unbelievable, we were like giddy little school girls."

For the band, it was a defining moment. But despite having some success in the midwest and mid-atlantic areas, these almost rocks stars have yet to make it big. In the meantime, they all hold regular, full-time jobs: Malone teaches high school in Malden, Steve DeBenedictis, the drummer, is also a teacher, Mick Greenwood, the guitarist, works for a corporate bank, Ryan Savary, also a guitarist, makes ice cream, and James Hogg, bassist, works in a doctor's office.

And this, said Malone, is what makes them self-proclaimed rock stars: After three years of performing together, none of them consider themselves professional musicians, yet. But they all still do it for the love of music.

"Because we all have day jobs, we're not what I would consider 'successful' musicians, at least not financially," he said. "I do love my job, but my passion has always been music."

The five band members consider the band their second job. Between writing songs, developing their sound, and practicing several times a week, it can get tough to fit it all in between their day jobs and other things that come up.

"It's tough," said Malone. "We're not getting any younger, either."

But keeping them going is the small chance that they could make it big, and if they're not ready for that opportunity when it hits, they could miss their chance, said Malone.

Wakefield Roots
Greenwood, Savary, Hogg, and DeBenedictis all grew up in Wakefield and graduated from Wakefield High in the early 2000s. Malone graduated from Malden Catholic around the same time.

"I'm Galvin Middle School Class of 1999, though," he said.

Despite ties to each other early in life - Malone and Greenwood played on the same T-ball team - the band didn't form until all five members left Wakefield, attended college, and returned later on in life. Greenwood and Malone were re-introduced through a mutual friend and began to jam together. Soon, they found the other members to join them, and they felt an instant connection.

"We all got along great, which I think is the biggest issue," said Malone. "If you have a bunch of great musicians, but the chemsitry isn't right, you'll be at each others heads all day. That's not the case here."

The Music
Malone describes the Self-Proclaimed Rock Stars as a mix behind the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Pixies, and "almost like a modernized Led Zepplin," he said.

"We like to take the roots of classic rock and update them, but change them a little," he said. "When we record, we take the time and effort to see how the guitar fits, how does the bass sound, how does the synth machine sound - it's all about how we can compliment each other. Today there's so much over the top producing in the studio that we try to take it back to the basics."

The band's two top favorite songs, the ones that have gotten some radio play in other states, are the high-energy crowd pleaser, "Whiskey," and the smoother "Haymaker."

"Most of our fans know 'Whiskey' - that's the one that everyone sings along to," Malone said. "'Haymaker' is more of our new sound."

Upcoming Shows
Although the band doesn't have any gigs lined up for Wakefield, they are playing in Boston on Friday, Dec. 9 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, at the 5th Annual Christmas Sweater Jamboree. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Even if making it big means giving up their "self-proclaimed" status, Malone said they would do it in a heartbeat.

"I think we'd just go for it," he said. "My principal knows I'm in a band, and if something really crazy happens, I'd have to follow my dream."