Waiting for their big break

“Rock and roll on Long Island is dead,” said Brian Kjellgren, 20, but the young men in Sargasm are fueled by their passion for music and continue to play together even after graduating from W.T. Clarke High School.

Lead guitarist Anthony Paralikas, 19, said he would describe their music as “spooky and kooky,” and Kjellgren agreed. “This is music by the freaks for the freaks,” he added. Influenced by numerous bands including Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age and CKY, they make up a rock and roll band with metal influences, but are constantly evolving.

With many new songs in the process that are said to be 95 percent complete, bassist Billy Santoro, whose friends describe him like Animal from the Muppets, said, “We had a lot of teenage angst.” “And then we got haircuts,” said Kjellgren.

The band also consists of James Morrow on drums, Christ Scott on the synthesizer and Emily McKay as occasional backup vocals.

Paralikas and Kjellgren both played metal before their sound evolved and used to whip their long hair around on stage. Kjellgren said, “Now I move my hips,” but Paralikas temporarily lost his on-stage identity. “I didn’t know what to do up there.” Similarly, Santoro experienced stage fright when he first started performing. He said he didn’t want to look like an idiot, but then realized, “[the audience] loves looking at idiots,” he said, and became more comfortable.

The young men played in sync on stage and emitted a strong presence while performing as skeletons at Nightmare on Romscho Street in Bethpage last weekend. While the crowd included only a few friends and Romscho Street neighbors, Sargasm played an hour-long set that included nearly all of their finished songs and a few family-friendly jokes. Kjellgren looked the most comfortable on stage and fluidly interacted with the crowd, but says it’s not an act. Being on stage simply amplifies his personality.

The band consists of talented musicians who alternate between fun riffs and a catchy chorus. However, talent comes with time and these young men have been playing since elementary school.

Kjellgren said he picked up a guitar in 5th grade when his older sister got bored with the instrument after a few months. He recalled thinking, “I could do that.” The self-taught musician said he learned on only four strings before he received a replacement a few year later. Similarly, Paralikas picked up the guitar in 6th grade, but took lessons for a few years. “I used to lock myself in my room after school every day and play for hours. It was miserable,” he said. “But once you get good, it’s worth it.”

Santoro entered life into a musically inclined family. His father, Jimmy Santoro, played guitar in Ram Jam, a rock band best known for the hit single “Black Betty.” “I wanted to play drums, but my dad said he didn’t want the racket in the house, so I picked up the bass,” said Santoro. He started playing in a church band at 9 years old and still plays in a wedding band with his father when he is not performing with Sargasm.

When asked how the band settled on Sargasm, Kjellgren said he likes to play with words and thought the name was both offensive and clever. “I think I was watching

Harry Met Sally,” he added.

After the drama the band has seen since the creation of Sargasm in 2007 when two high school bands melted into one, the members agree that it is surprising they are still together. As Kjellgren admitted, his high school girlfriend cheated on him with their still-current drummer, Morrow, and Santoro later went out the Morrow’s ex-girlfriend.

Additionally, Paralikas officially joined the band in November 2010 after initially saying no. While the current band members were friends in high school, Paralikas remembers Kjellgren as his only bully. “He used to call me fat and to go home and lift weights,” Paralikas said. Sargasm also asked Paralikas to play a gig and never asked him to join the band until months later. Kjellgren and Paralikas are now close friends and often practice together and write music when they hear something that stands. Paralikas said, “I always loved the music and I really believed in [Sargasm].”

Sargasm performs as often as possible, but the members said they sometimes go weeks without a show. While they enjoy playing for small and large crowds, the members agree that a favorite show was opening for CKY at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. The concert was especially enjoyable for Kjellgren. CKY frontman Deron Miller is his idol and lost his voice during the concert. After Miller befriending the members from Sargasm, Kjellgren offered to perform with CKY and sang half their set. “It was the best night of my life,” he said, “And now my idol is my friend.”

Sargasm members also enjoyed performing at the W.T. Clarke High School talent shows, but Kjellgren said it was frustrating to go from playing for a 1,000 people to a handful at a local show. “You’re like, how do I do that again?” he said.

The members vary on their favorite song to perform, but agree that “It’s Under My Bed” is a fan favorite, while “Buy the Ticket, Take a Ride,” “Goosebumps Galore” and “Patient Over the Knife” are the most fun to play live.

Kjellgren said that people at Sony Records are listening to their demo, but “it has to go through four people before you get the right person,” he added.

Paralikas and Santoro are both taking college courses and Kjellgren devotes all his time to music. “I stay home and write a lot of songs,” he said. “If it’s going to get me somewhere, it’s worth it.”

Sargasm currently has a five-song demo titled “Stage Fright” and hopes to release a CD soon.

To stay up-to-date with Sargasm, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sargasmmusic.