Pipe dream becomes reality

"The rock and roll dream is still alive," proclaimed Jon Barnes '03 when asked about his membership in one of the newest bands on the Princeton campus. Having been very active in a band in high school, Barnes decided that he wanted to extend this rockstar fantasy to his college experience.

After informal conversations among a group of friends last year, three students got together this past September to make their dream a reality.

They advertised for a bassist and by November, the group — named Pipe Dream — was fully formed with Jeff Lange '04 on bass and background vocals, Courtenay Green '02 on drums, Mac Muirhead '03 on lead guitar and Barnes on rhythm guitar and vocals.

With their first official gig in March, the band has had a hectic fanfare to the Princeton music scene, playing at the Cap & Gown Club last Thursday and at Colonial Club during the afternoon on Tuesday in celebration of Newman's Day.

The intent of Pipe Dream is to provide the sort of music appropriate for social events at "the Street." "There are a lot of good musicians playing good music on campus," Green remarked, "but they just aren't playing fun music that people can dance to. They don't play the kind of music you need at a certain scene."

Pipe Dream hopes to fill that void with their repertoire which ranges from the Beatles to '70s classics to Sublime.

"It's the kind of stuff we would want to hear if we were out having a good time," Green explained. "There is a big market out there for cover bands."

In addition to their fun, dance-conscious set list including both hard rock and slower songs, the group is also remarkable for their musicianship.

"All four of us have had experience with nearly all of each others' instruments, so it's really a 100 percent collaborative effort. It's great to have a drummer that can point out problems with harmonic progression or a bassist who can tell you how to riff better on the guitar."

In a plug for their band, Barnes noted, "We're cheaper than just about any other band out there. I think part of the reason why the live rock and roll scene isn't thriving here is because . . . bands charge so much that eating clubs would prefer to pay less money and get a DJ and a lot of beer."

After a successful freshman venture, Pipe Dream looks forward to increasing their appearances at "the Street," but would also like to move off campus. "We've even pondered the underestimated market of Sweet Sixteens," Green joked.

The band is also interested in adding original songs to their set list. Barnes produced his own compact disk in high school and Green also has experience with song-writing. They hope to write over the summer and come back next year to work with their own material.

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Their future as a band is promising, largely because they come with so much experience.

"I think one of the big reasons why the band has been able to jump right into things was because three out of four of us played in intense bands throughout high school so we were all on the same page as far as commitment to the music and ourselves goes," Barnes said.

They are off to a good start so far. For these four Princeton students, the fantasy of having their own band is no longer merely a "pipe dream."