Rubber Pants

What do you get when you mix a Bassist who’s influences include The Doors, Bob Dylan, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers with a Drummer who’s into the Minutemen, Primus, and The Meters with a Guitarist who identifies with Duane Eddy, AC/DC, and The Dead Kennedy’s? Toss in some witty dry lyrics and a pinch of garage attitude and you have Rubber Pants. With a collaborative organic approach to playing and writing music, Rubber Pants is a trio that draws from its many musical genres and real life experiences. During the late summer of 2004, Jeff Jahnke (Drummer), who resides in Hartford, CT, met Kitty Hawk, NC locals Tom May (Guitarist) and Brian Hunsicker (Bassist) on a construction site where the three were working on an enormous beach house. Much music chatter and countless post work beers eventually led to a number of relaxed jam sessions as a way for these three fast friends to socialize whenever Jeff was in NC for work. Initially playing improvisational jazzy stuff that, at moments, had a Primus meets Medeski, Martin & Wood sort of vibe, the three began compiling (on a single track recorder) hundreds of musical germs, thus infecting their preconceived individual tastes, and eventually leading to the birth of the bands own cohesive sound and musical style. In the fall of 2006 Brian got a call to play a solo gig at a local wine festival. He convinced the promoter to allow him to include Tom and Jeff on the bill. Hours later, Brian received the contract to play the event, which, among other things, required a band name. He immediately phoned his friends, leaving messages that the band needed a name, and asking for suggestions. Later that day, Tom returned Brian’s call, leaving him the two word message “Rubber Pants.” The random name stuck, and the newly named band had less than two weeks to learn enough material to fill the three hour slot. They did, and then performed a mix of two-week-old original demos (‘Daddy Long Legs’), old rock covers (Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’), and a number of original jazzy vamps (‘Lactic Acid Thievery’) from the band’s improv sessions – Rubber Pants was born. In 2008, while continuing to work on songs at jam sessions and then presenting them to the locals and tourists at the beach bars, Rubber Pants decided that it was time to make a record. With the employ of their good friend and front man of the Indie band You Scream I Scream, Floyd Kellogg, Rubber Pants recorded their 14 song debut album ‘The Meltdown’ and released it in July 2009. The band recently shot two music videos w/ Spookie Daly of Spookie Daly Pride. Spookie has also written and directed videos for JJ Grey and Mofro, Booker T, and You Scream I Scream. Rubber Pants is currently working on their sophomore album, again with the talent of their friend Floyd Kellogg.