Stealth Foxx

While Ivy League rock stars may be a rare breed, Stealth Foxx stands out as a Harvard band with bigger plans.

Described by guitarist John J. “Jay” Costa, Jr. ’09 as “rock with folk and jazz pretty heavily intertwined,” the quartet has garnered a solid fan base of Harvard students and Bostonians alike.

Costa and vocalist R. Derek Wetzel ’10 started jamming together while attending Boston College High School. The duo continued their artistic pursuits at Harvard, and were eventually joined by drummer Peter Simonelli, a student at the Art Institute of Boston, and bassist Mike Leitzel.

Stealth Foxx has performed in a variety of area venues. The band recently won a battle of the bands at Church Restaurant & Nightclub in Boston. “We’re very devoted to live performance and an organic sound, and all our recordings thus far have been live,” said Costa.

Fans also note the band’s apparent enthusiasm for their art. “It’s obvious that they love their art, and the peaceful and funky vibe that they have on stage is contagious,” said Lauren E. Schwartze ’09.

Stealth Foxx’s first album is slated for a spring release. “We’ve been totally independently producing it,” said Wetzel. “We would love to be signed if there’s someone interested in our sound for what it is, we really have a love for music and we have a very specific vision of what we want our music to be.”

That “specific vision” doesn’t necessarily extend to the band’s peculiar name. “It just came out of a goofy conversation and kind of stuck,” said Costa, “[it’s] sort of reflective of how seriously we take ourselves,” .

Check them out March 6th at the Cantab Lounge in Central Square or April 17th at the Queens Head Pub. - Fifteen Minutes

Student band Stealth Foxx will take the stage at the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub this Sunday as the winners of the Student Band Contest at the first-ever official Yardfest After Party.

The contest is a new Yardfest addition, developed by the College Events Board and the Harvard Concert Commission, a student-run committee that organizes campus-wide events and seeks to bring professional entertainment to Harvard.

Both groups hoped that adding a student band to Yardfest would help keep the excitement going after Yardfest, said HCC Director Julia Goldenheim ’10.

Stealth Foxx was chosen from approximately 10 bands that submitted up to three songs for evaluation by members of HCC and CEB, she said.

“We were looking for something that would both sit well in atmosphere of the pub and go well with other artists we have,” said Goldenheim, referring to singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and electronic music group Ratatat, who will be performing earlier that evening at Yardfest.

Steath Foxx is composed of R. Derek Wetzel ’10 on keyboard and vocals, guitarist John “Jay” J. Costa, Jr. ’09, bassist Mike Leitzel, and drummer Peter Simonelli, a student at the Art Institute of Boston.

Stealth Foxx was notified of their selection on the night of April 14.

“We had prepared a couple of tracks specifically for this...so we had our fingers crossed,” Costa said.

“It was definitely a surprise,” Wetzel added, “It was really exciting to be selected.”

The band stood out because of their unique sound, Goldenheim said. Costa described the band’s music as “rock with a jazz and folk influence.” Above all, he added, their music was spontaneous, featuring improvisation that makes each show a unique experience.

Wetzel and Costa have been playing together since high school, but the current band was formed only this year.

The band is currently working on its debut album and performs at Harvard and other locations in Cambridge and Boston. - The Harvard Crimson