 New Found Glory Are All About Fun For most bands, one big hit usually isn't enough to propel them to mega-stardom. For the guys in New Found Glory, the number of spins they're getting at rock radio seems to be the farthest thing from their minds. The guys are having far too much fun touring endlessly, showing up here and there on TV and generally wreaking havoc wherever they go. The NFG motto seems to be, "Have fun while it lasts." It would also seems that from the response of the
mostly-under-21 female crowds at their shows, radio exposure hasn't meant much to their
fans either. You might have thought that when they were opening up for blink-182 that NFG
was the headliner. When we caught them at the Long Beach (CA) Arena, the kids gave NFG
just as much affection as they did blink, knowing the words of every song and the ladies
pledging their love It's sort of the NFG way; pledge your undying love to Britney Spears - though obviously not for her musical abilities - and readily admit that the name of the band was created in a whim while Jordan and XXX were slaving away at Red Lobster. The guys seem to understand that fame is fickle and fleeting, and that they better enjoy it while they can. Jordan and his mates each seem to bring a certain element to the band. Bassist Ian Grushka is the John Belushi of the group, providing the party animal mentality while ripping off his shirt at every show. Drummer Cyrus Bolooki comes off as the most cerebral of the group, while guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein are each other's yin and yang - very similar and yet very different. And, in front of it all, is Jordan Pundik, who just seems to be enjoying it all.
We had the chance to sit in with the guys as they were doing a live Web chat. We took notes, laughed along with them, and got them to sign some photos. Check it out… |
for lead singer Jordan Pundik. Even when NFG broke in to
one of their many cover songs, which they do an admirable job with, the fans were right
there with them. Who would have ever thought that in 2001 you would see a packed arena
singing the words to "Never-Ending Story?" Even more so, who would have figured
that any band would pick that song to cover?
At the Long Beach show, the guys seemed less
concerned with the events of the world - there was the occasional anti-Osama statement,
but for the most part, NFG understand that music is an escapist venture. The politics will
be there as soon as the TV gets turned on, so why be bothered to deal with it here? Better
to put on the best show possible, rock the crowd and forget the other stuff.