Unconscious Communication

Upon first listening to The Stu Tails, you would have never guessed the band was conceived in a Babson College (Boston, MA) dorm room. With primary influences ranging from the beats of '90s west coast rap to the edgy reggae/rock of SoCal heroes such as Sublime and Slightly Stoopid, it seemed only natural that they were yet another byproduct of endless sunshine and close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. But no. Boston, MA. Go figure. During the band's first incarnation, members Ryan McDonald (bass/vocals), Chris Devlin (guitar), Walter Pietro (guitar/back-up vocals), and Kurt Shafer (drums) rocked frat-houses, toured the East coast U.S. and Canada venue circuit, and dominated college parties with their monumental onstage energy, catchy combination of classic rock riffs mixed with reggae grooves, and inspired choices of reinvented hip hop covers (it also probably helped that many of these parties were, in part, fueled by the infamous cocktail concoction the band named themselves after). After graduation the original line-up had to split due to career opportunities and, as fate would have it, both Ryan and Chris ended up in San Francisco. Divine intervention? Cosmic coincidence? Call it what you will, but both took it as a sign to continue the band on the west coast. They quickly recruited NorCal native Nick Schneider on drums and close friend Marc Milani on guitar/vocals. They have since been performing throughout California. So what exactly is a Stu Tail? Take a big cup, fill it to the top with ice, fill it to the brim with flavored rum and finish it off with a splash of diet cola. Let it melt for 5 minutes. You'll thank us after number one...