Jupiter Sunrise: More Than Just a Band?
Jerome Eno

It sounds like the typical rock star thing to say, but UMass Lowell really is Jupiter Sunrise’s favorite place to play. The energetic crowds that go to the shows at the Fox Common are receptive, and vocalist/guitarist Ben Karis said that UML rock band "Harris is my favorite band we’ve come across." Three years ago, Mark Houlihan and Ben moved to San Bernadino, California with not much more than backpacks and a couple guitars. They had a vision to play music that would sweep the nation without being tied down to the world of corporate record companies.

They played gigs in the Los Angeles area, stopping at shopping malls to sell their demos and meet prospective fans. Once they started making more money doing this than they needed to pay their rent, they had an idea. If rent weren't a factor, they’d be making a lot more money. So, before they had a drummer or a bass player, they decided to become a touring band. They picked up Chris Snykus on drums and Aaron Case on bass, and decided to go for it.

One of their first stops was at the Sugar Shack in May, 2002. They played with Waterpistol, Exanimas, First in Line and Now Denial. Since those young days as a band, they’ve been all over the country many times. Guitarist and vocalist Mark Houlihan said, "I think this week is our millionth show." He then clarified that by a million, he actually meant four hundred. Which is still pretty impressive.

Ben Karis says that since their touring is all done on a Do-It-Yourself ethic, they usually book shows about two months in advance. "We pretty much had it down to a routine when we were a younger band." Mark would go to Kinko’s and do the business end of things, using e-mail to communicate with people in upcoming towns. Aaron and Ben would go to the mall and sell demos, making die-hard fans along the way. Chris was the one who always set up the PA system at the shows, and he spent his time as the promoter for the band.

Ben knows that small bands can get discouraged. "Lots of young bands book zigzag tours, where you don’t have a show for three days, and you’re just bored out of your skull." His advice? Go around talking to people! "Bringing twenty people to a show is nice when you’re a young band." And it gets easier as you go around the country. The band knows that when they go to a certain area, they are going to see those die-hard fans that they made by being real with their audiences.

Jupiter Sunrise is about more than just being a band, and more than just making music. They've always looked for the learning experience in touring. Ben said, "You really learn the value of community and self-expression, and it gives you a better idea of what matters." What matters to Ben is the feeling of everyone bringing their own thing to a show, and learning from people as he goes along.

Jupiter Sunrise is writing songs for their new album, to be released possibly by next summer.