news2001

PROFILES

Member profiles:

Style
The SPJs style ranges from punk to metal to somewhat alternative. Basically, a slightly heavy edge with a pop-punk type feel. We've covered Sabbath, Metallica, Lit, Blink 182, Live, Blur, Papa Roach, Nirvana and Rick Springfield. Right now (4/18/2001), we have thirteen originals which gives us a 40-50 minute set when we play at the venues that require new music. As for the bars that require longer perfomances, we throw in all of our covers to make a 90-120 minute set.

History
The band came together with all of the current members during the summer of 1998 in Overland Park, Kansas. It started with drummer Scott Jacobs and bassist Jay Thornton who were loosely playing together in a band called "Lenowd" with the current band-drinking sub/roadie, Brian Leonard (guitar). Guitarist Dylan Goodwin joined up with the band for some jams after moving into the area during the summer of 1997. Thornton then took a job in Germany. Jacobs, Goodwin and Leonard continued to play together, but Leonard's job kept him busy in the evenings. This opened the door for guitarist Steve McMahon to join the band. Goodwin and McMahon had played together in the early part of the decade in the Wombats. The plan was for Leonard to switch to bass to cover the loss of Thornton. With Leonard's job though, it never developed. It was around this time that Goodwin came up with "Aunt Betty" as a new name for the band. McMahon then started heavily recruiting vocalist Pat Dors to give the band a voice. McMahon and Dors had played together during their fraternity days out in Manhattan in a band called The Mighty Deck Lizzards. Dors, Goodwin, Jacobs and McMahon all posed for a picture at a Halloween party that fall prior to Dors actually singing with the band. In fact, it took until the next spring for Dors to actually get into the studio. Thornton moved back from Germany that summer to refill our gap at the bass position, and the rest is booze, chicks and Flying V's.

Name
Aunt Betty wasn't popular with the entire band, so we spent a long time trying to come upwith a name all five of us would like. It didn't happen. When it came time to play our first gig at Pablo's Second Annual Halloween Bash, the band agreed to a "Name-the- Band Contest." Jay came up with Spooky Pajamas and put it on the board. It won pretty decisively over competition such as "Lean Fart" and "The Butt$%#ers." There was a move in the early part of 1999 to change the name, but it failed. We remain, "The Spooky Pajamas." We have about 300 names that we rejected. If I get around to it, I'll post them someday.

Influences
In reverse alphabetical order: The Wombats, The Smiths, Rush, Nirvana and Metallica. The truth is we don't sound much like any of those bands. We just came up with a list because you have to haveinfluences to get listed on The Zone website. Each one of us picked a band.