Chat  ABC.com  June 15, 2001

abc_host: OK, we have the guys... here we go

Hey guys, I just watched 'Making the Band' and it was wonderful! Dan, I was wondering what made you start growing out that ol' beard? Love ya, Sarah

Jacob: Puberty!
Dan: I just wanted something different, I never had one before...

Hey Erik, did it hurt when you fell during the taping of Liquid Dreams?

Erik: No, after that fall the whole atmosphere loosened up...

Do you believe the editing of 'Making the Band' was fair?

All: Yes, for the most part, they just can't show the whole story, so it is and it isn't, you only get part of the story...

Ashley, what experience in life sparked you to pursue a career in the entertainment business?

Ashley: My mom, she was a piano teacher, she inspired me, I started taking lessons when I was five.And I started performing at recitals, and then got the bug to be on stage, and it was nutured by a teacher at school.

Ashley, what's up with all the Superman stuff in your room?

Ashley: I'm a big fan, what can say?!?

If you guys were banished to a deserted island, what 5 things could you not live without?--Katherine

All: Cell phone, music, and guitar, and a CD player, the Bible, and a basketball hoop, no take that back, a pencil and paper.

Do you think it was fair when Lou cut you all off?

Mike: No it wasn't fair. And unexpected

Are you guys still friends with Ikaika, Paul, Mike, and Bryan?

All: We don't get to speak to them as much as we might like, but we're still friends and get along well when we see them.

Sixers or lakers??

All: Lakers! Except Erik, I'm a Sixer's fan.

Jacob, What made you go back to the dreads and you painting your fingernails, i just have to say i love the look!

Jacob: I always liked growing my hair long, and just though it was an opportunity to do it, so I did it, nothing that profound...Don't read into it too deeply, I just wanted to do it..

What part of your personality do you think doesn't get shown on the show?

Jacob: I think I stand up for what I believe is right, and I think sometimes it comes across as complaning, when it's not, it's just me expressing my opinion.

If you were a house that was set on fire and you had enough time to take one thing before you had to get out, what would you take and why?

Erik: I'm thinking...A picture of my family.
Jacob: My family and baby pictures.
Dan: I'd carry my family out with me on my back!
Ashley: My family is smart enough to get out, so I'd take my home videos and pictures.

What made you guys pick those specific 5 girls for LIQUID DREAMS video?

Ashley: Each one of them had something special that stood out.
Dan: They could dance really good. And because they were FINE...
Erik: They had attitude.

What would you title your autobiography?

Ashley: Lab Rats...By the way, I love the fans, we have over 20,000 questions...

Hi guys! Describe yourselves when you're in love? Melisa from Malaysia! I woke up early today just for this!

Dan: Happy all the time.
Jacob: Inspired.
Trevor: I've never been in love.We are very impressed that you wrote in from Malaysia, thank you!!! (Now you can go back to bed!)

Do any of you have any side projects like movies?

All:Right now, we just did song on the soundtrack for Dr. Doolittle 2...
Ashley: I'm really proud of We Fit Together, which we recorded in Hong Kong.

Hey guys, I was wondering if you guys have any kind of pre-concert ritual that you do before every show? Like pray or anything like that! The OTOWN CREW orlando misses you!-Nicci and Jeannie

Jacob: We always pray, and always stretch and warm up.We maintain a calm, focused state of mind. We do a lot of stretching and vocalizing, and then we run through a couple of songs from the show. Brush up on anything we think we might have messed up on the night before.

Ashley If u could go back in time, to change one thing, what would u change about ur life?

Ashley: You learn thru your mistakes, and everything I've done has gotten me to where I am today, so I wouldn't change a thing. And we wish all you guys could be with us tonight in San Diego where we're playing in front of 18,000 at a show for KHTF, Jacob's home town, and Jacob's first performance back since hurting his back. It's a very exciting night for the band and for the fans...

If you guys didn't get a spot in O-Town, would you still be invovlved with music in 10 years?

Dan: If I didn't, I'd be trying to.
Trevor & Ashley: We'd be actors if we didn't make it into music.
Jacob: No ifs, ands or buts, I'd be in the music industry.
Erik: Music!
All: Music is so important to us.

Hey guys, are you suprised about how ruthless the music business is?

Dan: Yes!
Ashley: No.
Erik: I'm from NY, nothing surprises me.
Trevor: Not really, it's a business, unfortunately. That's the only shocking part, to realize how much of a business the music business really is.

Who's joker in the group?

Jacob: Erik is.

Hey what up O-Town? Erik, do you and your real father Ruben talk now at all? I love you so much!

Erik: No.

Trevor, I want to know who does your cornrows? They look really good on you. Thanks, Valerie.

Trevor: A girl named Aroxy, she's in LA.Once again, to all our fans -- we love you!

Do u like girlz with their belly button pierced? how bout tongue?

Trevor: I think it's very sexy, both of them...
Jacob: Me too.
Erik: Just belly button.
Ashley: It could be really cute. Depending on the belly and depending on the tongue...

Jacob how is you back doing?

Jacob: Thank you so much for asking, and I appreciate all the concern the fans have expressed over the last 3 weeks, thank you very much, it is getting better, but it's going to be a long healing process...But I am back out with the guys performing. And I will not miss one day of our tour which starts July 6 in LA at the Greek Theater, and runs through Boston on October 13. So come on out and see for yourself!

Ashley, Does your step-father still not support you in joining O-Town?

Ashley: I don't want to give too much away, because that is one of the subjects we focus on in the second season, so stayed tuned to the 2nd season, and you'll have your answer! Please tune in, because it does mean a lot to me that the fans see what goes down with my stepdad.

If there were a movie of your lives as a band, what celeb would play you?

Trevor: Will Smith.
Ashley: Matt Damon.
Dan: Ben Affleck.
Erik: Benjamin Bratt.
Jacob: Mark Wahlberg.

Ashley do you think you and shelli will get back together?

Ashley: If it's meant to be, it's meant to be, and I don't want to "limit" my future by making any statements...

Michael Jackson is due to have an album out in September. Are you guys excited about that? Thanks! -Michelle

Jacob: I have never been more anxious for any album release in my lifetime.
Trevor: Very excited.
Jacob: I hope it does very well for him...He deserves it...

Here in England we are up at 2:00 am but u guys are soooo worth it! I just wanna know who eats the most? i mean apart from Lou??

Erik: Hey what's up UK, we just finished doing some press for you, check it up...Trevor eats the most. Jacob forgets to eat, actually, we have to remind him.

DONT FORGET TO TELL THE FANS TO VOTE FOR "ALL OR NOTHING" ON TRL!!!!!!!

All: Our goal is to be retired...so we second that motion! Vote by calling 1-800-DIAL-MTV...or go to www.mtv.com And thank you very much for reminding everyone to vote, we appreciate that.

What can a girl put on her sign to get your attention?

Trevor: Will You Marry Me...always gets my attention.
Erik: I like something funny.
Dan: Something clever....something a little PG 13, if you know what I mean...

If the 5 of you were on "Survivor", who would be voted off of the island first?

All: Ikaika...

Trevor how are you and Kelly?

Trevor: (Big grin), you just have to keep watching...

Are you guys going to do anything for your fathers on Father's Day?

All:We will be doing a show in Las Vegas on Father's Day...
Erik: Calling.
Dan: Gonna call him and get him a nice present...Is that my father asking the question?!? But the present is going to be a surprise, so I can't say...Hi to my parents who are on this chat!

I can't wait to see your house on MTV's CRIBS!! What is your fave room of your house? Mucho Love!-Brittany

Dan: Of course, my favorite room is my own.
Jacob: Definitely the studio.
Erik: I like the studio also.
Ashley: My room because I have the Master Suite!
Trevor: The studio.

Erik is the rumor that your dating someone from Eden's Crush?

Trevor: I am overwhelmed and appreciative that 50,000 want to speak with us!
Erik: No, not true, but I have met them all and they are very nice.

Jacob---is there still bad blood about you getting cut from songs or your part getting changed? --Vicki Toledo, Ohio

Jacob: There is no bad blood, it all worked out well in the end...you can't believe everything you see on TV!

Do you guys have a official website that you check up on and if you do what is it? -Krista

All: www.o-town.com. We also check in out Making the Band site at www.abc.com. On top of that we like to surf and check out fan sites from time to time...thanks to all the fans who put in their time building fan sites!
Ashley: Sorry to the fans for this little delay, I'm back, I
had to change the battery on my cell phone.

Do u guys really chat on otown.com?

All:Of course we do....on www.o-town.com
Ashley: I always have my computer on the road with me.
Dan: I've got a palm pilot with web access.Very progressive!
All:A big hello to www.destinationotown.com

Do any of you speak other languages?

Erik: I speak Spanish.
Jacob: I used to sing in French, German and Italian.
Ashley: We truly feel the fans are the reason we are where we are, we truly love you, thank you for all your support....See you this summer!
All: Thanks from all of us, see you all next week at Yahoo! Chat...at 9 PM ET, 6 PM ET, next Friday...
All:Keep voting for All Or Nothing on TRL so we can be retired!
All:And of course, don't forget to watch Making the Band on ABC, Friday Nights at 8 PM...Two new episodes each week!

abc_host: Thanks to everyone for joining us tonight!! O-Town is now preparing to go on stage in San Diego.