Behind the Music, or Before They Were Rock Stars
(whichever one you prefer)
The story starts with vocalist Steve Conlon and bassist Connor Bryant playing in a small town garage punk outfit called Later Days (not to be confused with Later Daze!). This band consisted of Steve on vocals, Connor on guitar, Brian Olsen on drums and Varun on guitar also. Their musical career was short lived due to technical problems *no drumset or enough amps*(hah). with only a few practices under their belt and tension rising between the band members they soon disbanded. The members of Later Days were suddenly without a common bond holding them together and they went their separate ways. Varum went on to form the strings section of the Phasercats and his own solo projects. Brian works at A&P and is the soon to be webmaster of the Later Daze webpage. What happend to the other members can only be described as an act of god....... or really lucky.
For a while the brothers, John and Chris Wernikowski, had been playing music in thier basement and were thinking about being in a band. Kinda like Van Halen, but without the tight pants and a lot less hair. Their wish came true when Chris asked John if he wanted to play bass for his newly formed band More Than Postal. With the lineup comlpete in More Than Postal, with Mike Neff (of Drive) on lead guitar and vocals, Ben Zonnevylle on rythem guitar, John on bass and Chris on drums, the band thought they were unstoppable. Mostly playing covers of Bon Jovi, Gin Blossoms and other softer rock bands, they took their act to the test by playing an eigth grade graduation party. The show was a sucess and the band continued to travel along the path of cover band fame but all the while John was disappointed in the bands lack of punk rock influence. Finally noticing that he was in the wrong band, John decided to call it quits with the band all while still remaining friendly to the other members. It wasn't long after that when Chris also left to join his brother outside of the band. Now without a drummer or bassist, the enigma that was More Than Postal had ended. but what lay in the future for John and Chris was more than what they could have possibly imagined.
Over the summer Connor and John, long time surfing buddies and best friends, decided to start playing music together. With John on Guitar this time, Connor Bryant on bass and Chris on drums they formed a small basement trio named One Toke Over the Rainbow. The tri-fecta had instant chemistry when playing together but with little direction and no one to lead the band in vocal performance, the boys knew that they were sinking fast. One day during practice someone had suggested that the band find a singer. Without hesitatin Connor rose to the occasion and recommended that they try the singer from his old band Later Days. The next day they called up Steve Conlon and invited him to come over to try to sing some songs for the band. Steve hurried over for his audition for the band. John and Connor got him down in the basement and started to play some familiar songs for their new prospect to try to sing. To no avail Steve would not sing a single note, untill John and Connor asked him if he wanted to try an oiginal song and add his own lyrics to it. After hearing the riff only once Steve was ready to sing. The first song they played slowly took form and it was momentus. The band had taken on its final member and formed what can olny be described as the quad-fecta of Later Daze!
Whats in the future for Later Daze? Who knows, but as far is the band is concerned, you should stick around because it sure as hell is gonna be fun! Later Daze holds practice in John and Chris' basement and anyone comes to hear the latest and greatest Later Daze song. They play many shows in the Monmouth County area so look for them in headlines or just check back here to see whats up.
~John