Joe Beleznay wants to be the ball PREV / 2 of 4 / NEXT sically are just trying to juggle the two worlds but trying to believe that we could really get somewhere if we put our minds to it--but you know, reality kicks you in the ass a lot. You realize that you have to work and have to, you know... Bill: So what role exactly does Tim play? He's all over the artwork, all over the credits... Joe: Tim is the percussionist, the mentor. Not so much mentor--he's my best friend. He has been there from the beginning, wanting to do it. Stewart: How did you guys meet? Joe: Personal ads. No. School. At a point in middle school, I was doing the whole black thing. Skid Row T-shirts. It was a hot day and I didn't have shorts and I was all dressed up and Tim was like "why are you dressed like an Eskimo"--and the rest is history [Laughter] Bill: A bond is born. Joe: He has just been a steady, consistent force in my life, music and friendship-wise. And he shares the same values and ideals. Bill: Such as? Joe: We are gonna rock it and be famous! He's one of the few people I could see myself going on tour with and not getting tired of and not drive me crazy. We had stopped playing for a bit 'cause he did the whole college thing, got a job--pretty exciting. He quit for a little bit to find a job but kinda started back up when we were 24, 25. Bill: So you write the music? Joe: I primarily write it. I bring it to him. He throws a beat on. Bill: I read that he helped out with some of the musical arrangements. Joe: The arrangements, yea, how we wanted ... what we wanted to put where. Basically, I have the baby and Tim will dress it. Stewart: Is that the "Giant Child?" Joe: Yea. Tim called me that so that's why I put it as "Giant Child Music" 'Cause that's what we are. Bill: Giant children. Joe: yea. Bill: I took a look at where you have been playing. A lot of it has been local but more recently you took a trip to New Hampshire... Joe: And Worchester, Mass. Bill: Yea Joe: We made some really good contacts. The show in New Hampshire was just excellent. Great money. Really nice atmosphere. They treated us like Kings. Like Latin Kings... [Laugher] Joe: We want to do it again. We are kinda incubating since that stint, which was very little. We had to take a break--it was getting crazy. [Laugher] Stewart: So do you remember Spring Jam at Fairfield High School, maybe 1995 or '94? We were young maybe in like eighth grade or something. Joe: Oh yea, Spring Jam was like the quintessential, like, the big thing. Yea, we definitely wanted to win Spring Jam. We had a band: Villanova Junction. It was me, Tim, this guy Rich on bass and John Mayer on guitar. Bill: John Mayer? Really? Joe: You didn't know that? Bill: No. Joe: I met him in Mr. Mill's Satire class. But it's hard to talk about John cause he's a successful guy and he basically lives the dream. He's a good guy. It's undeniable that his style has rubbed off on me. Cause um, that's when you learn to play--with someone else. You can't deny that he taught me a lot and he showed me--is very helpful. Bill: Does he continue to be helpful? Do you guys have a good relationship? Joe: Yea. Definitely. Everyone has been really supportive. What makes me real sad--not sad but--did you ever jus PREV / 2 of 4 / NEXT