It's kind of gross, but it's a good illustration of how CHETT defines a solid live performance.
"If we are not sweating through our clothes and ready to pass out at the end of a show, then we feel the show failed," said lead singer/guitarist Luke LeFevre.
The Rockford-based rock band has the same ultimate goal as most local bands: to be able to do music for a living.
Just a few months ago, CHETT wasn't sure it would even go on.
The band had moved from the basement to clubs throughout the Midwest in early 2003, on the strength of a three-song demo. A year later, the band recorded its first full-length release, "Weary Path," which has taken the energy of their live shows and inspirations of their music and created an intensely personal record with themes if hope, loss, love and of looking for something more meaningful in a world that seems as if it has lost its way.
Then, on May 27, 2004, original drummer Jason Salisbury died, stricken unexpectedly by an unknown heart condition.
The loss of their 25-year-old friend almost killed the band, LeFevre said.
"He had been a friend to all of us for as long as we could remember," he said of the 1997 Christian Life grad. "We grew as musicians and as friends over the past couple years, and the level of friendship had never been higher before he passed away."
Salisbury's death came just as things were starting to happen for the band, and members felt selfish for wanting to play on.
"We were all best friends and hung out all the time, even when we weren't doing band stuff. So now we want to keep going for him," LeFevre said. "He would have wanted us to continue, and we are going to."
Stan Hulsey, Salisbury's best friend from high school, is the new drummer. He joins LeFevre, guitarist Chris Branstiter and bass player Shawn Deveirman.
Together, they play an energetic brand of rock sometimes compared with Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters the Violent Femmes and Sonic Youth.
