Fusion Sets High Goals

Usually a basement is the appropriate space for such things as archaic furniture and forgotten memorabilia.

But for a group of teens, it is a perfect place for a practice studio. The band, Fusion, has discovered as much.

Fusion is four friends from Central Valley: Matt Beers (lead singer and guitarist), Chris Arger (bass), Matt Willms (drums) and Mike Fairchild (guitar).

Recently, Fusion completed its premiere album, “Undone,” after a few delays throughout the year. It’s sold at Hastings, DJ’s Sound City and 4,000 Holes. The compact disc consists of 13 songs which the band describes as “happy punk.” They believe that the CD provides something for most modern-music enthusiasts with hints of Nirvana, Green Day and Offspring.

“We kind of mix our influences together,” said Beers, who leans toward the alternative side while other band members favor heavy metal.

Saturday at 5 p.m., Fusion will perform in the Battle of the Bands, a competition between high school groups held annually in Riverfront Park. Seven other groups will compete.

“I think we have a good chance to win, but there are no guarantees,” said Arger who looks forward to this Saturday since the band is now armed with “Undone.”

Fusion is also scheduling shows in the area for later in the summer. They will play a promotional concert at the Hastings on Wellesley on Aug. 19. Plus the band is in the process of securing gigs at Out Back Jack’s and the Repertory Theater. Call 928-1350 for information about future shows.

Once they establish themselves in the local band market, Fusion will seriously look at renting The Met theater.

“We’ve been to some shows in The Met where the band didn’t even sell a third of it out,” said Beers. “We think we can at least do that.”

What might be most amazing about this group is how they began playing.

“I just like listening to music and from there I decided to pick up an instrument and play,” said Arger. The rest of the band is from a similar past: raw musical talent developed with little formal training.

Moreover, the band writes all its own music, unlike many other local teen bands.

“We’ve done it all by ourselves, we haven’t had any real big help,” said Arger, who then added that some “financial things” had been paid by parents. Other than that, the band really has taken control of their music career as seen in the production of the CD and scheduling of other gigs.

Fusion began as an act for a junior-high talent show, then their goal was to put out a CD. Now, having reached those aspirations, they are looking at The Met and beyond. Willms, as an ambitious musician, had this to say about Fusion’s future:

“I hope we keep on going and going and finally make it to where you actually go platinum.”

Ridiculous? Well, maybe not. A band has to begin somewhere and a basement is as good a place as any. It has been done before and Fusion hopes it can be done just one more time.