Fumblejerk

Mon., June 12, 2000

Jon Ross, Moscow

Competing in BOBFest for, at least one member of the teenage garage band fumblejerk, isn’t about winning.

It’s about having a good time, said Nolan Helmstetter.

“I’m not a competitive person. It’d be cool to win,” Helmstetter said. “But that’s not the only reason we’re doing it.”

Fumblejerk — a name coined by a friend from Los Angeles — is composed of guitarist/lead singer Helmstetter, bassist Bryan Gill and drummer Mark Konzek.

The band formed when Helmstetter and Gill picked up their respective instruments and started looking for a drummer. Konzek, who played drums in a different band at the time, jumped at the chance.

The group plays its own style of punk rock with a tad bit of NoFx and Propagandhi thrown into the mix.

Most of their songs are about life and things that make them mad, Helmstetter said.

The group’s first gig was a party where they played for a meager crowd. They earned $75.

They since have played about a dozen shows, including such diverse places as Rathaus Pizza and the city park, and at shows with other Moscow bands like Jimmy Flame and the Sexy Boys.

The band has a nine-song CD that won’t be for sale until they have more covers, Helmstetter said.

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