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Chuggernaut


Band: Chuggernaut

Members: Eric White (guitar), Jon Kilker (lead vocals, guitar), Simon Overmiller (bass, vocals), Dave Forney (drums)

Who we talked to: Kilker and Overmiller

Where'd the name come from? Overmiller: We're all big comic fans, and we all like Juggernaut from "X-Men," and we're all drinking buddies from college, so we combined the two together.

Who are your influences? Overmiller: I'd say everything from Bayside, Bad Religion, Bill Withers, Alkaline Trio, Cave In, Against Me!, Mad Sin, Blood Brothers. We all listen to different styles of music.

Worst song on the radio right now?Kilker: Anything by Nickelback, Hinder or Staind. It all sounds the same. Maybe that "Lips of an Angel" song (by Hinder) is the worst.

You guys have an EP coming out. Plug it for all it's worth here: Kilker: People should get it because it's something totally new out of York. It's something people haven't heard.

Who is your biggest musical guilty pleasure? Kilker: Dio. The whole aura of Ronnie James Dio. He invented the devil horns; he rules. He sung in Sabbath, so he's got some credibility, too.

If you could share the stage with any band or artist, who would it be and why? Kilker: Led Zeppelin or AC/DC. AC/DC with Bond Scott, not Brian Johnson singing.

What songs do you like to cover? Overmiller: Cover bands are pretty much the root of all that is evil.

Kilker: We try to stick to all-original material. We like "New Noise" by Refused. The speed and the guitar intro are great. The whole thing just rocks.

Plug one (or four) other local artist(s): Kilker: Paper Tongue, definitely. We played a show with them. They're a three-piece, and yet they fill the room with their sound. And Pariah Piranha. They rock. Ralph Real. He actually plays keyboard with us sometimes. And Render. We were in the band before, so we want to give a shoutout to them.

Who would win in a fight: Nickelback, Staind or Hinder? Kilker: Hopefully, they would all die. I'd say just throw them in a cage, and no one's allowed to come out until they're all dead.

Overmiller: Fergie can go in there, too.

Shoutouts: Kilker: All of our friends that come out to our shows and have fun. That means a lot to us because we have fun, too.

- JASON COX, FLIPSIDE STAFF