Covering Their Bases Our Name Is Jonas’ Brandon Capetillo

Cover bands. Say what you will about them, but unlike their more successful and famous counterparts, they’ll always play the hits and won’t be snobby assholes about it. In Covering Their Bases, The A.V. Club asks a cover band to weigh in on a contentious issue regarding their corresponding band. In this edition, Our Name Is Jonas bassist Brandon Capetillo expounds on his band’s Weezer fetish on the eve of the band’s show April 23 at Goose Island in Wrigleyville.

The A.V. Club: First thing’s first, as always: Why do a tribute to Weezer?

Brandon Capetillo: The idea came five or six years ago when our band Empyrean played as Weezer at the Double Door Halloween show along with Local H. I forget who they were, but we practiced Weezer songs for a whole month, and we got a great response. We had a “W” all lit up and everything. It was a pretty fun time. We decided then if Empyrean—or Treaty Of Paris, which I was also in—ever broke up, we’d do a Weezer tribute act. So, we did.

AVC: And this is your first show—how are you preparing?

BC: We’ve learned The Blue Album in its entirety. We’ve made a Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and website. We have wardrobe. We’re building the “W” with the lights this weekend. We’re really trying to go forward with the whole thing.

AVC: What’s the wardrobe like?

BC: It’s from the Buddy Holly video—cardigan sweaters, red ties, dress pants.

AVC: And how are you making the “W” with lights?

BC: We’re going to the Home Depot and picking up some quarter-inch plywood. My father-in-law’s helping me. I think it’s going to be about three or four feet tall by six or seven feet wide. We’ll have it on hinges so we can transport it easily, and we’re going to put rope lights on the ends. It’ll look cool. The last one was made out of cardboard and Christmas lights; this one is durable and serious.

AVC: Why Weezer, though? Why did you pick that band in the first place?

BC: We all grew up on Weezer listening to The Blue Album and Pinkerton. It was something we all had in common and we all agreed on. They have tons of hits, too, and their music is really fun—and fun to play, especially live. What better way to have fun and play music than to be Weezer?

AVC: Are you guys going to do the whole catalog or just The Blue Album?

BC: Right now, we’re just focusing on old stuff. It’s a marketing thing, coming out with The Blue Album. If I heard a band was playing The Blue Album dressed in costume, I would totally go.

I think we’re just going to come out and say, “Hi. Our Name Is Jonas,” and rock The Blue Album. That’s it at least until next time. I think eventually, we’ll mix in newer hits, especially if we ever headline shows and have hour and a half sets. We’ll probably still end with The Blue Album, though.

AVC: Do you like the band’s newer stuff at all?

BC: I actually like Hurley a lot. It’s pretty funny that it has Hurley from Lost on the cover, too. There are a ton of good songs on it.

Raditude, a lot of the songs were produced by one of my idols, Butch Walker. The whole band loves him. He’s the man to us. If you haven’t seen him live, go see him. He’s got such charisma, it’s unbelievable. He’s like a robot. I didn’t even know, at the time, he was writing with Rivers. The album’s like both of them, combined.

AVC: Are you going to go through the break-ups and emotional tumult Weezer’s gone through?

BC: That might be pretty funny to do on stage, actually. Like, quit, go to Harvard, be smart about it, and come back.

AVC: What’s your favorite song in the set to play?

BC: Right now, my favorite is “Undone (The Sweater Song)”. I like the backup vocals, and I get to sing those. It’s really simple, too. Just three chords.

I like “Only In Dreams,” too. It’s pretty rocking. The guitar parts just go together and there’s a big solo, which is really fun to rock out to.

AVC: Have you ever seen Weezer live?

BC: I haven’t. Our singer has. I watched a lot of live video of them in Japan and stuff. It’s pretty crazy what they do.

AVC: Are you going to work with Lil Wayne like Weezer did?

BC: Yeah, we have to. It’s going to be awesome. We considered calling our band Weezy, but if you Google it, Lil Wayne comes up. It wouldn’t have been good.

AVC: How does it feel being in a cover band compared to your previous projects, like Treaty Of Paris?

BC: When I was Treaty Of Paris, we’d play some really good shows, and we’d promote the hell out of them. Then we’d go to see cover bands at the Cubby Bear or Goose Island, and all these people come out and watch. They were so into it, all drunk and having a good time. How come they weren’t like that when Treaty Of Paris played? I think it’s because people know those songs way more, and they’re just going out to have a good time. It’s easier to sell someone on something like that than on original music.

It really is depressing, but already we have a good response to Our Name Is Jonas on Facebook and Twitter. People are saying, “I’m totally going to your show.” But when I was in other bands, they didn’t show up. Whatever. The more people the better.