100 Monkeys rock out in NYC

Ben Johnson,Jackson Rathbone (Twilight), Jared Anderson and Ben Graupner with occasional appearances by Laurence Abrams complete the band called, 100 Monkeys. If you are looking to be entertained, surprised, and maybe a little shocked then you have to see 100 Monkeys' perform.

I recently went to both of their shows in New York City. I was lucky enough to have some face time with the band to discuss their wild and crazy performances. "We take instruments and make noise out of them," said Jackson Rathbone. Clearly, that "noise" seems to be attracting numerous fans.

The first show at Angels and Kings was sold out. This band was so fan friendly, which is something I noticed right away. The show started with a pizza party for everyone attending. Afterwards, you got to meet and greet the band, which is pretty above and beyond any show I have ever been to. Many fans feel that this type of atmosphere and their talent is why they keep coming back.

Lisa Verdi, a fan from New Jersey, agrees, "I saw them in Philly. I know Jackson is in the band and yes he is from Twilight and everything, but they can play really well. They put on an amazing fun show," she said.

Mostly girls attended the sold out show, but Jackson did make note to give a shout out on stage to a male that was spotted in the audience.

The band has a kind of old school rock and roll feel. However, their musical style changes as much as their instruments. Honestly, I have never seen a band where each member takes a turn playing the drums, base, guitar, keyboard, and even singing. It could be due to the fact that these guys have known each other for awhile.

Ben Graupner said that they began by playing music and driving around in a car. (Which by the way hasn't changed. The band drives around in two cars to get from venue to venue. They also pack everything up themselves. Nothing fancy or over the top of this group.)

The thing that really makes the band unique is their improv skills. The boys agreed all saying that if they had to do the same thing over and over every single day they would get bored, so why not change it up -- and let me tell you, they do. Both shows I went to they requested ideas from the crowd. The first show, someone screamed out peacock. Next thing you know, the band created one of the most original, funny, and clever songs about peacocks. 

Some fan favorites, which can be found on their Cd's or online are called: Ugly Girl, Smoke, Wasteland Too, and Arizona.

The Monkeys also mentioned that a lot of their songs are inspired by one of their friends, Spencer Bell. They also sang, "The Monkey Song," which is a Bell original. Unfortunately, Bell passed away in December of 2006 from Adrenal Cancer. He was a poet, artist, and musician. The band hopes to keep his legacy alive. To find out more about Spencer Bell and how you can help please click here.

100 Monkeys' energy is truly inspiring and fun. The band is full of the nicest, most down to earth guys that you will ever meet. If get a chance to go to one of their shows you will be greeted with ingenious music and you will leave fully entertained. All the links you need to become a part of the full 100 Monkeys' experience can be found below:

You can check out their new website: http://100monkeysmusic.com/

All of their shows are listed on their Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/these100monkeys

You can also follow them on twitter: http://twitter.com/100MonkeysMusic