If you happened to be strolling along Church Street in Montclair on Saturday night, enjoying the pleasant weather and sidewalk scene, you may have heard the upbeat sounds of a band of talented young men called Rufus and the Ferocious Beast. If you took the time to look closely at the musicians , you may have recognized a few, as three of the five band members live in Verona: Ian Pelse, Andrew Farrelly and Mark Bylancik.
The three gentlemen from Verona, like the rest of the band members, are students at Montclair Kimberley Academy‘s Upper School. Seniors Pelse and Farrelly are both products of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School‘s music program, where Pelse played French horn and Farrelly played drums. The two formed a band in seventh grade, which ultimately developed into Rufus and the Ferocious Beast.
Saturday’s gig, organized through Montclair High School’s Gay-Straight Student Alliance, was the band’s first public performance. The group has just released a demo CD and is booking private events. For more information on Rufus and the Ferocious Beast, check out their MySpace page; to get the CD, e-mail Ian Pelse.
