Stellar Kart: ALL GAS. NO BREAK
From left to right: Cody (Guitar), Adam (Lead Vocals), Brian (Bass Guitar), Jordan (Drums)
Stellar Kart has the youth camp menu memorized: ham 'n eggs, hamburgers, Sloppy Joes, and typically there's spaghetti in there somewhere. Admittedly, it's not gourmet, but these guys just can't pass up a free meal.
Of course, playing music for kids is the real reason behind their camp craze, and new Word Records power pop-punk band Stellar Kart has a mission to connect with youth. "We love camps because we're right there with the kids," says lead guitarist Cody Pellerin. "A lot of bands just want to play shows, which is fine, but I really enjoy using music as an opportunity to relate to youth."
"It's the best possible venue to meet kids one-on-one," says Adam Agee, Stellar Kart's lead singer. "Sure, they might think you're cool because you play in a band, but they see that you still have your head on straight, that you can be a Christian and still rock."
Four guys who range in age from 20-24, Stellar Kart is now raring to carry its mission beyond camp borders. With an album title that means "full speed ahead," All Gas. No Brake drives the group's music and message forward, encouraging high schoolers to go all out for God.
"They're responsive to our music and lyrics because we just came through that period ourselves," says Agee. "Stellar Kart is definitely geared toward youth group kids because that's where we got our start."
Phoenix-based Stellar Kart did indeed start in a youth group. Frontman Agee and drummer Jordan Messer led worship, while bass player Tay Sitera joined them for weekend gigs. Stellar Kart added Pellerin to the line-up about three years ago, and the foursome has since recorded two independent releases, performed about 100 dates each year, and played with bands like Jeremy Camp, By The Tree as well as Seven Places.
In its early days, Stellar Kart admits to being an Audio Adrenaline tribute band but says that when it wore out Bloom, members began writing their own material. "We got tired of playing the same Audio A songs. We were waiting for them to put out another CD, so we decided to write our own stuff," jokes Agee.
Actually, the band has always written its own music. Even now, Messer and Agee take on the lyrics, while all four contribute to the music and arrangements. A self-produced record, All Gas. No Brake features only one worship song, while the other tracks capture Stellar Kart's unique blend of straight-ahead pop-punk.
The band's affinity for camp settings is easily heard in "Gone Fishin'" and "Student Driver." Songs written on location, they're full of catchy music with simple messages that are easily understood. In "Student Driver," Stellar Kart uses a fun, rockin' tune to communicate the idea that so many Christians want to be in control, want to be in the driver's seat, but are really just along for the ride.
Stellar Kart also addresses pressing matters in the lives of teens using its own distinctive style. The energetic "Superstar" is actually a song about someone considering suicide. Says Messer, "I've had friends that died from suicide, so I felt it was an important issue to address in a song. So many people are not feeling the love of Christians around them. We wrote 'Superstar' to stress how crucial it is for us as a family to reach out to others."
Through its work with youth, the band says that it continually meets kids who think they're unforgivable. It wrote "Second Chances" to remind those kids that no matter how many times they mess up, God will always provide a second chance. The song originated from Stellar Kart's ongoing work with Silver Ring Thing, an abstinence program. Silver Ring Thing puts on high-tech presentations full of video, music, comedy skits and light shows to encourage kids in abstinence.
Talking with kids about life and second chances is what motivates Stellar Kart. "Junior high and high school were really difficult for me," says Pellerin. "Not being a Christian, those years were just a train wreck. I accepted Christ right before I turned 18. I went to a camp two weeks later, and it was life-changing.
"There are so many high school and junior high kids living a life with no direction. If we have the opportunity to help them, that's great. It fires me up, keeps me grounded to think about how God's using me to help other people."
Stellar Kart takes this new role seriously, as it prepares to impact more with All Gas. No Brake. "It's a huge deal," Agee says. "No one's perfect. We can only help others if we ourselves are committed to holding each other accountable and staying in the Word. It's definitely not easy. It's just something you make a conscious decision to do, and we have."
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Birth name: Adam B. Agee
Nickname in band: "A" or AJ
Age: 24
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Musical influences: Green Day, Simple Plan, The Starting Line, Audio Adrenaline, Delirious, Switchfoot, Journey, Gin Blossoms...
Hobbies: golf, basketball, football, hunting, fishing, hanging out with my wife
Greatest struggle as a teenager and how you coped: I attended four different high schools in four years and had to deal with meeting new people and making new
friends each time my family moved. Through church and youth group I was able to make friends and still have a good high school experience.
Advice for youth today: Don't worry about what others think of you. Learn a second language. Play an instrument. Have funwith life and don't take anything for granted.
Random personal fact: I was arrested when I was 17 for fishing in a neighborhood man-made lake. Two of my friends and I were fishing at night, and the cops came and busted us. I was arrested for trespassing, and they confiscated my fishing pole. I had to go to a class for troubled teens and write a letter of apology to the city of Glendale for the horrible thing I did.
Birth Name: Brian Joel Calcara
Nickname in band: "banana hands"
Age: 22
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, IA
Musical influences: Anberlin, Story of the Year, Blink 182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Starting Line, Beyonce Knowles, and Randy Travis
Hobbies: Snowboarding, Reading, Jogging (pronounced "yogging"), playing Ping-Pong, Billiards, Poker, and other Rec-games
Greatest struggle as a teenager and how you coped:Trying to fit in at school and trying to follow after Christ at the same time. I became tight with the youth group I was in and found that there were many other teenagers facing the same struggle I was facing. The youth group helped me to stay focused on what god thought of me more than what others thought.
Advice for youth today: Find one thing that turns your life upside down and do it as well as you can for god's glory. For me it was playing the bass up on stage and rocking out. For you it might be drawing, writing poetry, or maybe playing tetherball.
Random personal fact:I used to sing and dance in High School Show Choir. I had rap solo.
Birth Name: Jordan Bradford Messer
Nickname in band: CON-MIGO
AGE: 22
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Musical influences: Travis Barker, Cyrus Bolooki, Tay Sitera, Adam Agee, Cody Pellerin. Let's see who else....Box Car, Racer, Simple Plan, Audio Adrenaline, TFK, Green Day, The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, ummmmm... oh yeah, Hillary Duff, Avril Lavigne and all the other pop stars
Hobbies: I like to ride my go-ped, eat, drum and sleep. And I'll always find time for shopping!
Greatest struggle as a teenager and how you coped: My biggest struggle as a teen was staying focused on God. With so much going on, it's easy to lose sight of what really matters. I always knew when my focus was someplace else. I felt alone and unfulfilled, no longer close to God. That's when I would stop and ask myself "Who is really in control?" The answer would make me smile. I know how awesome it is to be a CHRISTIAN and to have my FATHER always holding my hand!
Advice for youth today... Wake up every day and ask yourself this question, "What can I do to further God's kingdom?" Listen to His answer. Go out and show nothing but unconditional love for everyone you see or think about. This world is falling short of what it could be. There are people all around who have lost hope. Let's show them love; let's tell them that God is right by their side, waiting for them to accept! HE will take all of our worries and be there for us at ALL times. Everyone who suffers shall be set free by God's grace. We need to rise up today and not be afraid or ashamed of what we believe. No one can stop us because the MAKER of all things is on your side, my side, our side!
Random personal fact: I still take my baby blankets with me on the road. They are totally all vintaged-out with holes everywhere. Gosh I'm sad!
Birth Name: Cody Pellerin
Nickname in Band: Shredder
Age: 22
Hometown: Glendale, AZ
Musical Influences: everything from Simple Plan to Mozart
Hobbies: working out, longboarding, playing the guitar
Greatest struggle as a teenager and how you coped: I had a fear of not fitting in.
Advice for youth today: Put your trust in Jesus and don't worry about what others think.
Random personal fact: Out of the entire band, I am by far the toughest and strongest, yet they pick on me the most!!! And there is nothing I can do about it!!! Adam I will power bomb you!!!
Brian's BioAdam's BioBand's BioJordan's BioCody's Bio
Credits to the Official Stellar Kart Website www.stellarkart.com
