On a hot August night in 2006 I was watching NBC's "America's Got Talent" out of boredom, and I ended up witnessing a fearless act that both inspired and moved me for the next two-and-a-half years of my life.
After sitting through a plethora of bizzare acts (the show features everything from jugglers to sword swallowers), I was surprised to see a thrash-rock band from Pomona, California called Desperation Squad take the stage. The four-piece group featured both young and middle-aged musicians, each of whom was dressed in a rather bizarre style. I was intrigued to say the least.
The D-Squad performed their signature opening song "Band." The music wasn't the best, but the performance the band put on was nothing short of amazing.
As he sang, lead singer Kevin Ausmus, wearing a "We Sell Beer" shirt, traveled into the crowd, danced wildly, and hit the judges' "check" and "minus" buzzers, used to distinguish if the judge approves or disapproves of the act. He also put on his "Panda Man" mask at the end of the song. In the background, guitarist Bob Jones, sporting a t-shirt that simply said, "Show Me the Money," tore up the stage along with band-mates Ian Carlson (drums) and Logan "From Duck Food" (bass).
The audacity with which the band performed blew me away. Never had I seen anyone with such balls. America's Got Talent is America's stage, but for five minutes, Desperation Squad made it their own. There's nothing more rock-and-roll than that.
I continued to follow Desperation Squad well after their shining moment. I became friends with Ausmus, talking with him online about music and boxing. And this past summer, I suggested that his band write a song about Manny Pacquiao, who is taking on Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday night.
Ausmus agreed that a PacMan song would be fitting considering the circumstances, so he and the band wrote a tune entitled "Running With the Pacman" this fall. A few days ago, Desperation Squad recorded a bootleg punk-rock version of the song, which can be heard on the band's Myspace page, Myspace.com/DesperationSquad.
Check it out. The song will get you fired up for Saturday's fight.
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