Firestone Elementary will teach you how to rock at Club Khameleon.

Credit: Ben Breier

Let’s get one thing straight for local bands: To be successful, you have to be on Myspace.com and/or Purevolume.com. It’s pretty much the law. Firestone Elementary knows this law and follows it well.

This band truly uses the Internet to boost its reputation.

“That’s where we get about 50 percent of our fans. We also pass out flyers,” said lead singer Jon Porostosky, also know as JP.

Firestone Elementary’s music is heavy enough that guys don’t think they are wussies, but it also light so girls aren’t scared, Porostosky said.

“We’re right between Thrice and Fall Out Boy,” he said.

Painesville native members of Firestone Elementary are sophomore sociology major Adam Perkins on drums, Porostosky on lead vocals, Jeremy Smith on lead guitar, Nathan Thompson on rhythm guitar and Justin Waite on bass guitar.

“I was flipping through a phone book, and I combined Firestone and elementary. We didn’t go to the school, but people all the time are like, ‘Did you go there?'” Porostosky said. “It’s a cool name – it sticks out to people.”

Porostosky said the band didn’t know it was a school around here, since the members are originally from Painesville.

The band is in the process of recording its first album, Apologies and Instincts, but things are going slow.

“We’re recording our first album right now,” Porostosky said. “We definitely want to get signed to a smaller record label.”

The new album is due out around wintertime, although the band wishes it was coming out sooner because all three of its recorded songs are online.

But Firestone Elementary’s luck and hard work are starting to pay off now that people are recognizing them.

“The other day I was walking down the road, and a girl ran up to me and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re in Firestone Elementary!'” Perkins said, imitating a girl voice. “I was like, ‘Yeah, you can come drink a beer, but I’m not going to sign anything.'”

Even if the music has screaming in it, the band insists it isn’t hard enough to the point that it lacks melody. The songs from the album are intriguing and catchy.

“When we play new songs there are people who start trying to sing along and I’m like, ‘I don’t know the words to the song, JP doesn’t even know the words,'” Perkins said chuckling.

Firestone Elementary differs from some other local bands because they take it seriously. These easygoing guys insist their music doesn’t have a genre since they all listen to different types of music – but it all comes together to make a not – so – elementary sound.

Contact ALL reporter Erika Kreider at [email protected].