Four friends. That's all it took to form the Wawas. The name, very simple and memorable. Their music, very catchy and entertaining. Trust me when I say, you would want three encores after they are done performing.
Fresh off of their performance at The Blooze bar, I was able to sit down with the Wawas and ask them some fun questions for a simple 10-minute interview. Now, I personally know the members, but I promise that I sat through their performance with my journalism hat on to be as unbiased as possible.
The Wawas are a local band that consists of lead vocalist Brian Robinette, guitarist Jeremy Lujan, bassist Paul Howell, and drummer Alex Venditti. The band played covers from Green Day, The Police, and other bands in that genre. They also performed five original songs.
Their sound filled the atmosphere of the bar with a sense of joy and it was easy to sing along to their original songs by the second time the chorus rolled around. I found myself bopping back and forth to their very funny but meaningful song, "Don't Snap and Drive" which was requested as an encore two times because of how catchy it was. Everyone was cheering and interacting with the band because they are great at interacting with the crowd.
Brian would thank the audience for being there after every song, which made everyone enjoy them just a little bit more because they connected with us on a more personal level.
As a lover of music myself, I had no idea how they would sound but I can guarantee that their sound is fun, unique, and it just makes you want to headbang.
After their performance, three encores, and many pictures that were taken of them, the band sat down with me and answered my questions thoroughly. The interview was mostly a casual conversation because they are so close and can easily bounce off from each other. In my opinion, that is one of their best features.
So here it is. The Wawas interview:
How do you know each other?
The Wawas at The Blooze.
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Paul: I met Jeremy and Alex in high school during marching band and that's how we've known each other.
Alex: I've known Brian since kindergarten and introduced him to the guys.
Paul: So we're all best friends and I think that's a huge advantage for the band. We all click and understand each other on a personal level when we perform.
I think this has been a long-awaited question: How did you come up with the band name?
Brian and Alex
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: Oh that's a great question and I have an even better answer. So Jeremy and I both own Chihuahuas and one night we were talking about them when the name of the band kind of came to us.
Jeremy: I call my Chihuahua a "wawa" because why not.
Alex: We decided it would be a fun band name, even though not every bandmember was on board with it at first. We played our first show as the Wawas as a temporary name, but then we actually thought it would be a great name to be remembered by.
Where was your first show?
Brian and Paul doing an acoustic cover.
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: First Friday.
Paul: No! It was my graduation party.
Alex: Oh that's right! We had a little personal gathering debut at Paul's graduation party.
Who came up with the idea to start the band?
Jeremy singing "Holiday."
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Jeremy: It kind of just happened. During spring break, I played with Alex for a little bit and then with Paul.
Paul: Then we thought that we could actually make something out of this. Everyone was close friends and we all knew Brian as a singer and that's when he also came on board.
Where do you get song ideas?
Alex Venditti
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: They usually come from personal experiences, and some are really funny. For example, "I'll Go if You Go" is about how we were all sitting in the parking lot of Horizon High School trying to decide where to eat for lunch and if you listen to the lyrics now that you know what it's about, it actually is way funnier. I had that song on a stupid list of song ideas but we actually ended up loving how it sounds.
Jeremy: It really comes from stupid things that happen to us. "Don't Snap and Drive" is a song that I wrote about a car accident I was in because I was, sadly, snapchatting and driving. "In the Halls" is about a girl that broke the heart of each of us at some point. So how would you not write a song about that?
What does a typical practice look like?
Brian and Alex performing "In the Halls."
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: A lot of friendly yelling. I'm usually known as the moderately benevolent dictator who pushes the practice forward and does not want time to be wasted. Paul knows what he's doing and tries to get us to understand what is it that he is doing exactly. Brian is trying his hardest and Jeremy has a lot of energy. We're sort of a dysfunctional family when we're practicing but once we get our sidetracks out of the way, we end up making some amazing music together.
What's one thing you hope inspires others as they hear your music?
Paul Howell
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Paul: I think our band tries to give everyone a fun atmosphere to be in but we're also very serious about our music. We want the audience to connect with us personally and really understand we aren't just making music because we're bored. We're making music because we're passionate about it. We want to make someone's day and really have our songs to be remembered.
What genre do you think you best classify as?
Jeremy Lujan
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Jeremy: You could call it punk rock.
Paul: I think it's a mix of punk rock but we try to incorporate other fun sounds and I think that's because of our different music tastes.
Who inspires you guys?
Jeremy and the Billy Joe Armstrong guitar.
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: the Foo Fighters.
Jeremy: Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day. I even have his guitar.
Paul: The Who
Brian: Ida Mariah.
Is there a place to find your music?
Brian Robinette
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Brian: We're working on that and hopefully getting something out soon on a platform. For now, @wawas_band on Instagram is the best way to keep up with us.
Do you have any album plans?
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Jeremy: Hopefully in the future but we know that an EP will be dropping soon so watch out for that!
Where do you guys hope to go in the future?
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: Wherever the wind blows.
Paul: Wherever the future decides to take us we're all for it. I can't predict anything but I know that we enjoy performing and making music together and plan on doing it for a while.
Lastly, how do you keep the band together with everyone being in different places during the year?
Photo by: Brandon Andrews
Alex: We're still working on it but we're figuring out some ways. Paul and I both go to Northern Arizona University and we're hoping to have Jeremy and Brian come up there on some weekends so we can practice and write some new songs. It's a little challenging, but I know that whenever we are all back in one place, it doesn't take long for us to reconnect our rhythm and get performing again.
And that's it! The Wawas in a small and very casual nutshell.
I got to see the Wawas again when they kicked off the first Friday of the decade with an amazing performance at Downtown Phoenix's monthly party, First Friday. They had glow sticks to ring in the Roaring 20s and the sidewalk was crowded with fans singing along to the covers and even the choruses to some of their original songs. Despite the cold weather, Alex's hands never missed a beat, Jeremy's strumming never dimmed, Brian's vocals never faltered, and Paul's fingers kept the rhythm alive. There were points where I was shivering but the way the band kept the crowd engaged and on their feet, gave me all the warmth that I needed. If you ever get the chance to experience the Wawas, I highly recommend that you do. Keep up with their Instagram @wawas_band because trust me when I say, you don't want to miss out on their performances. They will keep you on your feet, energized, and engaged. I can guarantee you that you will leave their performance singing the chorus of "Don't Snap and Drive" all the way home, and wawa-nt to see them again.
