The American Space Cadets (TASC) are a punk rock and roll band that formed in the summer of 2005 in Auburn, AL by Andrew Jones (Guitar/Vocals), Dylan Baumgardner (Drums), and Stephen Moberly (Bass/Vocals). The formation of the band was due to the haltering aftermath of a former project that Jones and Baumgardner had been a part of called "A Missed Right" with bassist Dustin Deshazo. Destined to play music and get exposure through live performances, Jones and Baumgardner each rented a side of a duplex and set up a practice space. For two months, they wrote new material with a harder edge than their former project and looked for a bassist. At first, they had no luck. They had discussed playing live as a two-piece, as some other acts in the area did. But little did they know, the answer to their missing link was right before them.
Jones and Baumgardner both worked at a bar and grille called Rooster's Rhythm and Brews. One night after work, they were talking about their newly formed project when a fellow employee, Stephen Moberly, overheard them talking about needing a bassist. Moberly expressed his interest right away. At the time, Moberly was currently playing bass with another local Auburn act called "Loud Kid Alex", which they had seen live in the past. He was willing to take on the new project, and a date was set for him to come and hear the duo play some of the material. At this time, only three songs were fully finished. And, these were the songs that were played for appeals. Moberly instantly loved the music and signed on as the bassist and from that point on, The American Space Cadets were born.
The trio wrote material and practiced throughout the Fall of 2005 with the goal to play live in Auburn before the new year turned. That December, they did just that. They were placed on a single band bill at the Rooster's Rhythm and Brews' holiday party. They only had 7 songs at the time, so in order to fill out the evening, the trio played an early set and a late set. The staff at Rooster's and the guests at the party were very impressed, and from that point on, Rooster's became a home venue to The American Space Cadets.
Over the next several months, TASC worked on new material and solidity, showcasing their stage presence on many dates at Rooster's. Stephen had more time to dedicate to TASC due to the breakup of "Loud Kid Alex". The band got their first big opportunity when the owner of Rooster's approached them and asked if they would be interested in opening for Orange County punk legends "Agent Orange". When asked to reflect back on this moment, Jones said "This was a pivotal time for the band. There were a lot of things going on right then. We all knew that this band had the potential to be something bigger than it was, but that we would have to step it up. That's exactly what we did". The American Space Cadets played a great show with Agent Orange and the crowd loved it. The music between Agent Orange's signature surf punk sound meshed very well with the likes of TASC's melodic, yet hard edged grindy sound that is influenced by So-Cal's own Social Distoriton and Face To Face, mixed with a dash of New York City's noise rock by Helmet.
Rooster's owner, Scott Earnhart, was very impressed with what The American Space Cadets were doing and was very proud to have them as a Rooster's exclusive at the time. TASC was growing as a band and Rooster's was growing as a venue, acquiring more and more national touring acts. In early 2006, they were offered another major opportunity to share the stage with Epitaph Records' very own "The U.S. Bombs". This marked another defining moment for the band, as they saw a very bright future in front of them with more opportunities to come. One of these opportunities included recording their debut E.P. titled "FORCE!". Soon after The U.S. Bombs show, Rooster's announced that they were moving to a new location. The owner wanted to have some of Auburn's very own play the last show at the old location. This show was an event to remember. TASC closed out the stage and since it was known that the building was being demolished the next day, the owner gave the reins to Moberly to kick in the infamous railing that separated the bands from the crowd. After the boundaries were no more, Jones invited the crowd to come on stage while they played the last song that this building would ever hear, "Roadhouse On Uranus". "It was a really good show, but it was also sad" Moberly said when asked how he felt looking back on that night. Yet this was another turning point for TASC because it wasn't until then that the trio started discussions on venturing outside of Auburn to play other surrounding cities.
The new Rooster's location needed a lot of work, and they were closed for most of the Spring. This meant that TASC was going to have to start playing other places, thus removing the nameplate as a Rooster's exclusive. "Getting a show at Rooster's was so convenient because we were always there. We all worked there and it was our hangout. All of our friends were there, so why play anywhere else in Auburn? Besides, all of the other venues didn't want our kind of music or wanted cover bands. So, it really forced us to get out there and act on all of the things we had always just talked about before", Jones said, when reflecting back on the temporary closure of Rooster's. And it did prove well for TASC. Their first out of town show was in Columbus, GA at a venue called "The Vault". They did very well here and their fanbase was slowly growing outside of the perimeters of Auburn. They were invited to play back at The Vault, and along with a few house shows in Auburn, TASC was reaching out to more people than ever. Moberly noted that one of the most memorable shows for him was playing in a living room in an apartment complex. When the new location at Rooster's finally opened back up a couple of months later, TASC was ready to reclaim their part of the stage as one of Auburn's best bands. The American Space Cadets played a show with another local favorite, "Hematovore". The two bands knew each other very well and it was a great show to start out the new Rooster's. The show was great and it really helped drop the anchor and spread the word for the new location of the venue. Unfortunately, this would be one of the last shows that Baumgardner played with the band.
In a meeting with the owner of Rooster's, Jones was given information on an upcoming show from a national touring act. He was told that TASC would be requested to play this show and to talk it over with the band. The show would be with an act out of Los Angeles called The Briggs. Touring along side them would be another LA band "Time Again" and Celtic Punk rockers "Blood or Whiskey from Leixlip, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. After discussed with the band, TASC signed on to support the bill, which was to take place on Halloween night of 2006.
It was around this time that Baumgardner resigned his duties as drummer to pursue higher learning in Birmingham. He had already moved to Birmingham, but was commuting back for performances. However, the band was taking a turn and discussion had already begun in regards to relocating the band as a whole to another region of the United States, where more bigger and better opportunities could be possible. Fortunately for TASC, Moberly's roommate was Richard Myers, the drummer from "Loud Kid Alex" and big fan of The American Space Cadets. Myers offered his services to drum for TASC and it worked out very well. He already knew Jones, and from seeing TASC play live so many times, he knew all of the songs. It seemed like a perfect fit. Myers had his own practice area, and the band was able to play together more often since two of the band members shared a living space. They not only were a band, but they were all very good friends. Myers continued to play outside of Auburn with TASC, including The Vault in Columbus, GA and another venue called Sluggo's in Pensacola, FL. He also contributed to the success they had on Halloween night with The Briggs, Time Again, and Blood or Whiskey. But throughout the rest of the year, the discussions of leaving Auburn turned into actions.
Jones got an offer in Washington DC after relentlessly searching the Northeast US for places to find work. He was set to leave Auburn in January of 2007. Moberly had family in Richmond, VA and wanted to be closer to them. Myers took a job in Houston, and the trio set up one final performance before the band parted ways. The American Space Cadets played a final show in Auburn at a venue called The Lumberyard, who gladly hosted the farewell to an Auburn favorite. The venue was packed, and Baumgardner was even present, watching the band perform from a point of view he had never experienced before. "It was a sad moment in our band's history because we all knew things would never be quite like that anymore", Jones said, referring back to their last performance as an Auburn local. A lot of Auburnites said that part of the scene died that night, but that they would never forget the impact that The American Space Cadets had on The Lovliest Village on The Plains. Jones left the next day, bound for our Nation's Capitol. Moberly wasn't far behind, as he moved to Richmond, VA first before making his way up to the District of Columbia.
The band was on a hiatus from January 2007 to December of 2008. During that time, Moberly and Jones were keeping the material fresh, and attempting to re-route the concept of The American Space Cadets, by either dropping it, or re-creating a duo under another name. These were very frustrating times for the two. They were once small-town local celebrities with loyal fans, and overnight became minnows in an ocean-sized market. They searched for drummers online, but had no luck. Everyone they met was either a drummer for hire or did not have the same musical frame of mind. They just about lost all hope when one day, Jones received an email from a drummer he had emailed from an online database of musicians. His name was Kevin Wetherington, and he would become the next drummer for The American Space Cadets.
Jones and Moberly met with Wetherington to discuss their agendas of music. Everyone got along great and seemed to share common desires as musicians. This was a great first start going into a test session that was scheduled for January of 2009. It was during this session that Jones and Moberly welcomed Wetherington to The American Space Cadets. Since then, the band practiced nearly every week, dedicating a full day's work to restructuring and solidifying the material. Their chemistry grew the more they played, as it still does to this day. And today, they are back on track, better than they ever were. Jones said "We used to describe this band as nothing flashy, just fun music and good friends. Well, guess what? Nothing has changed. We're back!". This is a band that has come a long way in a little time. This is a band that hasn't forgotten where they came from, but plans to go much further. So indeed, the concept remains the same, just as it began in a small practice area back in 2005. This is The American Space Cadets. Begin Transmission...
