Wethersfield rockers are anything but ‘Unprepared’

If you fill your gas tank in town, then you probably know Joe Distin, the pump attendant of Cross Mobil

If you've seen him in action, then you'd know why he's the frontman for the local service station. But if you've spent any time talking to him, you're sure to find that the full-service customers aren't the only crowd to see him in the spotlight.

Though he hasn't yet quit his day job, Distin is the wildly energetic lead singer of the local rock band, Unprepared. Only two years ago, the local favorites found the makings of a following with late-night gigs in Wethersfield's limited number of venues, including Bennigan's restaurant and Hamilton's Bunker. And although the band's introduction to the live music scene is a more recent move, they've been together for almost a decade, originally performing for fellow students in their high school talent shows.

All graduates of Wethersfield High School's class of '97, the lineup is made up of familiar faces. Bassist Dan McCarthy is seen by many in town while working one of the local shops. Alberto Dieguez, Unprepared's drummer may be most recognizable as the bartender at his family-owned restaurant, Costa del Sol on the Wethersfield/‌Hartford town line. And even one of Wethersfield's finest, Officer Anthony Demonte can be found onstage as the lead guitar-phenom, and the driving force behind the band, along with Distin's wild-man stage persona as lead vocalist.

“Oh, I do most of the singing, but I also play a little guitar—seriously, the thing is tiny. I think I bought the child's size by mistake,” Distin jokes as he displays his acoustic-electric guitar, which is about 2/3 the size of a standard guitar.

Missing from the band's current cast are bassist Dave Tar and guitarist Eric Clark.

“We're all awaiting Clark's return from his mini-permanent vacation on the west coast. Maybe when we make the big time,” Distin remarks, referring to Clark's departure from the band and his hometown.

“He headed out to California after we recorded our first demo, but he's still considered part of the band because we're convinced he'll be coming back here. It seems like no one ever leaves Wethersfield; it's just one of those towns where people grow up and decide to stick around.”

Sticking around has definitely worked out for the band themselves, having finally earned their place in the spotlight. Unprepared is now one of the two finalist groups competing in the fourth annual Rock Wars. The tournament-style battle-of-the-bands contest is held at one of downtown Hartford's largest late-night hotspots, the Brickyard Café. The nine-week competition began in May with 18 bands, and each week two are eliminated.

“We've been working ourselves crazy to make sure every little thing is just perfect. It's amazing to even have the opportunity to play downtown. And to make it to the finals? We were all blown away,” Distin explains, citing the fact that there are so many “undiscovered” bands that never get the shot they deserve. “It's good to know that a place as popular as the Brickyard would be interested in finding the new talent out there, with bands that are longing for an audience.”

Not only does the competition give the band the exposure they'll need to keep their fanbase growing, but the winners are also awarded with a $2000 cash prize, future slots in the Brickyard's summer schedule and even free studio time.

“Studio time would be incredible; that's what we're really looking forward to. At this point, we're sitting on a heap of original songs that need to be recorded. Between the five of us, we probably have enough material for a box set, at least five or six albums to start with,” Distin muses. “Most of our original music tends to go unheard, because our shows usually stick to the coverband format. Being bar-goers ourselves, we know what a crowd wants to hear and what they don't. Until we can distribute our songs to the point where fans show up specifically to hear our music, I think we'll stick to playing everyone else's. Besides, it always fun to tinker with other artists' works.”

‏Unprepared is notorious for occasionally taking popular songs and putting their own spin on the music, by changing the style, or sometimes just adding in familiar pieces that don't belong but somehow fit seamlessly into the tune.

According to the band, it keeps the crowd on it's collective toes.

So what's in the near future for these hometown rockstars?

“Well, we have the finals coming up on July 8, (After the Post went to Press) which is a Thursday night at the Brickyard. But anyone planning to attend may want to take the 9th off, because the show will go on late and will most likely be so ridiculous that you'll need the three-day weekend to recuperate. Just ask anyone who saw us in the semi-finals! We'll be playing all over the place later in the year, so you'll have to keep watching for that — or join our mailing list by emailing us at UnpreparedBand@aol.com. Or just ask me,” offers Distin. “You know where to find me.”